Trainer Freddie Roach said yesterday Manny Pacquiao will be ready to beat Oscar Larios when they face off in a 12-round World Boxing Council International superfeatherweight title bout at the Araneta Coliseum on July 2.
Despite Larios’ two-week headstart in training, Roach wasn’t perturbed and welcomed Pacquiao in his first sweat session at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles last Wednesday.
“Manny’s my favorite person to train on earth because when he’s in the gym, he really gives it his all,” said Roach. “Six weeks is enough time for Manny to prepare for Larios. He’ll be ready to win on July 2.”
ABS-CBN sports reporter Dyan Castillejo-Garcia, who is in Los Angeles, told The Star in an overseas phone call that Roach couldn’t hide his glee after Pacquiao went seven rounds on the punch-mitts without let-up.
Roach said he felt Pacquiao’s power hadn’t waned. Pacquiao blasted the mitts, which Roach wore, with the same ferocity that he showed in pulverizing Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. The timing was a bit off because of Pacquiao’s long rest and he was relatively slow but Roach said six weeks of hard work will set things right.
What impressed Roach was the power in Pacquiao’s right hand. He said he was surprised how comfortable Pacquiao was in throwing the right. Roach said the right hand is developing to be a lethal weapon and will be a devastating complement to his left.
Roach said he expects Larios to stick and run in the early going. “He probably thinks Manny won’t be in shape for the fight so he’ll want to tire him out and make Manny chase him around the ring,” he continued. “But in the end, he’ll revert back to fighting Manny straight up. We’ll be ready for him, no matter what he does.”
Pacquiao will begin sparring next week. Roach has tapped two Russians and two Mexicans, who weigh between 135 to 140 pounds, as sparmates. He will bring one of the Russians to Manila when they fly here about 11 days before the fight.
Roach confirmed that Pacquiao will no longer train in Baguio because it will mean another adjustment to climate conditions.
Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles last Monday and spent a night at assistant Joe Ramos’ apartment in Glendale. The next day, he went to the Wild Card Gym to discuss his training program with Roach and moved to the LaBrea Apartments, in front of the Pan Pacific Park where he jogs, beside the Palazzo.
Pacquiao will run around the low hills and flat terrain of the Pan Pacific Park this week to get into condition before tackling the higher ground of the Griffith Park where an uphill climb to the observatory awaits.
Roach recently enlarged the space of the Wild Card Gym by acquiring a space half its original size beside the second floor facility on top of a laundromat on Vine Street. The new area, to be fitted with a ring, will be called the “Pacquiao extension.”
“Freddie was concerned that Manny might want to go back to Manila on June 3, as planned,” said Castillejo-Garcia. “But when they met last Tuesday, Manny assured Freddie he would stay until June 19 or 20. Manny was very enthusiastic in his first workout and showed a lot of power. It was good to see Manny and Freddie working together. They’re so well-connected. They have a strong relationship.”
Castillejo-Garcia said she interviewed fighter Oscar de la Hoya about the Pacquiao-Larios fight. De la Hoya warned Pacquiao not to take Larios lightly and said if the Filipino is not in tip-top shape, the Mexican could pull an upset.
