FREDDIE Roach, the American Hall-of-Fame trainer, yesterday said Manny Pacquiao is in best shape, adding the Filipino is ready to go 12 full rounds against Mexican slugger Oscar Larios at the Araneta Coliseum.
That is, if the bout will indeed go the distance.
“I do believe Larios would come out hard on Manny in the early rounds, but I don’t think that strategy will work. We’re going to break his body and take out his legs. If he comes to us and want to exchange with us, then that would be a big mistake for him,” said Roach after the circus-like, open workout involving the two fighters at the Big Dome yesterday.
Upon arriving last week from Los Angeles, California, where Team Pacquiao trained for more than a month at the famed Wild Card gym, Roach predicted the fight would end inside six rounds in favor of the Filipino southpaw.
He reiterated that same stand shortly after Pacquiao was through with his final workout for the July 2 non-title bout.
“He’s punching better than ever. He’s punching like a middleweight,” said Roach. “Manny is in great shape for this fight. We’re ready to go for 12 rounds. If a knockout comes, then that would be good.”
Rafael Mendoza, the manager/adviser of Larios, a two-time world champion, was just as bold as Roach is.
“We’re ready to fight. We came here to win,” said the man responsible for the colorful careers of other former world champios like Pipino Cuevas and Chiquita Gonzales.
Mendoza, Larios and trainer Edison Reynoso arrived in the country Sunday afternoon from Tokyo, Japan, where the Mexican team set up its training camp for the last four weeks.
Larios, the 29-year-old native of Guadalajara, Mexico, was the first one to climb the ring — the same expensive Everlast brand that will be used during the fight itself — and showed his stuff.
Looking more fit and trim than the first time he came here in April, Larios shadow-boxed for about three minutes and then proceeded to punch the mitts alongside Reynoso as loud music blared on the background.
“We’ve easily adjusted with the weather and atmosphere here. We’re definitely looking for an upset,” Reynoso told mediamen after Larios’ workout.
Then pandemonium broke loose.
The crowd went wild the moment Pacquiao came out of the self-made, circular tunnel similar to the ones being used in WCW (World Championship Wrestling) fights and in previous NBA playoffs.
Garbed in a white shirt and in his famous flaming fighting shorts, he came with Roach and cornermen Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.
Upon his instructions, the loud background music was put off just as he shadow boxed and engaged Russian Rustam Nugaev in a light, three-round sparring session.
The former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-bantamweight champion also did the punching mitts with Roach for three minutes. Just as the two were doing the routine, Roach called on Larios and said that he has nothing to be afraid of, drawing a big howl and a round of applause from the excited crowd that later shouted chants of Manny! Manny! Manny!
Sweat dripping from his body, Pacquiao had his shirt taken off later on, threw it to the crowd before doing the skipping rope for his final act.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa inyong lahat na dumalo dito.
Asahan ninyong hindi ko kayo bibiguin,” said Pacquiao, who returned to the stage dressed moments later and serenaded the audience by singing a cut from his debut album.
The Filipino ring icon reportedly planned another running session in the early evening, separate from the one he had at the Luneta Grandstand early dawn of yesterday.
Both Larios and Pacquiao will have their separte workouts in the next two days before coming face-to-face again for the final press conference of the fight on Thursday at the Discovery Suites. The weigh-in is set on Saturday morning also at the same venue.
