?We?re looking to improve on the beating Morales received last time.?
FightFan.com was LIVE on location at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card gym to get the latest on Manny Pacquiao?s training camp for his epic third showdown against nemesis Eric Morales. Freddie speak on Manny?s conditioning, battered sparring partners, and his plan to lay a beating on Morales. Only on FightFan.com!
FF: FightFan.com here with the legendary Freddie Roach. Freddie tell us how things are going in Manny?s training. We?ve seen a little bit here but how are things looking in your opinion?
FR: Manny?s in great shape. Today was a mitts day where we did 12 rounds on the mitts and I think it was 36 rounds all together of training today. We?ll spar tomorrow?
FF: How much sparring is he doing for this fight?
FR: Three times a week, we spar.
FF: And is Manny hurting any of the sparring partners?
FR: I had to get two new ones. Two of the guys we had had fights coming up and they were getting a little beat up. Sometimes when Manny get familiar with the sparring partners he gets friendly with them and doesn?t want to hurt them so I gotta change them and get some fresh blood in there. He doesn?t know the new guys so well and there?s more competition. The two new guys worked out really well yesterday and they?ll go at it again tomorrow.
FF: How would you compare this training camp to those of the first two Morales fights?
FR: The first training camp for Morales we let everyone come in and watch and there was too many distractions I thought. I thought he would work harder in front of the people and so forth but I made a mistake and it wasn?t the best recipe for getting ready for the Morales fight. It worked much better when we closed things down for the second fight and that?s what we?ve done again here. When we spar we go next door into the addition and it?s very private. Manny?s focus is on because we know Morales is going to show up at his best for the last fight in the trilogy.
FF: What?s the key to countering Morales? jab, which is probably his biggest weapon?
FR: The right hook. Last fight, every time Morales jabbed Manny came over top with the right hook and it was a very good weapon. The right hook has been getting better and better all the time so we feel we can take care of him with that. Another big key is going to be going to his body. He doesn?t like body shots and that showed in the last fight. We?re going to show that in this fight also.
FF: It seems like in many of Manny?s recent camps there?s been a series of distractions. I don?t want to discuss any of those in specific, but is that something Manny has learned to tune out whether it be personal, promotional etc?
FR: The thing is he?s just thinking about the fight. About the stuff with Golden Boy he?s not even thinking about that right now, he?s just thinking about the fight. That?s not an issue right now. We?re just getting ready for the fight and that?s what he focuses on.
FF: So it?s safe to say he leaves that stuff at the door when he comes to the Wild Card?
FR: Pretty much, yea.
FF: We?re wondering if there?s room for Manny to improve on his last performance, which in retrospect was pretty good?
FR: It was a good performance in the last fight but he was still behind on the cards after five rounds. I think one judge even had him losing the first five. I think we can do better. We can use some boxing ability in this fight and not just trade with this guy. Use some speed and look to how Raheem beat him and out boxed him and look to improve on the beating he received last time.
FF: Manny seems to have improved in his last few fights, in that he?s showing more angles in fighting.. is that something that?s going to help him in this fight?
FR: I think so. The thing we really want to bring into this fight is Manny?s footwork, because he?s very quick on his feet. I don?t just want him to stand there and exchange with this guy which Manny has a tendency to do because it?s in his character. I just want to see him in and out boxing a little bit more because Morales? stance is very wide and he commits with a heavy jab. If you move on him and bring his feet in to play he?s very slow and I think we can capitalize on that.
FF: We?re not going to ask about future potential opponents or to look past Morales, but in the future, 130, 135, 126, where would you like to see Manny at once the Morales chapter is finished?
FR: Well you know everyone wants to see Barrera again so that?s probably what it?s going to be. I think if we?re successful in this fight that we?ll fight Barrera next. Barrera?s at that point in his career where he doesn?t have many fights left and he wants the rematch very badly so we?ll look to give it to him. We have no problem with that, but again, that?s after Morales.
FF: In the future, can you see Manny campaigning viably at 135 with the bigger guys there?
FR: With certain opponents, yea. Guys like Castillo are so big, although he?s not really a 35lber anymore? I thought if Corrales could make 135 again he?s someone we?d definitely fight at 135. Somebody that?s big but hittable and anyone that Manny can hit is a good fight.
FF: Alright, Freddie thanks for taking the time to talk with FightFan.com. We appreciate the invite and the hospitality.
FR: Alright, thanks guys.
