MANILA, Philippines – Freddie Roach?s chief assistant Marvin Somodio said yesterday Manny Pacquiao could?ve backed out of his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May because of a shoulder injury but didn?t want to disappoint fans who flew to Las Vegas from different parts of the world and paid a hefty price for tickets to witness the WBA/WBC/WBO unification welterweight championship bout.
Somodio, who is based in Los Angeles working for Roach at the Wild Card Gym, is in town with wife Melissa to renew his Philippine passport. He will also go to the US Embassy for the stamping of his visa on the new travel document. Somodio received notice in Los Angeles that his US visa would be renewed for another three years.
Over three weeks before the Mayweather fight, Pacquiao suffered a slight tear in his right shoulder during a sparring session. He took a week off from sparring then went back to work, barely using his right hand. ?Manny wanted to preserve his right for the fight so he rested it in the late stages of sparring,? said Somodio. ?The shoulder got better and better as the fight drew nearer. It was suggested to ask for a postponement but Manny didn?t want to disappoint the fans. If some fans were disappointed at the way the fight turned out, I think there would?ve been many more fans disappointed if it didn?t push through. A few hours before the fight, Manny asked if he could take a shot on the shoulder in case the pain came back but the commission didn?t allow it. Manny was ready to fight, with or without the injection. He was fine entering the fight but in the fourth round, the injury worsened. It?s common for fighters to enter the ring feeling some kind of pain. They?re warriors, slight pain is not an issue.?
After hyperextending his shoulder in the fourth round, Pacquiao could still jab with the right but couldn?t hook. The injury clearly affected his fight plan. Mayweather seemed to know about Pacquiao?s problem and appeared to deliberately pull the Filipino?s right arm to cause more damage to the rotator cuff. Somodio said if Pacquiao were 100 percent, he would?ve dominated Mayweather. Even with an injured shoulder, Pacquiao made it a close fight and some ringsiders felt he deserved to win. Somodio said a rematch would be appropriate to settle the issue.
Somodio, 31, said there is no better boxing hub in the world than the Wild Card Gym and no better trainer than Roach. ?I?m grateful to Freddie for everything I know,? he said. ?He taught me how to wrap, how to do mitts. When he assigns me to work with a fighter preparing for a bout, I study videos of his opponent then discuss with Freddie what to do. He figures out the strategy and tactics. Now, he sends me all over the world to work in the corner of some of the world?s best fighters. I?ve been to Russia thrice. I?ve worked in Shanghai, Macau and all over the US. I owe everything to Freddie. I always do my best for him.?
Somodio?s first world title fight as a cornerman was when Brian Viloria halted Tyson Marquez in a WBA/WBO unification flyweight championship fight in Los Angeles in 2012. On July 18, Somodio will be in Macau to work with China?s Ik Yang who battles Argentina?s Cesar Cuenca for the vacant IBF superlightweight crown. Both Yang and Cuenca are unbeaten. Dean’s Corner ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
In the gym, Somodio doesn?t consider his size a handicap. Although he?s only 5-1, Somodio takes no back step in doing mitts with heavyweights and cruiserweights. Russian heavyweight Andrey Fedosov, who stands 6-1, batters the mitts in Somodio?s hands. Others with whom Somodio works the mitts include WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and former WBO lightwelterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov, both hard hitters.
?I don?t mind the pain when I do mitts,? he said. ?I like it when a fighter bangs hard when his fight is coming close. That means he?s sharp and reaching his peak. Once, I had a pain near the back of my neck. I went to a chiropractor. After a few days, I was back. If I pull back the mitts, I could get hurt so I hold them upright. Sometimes, even the body shield isn?t enough to soften the impact of the punches. I never show a fighter I?m hurt. I don?t want him to lose focus. I want him to hit as hard as he can.?
Somodio said Provodnikov is one of the hardest hitters he?s worked mitts with. Viloria is another. ?Brian?s power isn?t like he?s a flyweight, it?s more like he?s a welterweight,? he said. ?His left hook is very strong. If Manny is a 10 in punching power, Brian is an 8. Cotto is also a hard hitter. When Cotto fought Daniel Geale in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, he weighed in at 153 1/2 with the catchweight of 157. He wasn?t even 160 when the fight began. Geale was 157 but 182 when the fight started. Cotto won by a knockout in the fourth round.?
Somodio said Cotto may fight Saul Alvarez next. ?Alvarez is perfect for Cotto because he comes forward,? said Somodio who was in the Puerto Rican?s corner for the Geale fight. ?Cotto?s the middleweight champion but he can go down to superwelterweight easily.?
