Renowned trainer Freddie Roach believes that his ward Bobby Pacquiao has what it takes to upset the talented Humberto Soto of Mexico when they clash in a 10-round duel on June 9 at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York. Roach, in an interview with the media, informed that the younger Pacquiao has been doing his part in the gym in preparation for the Soto fight, and would not be surprised to see a major realignment of stars on fight night. “I’ve never seen Bobby train this hard for a fight. He has done all his share, and we just have to follow the plan,” said Roach when interviewed by the media during the press conference held the other day in Los Angeles. Pacquiao, for his part, has vowed to do his best against Soto, who seems to be looking past him for a mega-fight with Bobby’s more popular brother the Pacman. Meanwhile, reports in Mexico indicate that an important sub-plot in the Soto-Pacquiao clash is the presence of Roach and Soto’s trainer Pancho Valenzuela on opposite sides of the rings. “This will be a duel of strategies, with the very popular, distinguished, recognized and famous Freddie Roach up against virtual unknown Pancho Valenzuela,” said a Mexican boxing website. Although Valenzuela is not exactly a neophyte in the fight business, this will mark the first time that he will trade wits and strategies against the acknowledged titan among trainers in Freddie Roach, whose most recent guidance of Oscar De la Hoya in the latter’s fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr has been hailed as outstanding and a work of genius. De la Hoya, a huge underdog going into the fight, had almost pulled off an upset, losing a split decision to the pound-for-pound icon although many ringsiders felt the Golden Boy did enough to win the bout.
