In this video interview with Fight Hub TV, Manny Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach talks a little about their upcoming fight with Keith Thurman and gives his assessment of the fight. Check out what he had to say below..
Roach on why they selected Thurman as an opponent:
?Well, you know, we thought he was a good opponent. We know he?s a pretty good puncher, of course, but I mean he?s not the greatest puncher in the world, and he?s not the greatest boxer in the world. And, you know, getting ready for this fight, we have a really good game plan I think it?s a very good fight for my guy and that?s why we end up choosing him. You know, there was a lot of talk about Mikey Garcia, this guy, that guy, but Thurman was the logical choice in the end and I feel that we?re gonna have a great fight.?
On if he believes Thurman is not the same fighter he was before the injuries:
?If you watch his tapes, there?s a big separation between the last three and the ones before that and I think he?s declined a little bit, yes. You know, his last fight he knocked the guy down with a nice left hook in the third round and then in the seventh round he almost got knocked out himself, and he came back to win the fight but, you know, I just don?t think he?s as great as everyone says.?
On what he thinks Thurman doesn?t do as well since his injuries:
?You know, he had a real powerful right hand and now his best punch is probably the left hook right now. I think he had a bad injury I?ve heard on that side and it seems like if you watch the last three fights that?s still bothering him somewhat, I would say. And, you know, Manny being a southpaw, we?re gonna attack him in a strategic way and so I think it?s a good fight for Manny being a southpaw and his big right hand won?t ? it?s not gonna reach Manny at all.?
On if he thinks Thurman hasn?t been using his right hand as much lately because it?s still compromised:
?Yes. I mean the thing is in his last three fights he hasn?t used that right hand quite nearly as he used to. I mean it was much more effective for awhile, a while ago. But, you know, the thing is people do get injured in boxing. Manny had a bad shoulder for a while and then we had to have [a swim in the healing river] surgery and so forth. And he?s back 100% now and he?s looking really good. We?ve had a really good training camp for this fight and I feel really good about this one.?
On what he makes of Thurman?s speed and his ability to trade in the pocket:
?Well, he can move a little bit. I won?t say he?s fast, though. And Manny is like ten times as fast as him, I feel. And I think that?ll be a big factor in the fight…but it?s not always hand speed really that wins it. Manny has foot speed also and I think that?ll dominate [for] us and I think at this point when he feels our power, and feels how hard Manny hits, I think he?ll run a little bit like he did in his last fight. I mean he was retreating in that fight and trying to be a counterpuncher and he?s not a great counterpuncher.?
On Thurman bringing up the Jeff Horn fight and how Horn was able to manhandle Pacquiao, and if he?s worried if Thurman will try to adopt those same tactics:
?Well if he wants to go off the Horn fight, I mean, he had us in a headlock at least 30 times. It was like as illegal as ever. He would?ve been disqualified in any other country in the world, but he?s in his own country and so forth. Horn fought Manny really, really dirty. I mean, how many headlocks and pushing him down on the floor and stuff like that? It was not a boxing match. It was just, you know, we went to a foreign country [for a lot of money] and we paid for it. I mean, there?s no way Horn won that fight anyway and we still lost, though.?
On Thurman believing Horn really won that fight:
?Well, Keith has to go somewhere. I mean, ?cause where else has he got to go? I mean, who?s the best fighter he ever fought?…How long was [Shawn] Porter our sparring partner?! How many years? Like ten, at least. I mean that?s the best guy he?s fought? I?m worried about a guy that can?t even beat our sparring partner?! Give me a break.?
[Burn…except for the fact that Thurman actually did beat Porter.]
On if he thinks Pacquiao stops Thurman:
?I?m really hoping for a stoppage. We haven?t had one in a long time, yes, I know that. But Manny, if he fights the right fight, that?s exactly what we want him to do. I mean, you know, he?s never had a knockout at ?47, he?s not a huge puncher at ?47, I know that, and so we don?t really go into this fight looking for a knockout at all. We go in there and win every round one at a time.?
On how long he wants to see Pacquiao continue fighting:
?We do have an agreement, I told him once I see signs of you declining, once I see signs of you getting old, I said I?m gonna tell you to retire and you will retire. And we do have an agreement, we?ve had that agreement for a long time now.
?And he has not lost a step yet, he?s very, very quick. I mean, he?s still a very good fighter. I know he?s 40 years old but, you know, 40?s just a number. I mean there?s been a lot of fighters out there who go past 40 nowadays and the fight game has changed a little bit. I mean, we spar three times a week now, instead of six like when I was a fighter. It was a lot more grueling sport. And then we fought like 10 times a year.
?Now if you fight twice a year it?s a lot of fights. It?s a different game now and I think it works in Manny?s favor, of course, because he?s gonna stay continuous, stay busy. And the best part about it is when Manny?s not with me practicing boxing, which he does best, he goes to his second best sport which is basketball. He just plays that just to stay in shape, just to stay in condition. But the thing is he hasn?t worn himself out nearly because in between fights he doesn?t box.?
On if that means he wouldn?t mind seeing Pacquiao fight for a few more years so long as he maintains his current form:
?I would say three years, we?re talking a lot. We?re talking like big numbers now and stuff like that. But I would say three fights, yes.?
On if Pacquiao wants to fight the winner of Spence-Porter next:
?One thing we have an agreement on is that we?re not here just to make money, just to fight nobodies. We?re here to be the best. I mean, that?s why we?re fighting. After this fight we want to fight the best guy out there. I mean we?re kinda hunting for Mayweather a little bit, yes. We?d like that one back one more time, yes. But if it doesn?t come and Errol Spence does, well I mean, that could definitely be our next fight, or Crawford or ? there?s a lot of guys out there that are very good at 147. So, I mean, there?s some good competition.?
On if Spence would be a tougher fight:
?It?s a lot tougher? I?m not so sure. You know, Spence just let Mikey Garcia go the distance with him and, you know, Mikey?s just a little guy and I thought Spence ? I thought he would win by knockout but he didn?t even come close in that fight. How great is he? I mean I coached him on the Olympic team back in the day and he?s a very good kid and works hard and so forth, but the thing is in that fight I didn?t see much.?
