LOS ANGELES ? Freddie Roach came so close to predicting a big knockout by Manny over Juan Manuel Marquez on March 15 in Las Vegas.
?I hate to predict a knockout because this guy got up three times the last time,? Roach told Filipino mediamen who caught up with him having late dinner last Monday just outside his Wild Card Gym here.
?But I guarantee we?ll do a better job. I think we?ll knock him out this time,? added Roach, barely 12 days before Pacquiao faces Marquez, the reigning WBC super-featherweight champion.
Roach was with some friends, enjoying Thai food and facing a giant TV screen showing a John Lennon documentary, when he spoke of the coming fight, and gave an update of Pacquiao?s training.
He said Pacquiao did well in the gym earlier in the day and later on tipped the scales at 133 lbs, with just his trunks on. Just last Wednesday, the Pinoy boxer said he was at 135 to 136 lbs, a few bars over the limit of 130.
?He weighed in today at 133 pounds. He?s coming down slowly. He?s in great shape. He?s very motivated. We went 20 rounds with the mitts today with no rest. He won?t stop,? said Roach.
?Today was his last big day with the mitts. Now we have to start cutting back a little bit. Sparring tomorrow will be eight rounds then on Thursday we?ll go six and on Saturday we?ll go four. We?ll also go four on Monday then drive to Vegas in the afternoon.?
Roach said he expects Pacquiao to take the four-hour, 300-mile drive to Vegas, the way he?d always gone there, and not take the shorter, more comfortable ride on a private plane being offered by promoter Bob Arum.
?You know Manny. He wants to do things the way he?s done it before,? said Roach.
Pacquiao, in his seventh week of training here in LA, should start tapering off heading to the big fight. A victory would lead to even bigger fights through the year, including one against WBC lightweight champ David Diaz on June 21 in Macau.
Notes: The Living Legend of Philippine basketball, Robert Jaworski, was on the Philippine Airlines flight from Manila to LA Monday evening. He?s here in the US for a couple of reasons: to be part of the Legends Tour (a series of basketball games featuring some of the greatest Pinoy dribblers of all time) and yes, the Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas. ?Of course, pupunta ako kay Manny. Hihingi ako ng money eh,? he said, followed by a hearty laugh. Seriously, he said he expects Pacquiao to beat the Mexican hands down. ?We all know that Manny is better than this guy. But he?s got to be careful,? said Jaworski, who was also around when Pacquiao fought and defeated Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas last Otober. Jaworski predicted a seventh-round knockout then for Pacquiao (seven being his favorite number, his jersey number). But the fight lasted the distance only because ?Manny fought the right fight.? He said Pacquiao is a much better fighter now than when he drew with Marquez in 2004.
