LOS ANGELES ? Juan Garcia, a rising super featherweight from Phoenix, is the one fellow other than trainer Freddie Roach who can gauge the progress of Manny Pacquiao?s training for his March 15 rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Garcia, unbeaten with a 14-0 card with five knockouts, is one of several of sparmates Roach hired to help hone Pacquiao and the 21-year-old right-hander swears to high heavens that if there?s one guy who could win by knockout, that would be the Filipino lefty.
“I was here right from the start and I saw him as being fast and strong and quick with his hands and feet and very smart, too,” said Garcia after standing his ground with Pacquiao for four torrid rounds on Tuesday.
“You can?t see his punches and the punch that you won?t see is the punch that will knock you out,” said Garcia, giggling.
“If there?s going to be a knockout in the fight that will be Manny Pacquiao (winning by knockout),” Garcia said, adding that while he is a pure-blooded Mexican like Marquez, he is basing his thoughts on first-hand experience.
“I am also a Mexican like Juan Manuel and it?s just work for me.”
As to the pay being the sparring partner, Garcia smiled, but looked at it differently.
“Yes (the pay is good being a sparring partner (for Pacquiao) but it?s actually priceless. Learning from a pound-for-pound fighter is priceless,” added Garcia, who will see action on March 28.
