LOS ANGELES ? Ready to rumble.
That?s what Freddie Roach said on Thursday afternoon after overseeing another intense workout by Manny Pacquiao at the famed Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
The Filipino phenom and the Boston-bred Roach meet almost daily at the gym where the two plot their strategy for Pacquiao?s coming fight against Mexico?s Juan Manuel Marquez next week in Las Vegas. It is a fight which Pacquiao said the other is one of the most important in his career.
“He is in good shape and ready to go,” said Roach, who was pleased with Pacquiao?s sparring session with Hispanic fighters Ramon Montano and Juan Garcia nine days before the much-awaited rematch at Mandalay Bay.
As in the last few days, Pacquiao asked Roach to allow him to add more rounds to his sessions, be it shadowboxing or doing the speedball routine.
But Roach put his foot down and warned Pacquiao he might overdo things.
“He wanted to do more but I told him to cut back and he understands. I don?t want to leave all the fight in the gym,” said Roach, who is worried about possible burnout from his priceless weard.
“The fight is getting closer and closer and we have to break it down and slow it down and just maintain (his current condition),” he said.
Pacquiao and Roach began training together on Jan. 16 and there was never a time ? except for one day last week in San Francisco ? when they had to train outside the Wild Card.
Since showing up at the Wild Card?s doorstep, Roach and Pacquiao never missed a beat, just like what happened during one spring day in 2001 when Pacquiao, joined then by business manager Rod Nazario, walked inside the gym and asked that he be allowed to showcase his wares.
The moment Pacquiao threw one of those blinding and forceful combinations on Roach?s mitts and shortly after that brief encounter, Roach knew right then that he had found a future champion.
Since then, teacher and student have blended together like bread and butter, going 11-1 (win-loss) in fights on US soil. Pacquiao?s only loss was against Erik Morales in March 2005 but Pacquiao exacted payback in brutal fashion, knocking out the legendary Mexican twice in the second meeting, and in the rubber match.
Against Marquez, who is the epitome of a counterpuncher, Pacquiao and Roach?s tandem will again put under a stern test and both have expressed the belief that they will again pull through.
