LOS ANGELES ? Moments after seeing Manny Pacquiao tip the scales at 133 lbs on Saturday afternoon, trainer Freddie Roach flashed a big smile and then rattled off the reason why the Filipino southpaw is going to emerge victorious against Juan Manuel Marquez this weekend in Las Vegas.
“Manny will have to watch his diet a little bit and watch his (food) intake and three pounds in a week won?t be hard to take off,” said Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood that he owns and operates on a daily basis.
The super-featherweight limit is 130 lbs and Pacquiao passed a crucial test that was supervised by Bonnie Garcia, a representative from the World Boxing Council (WBC), by weighing in three pounds and a half lower than what is allowed by the Mexico-based governing body seven days before the fight.
Although there?s still one major obstacle to be hurdled ? the official weighin on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas ? Roach was obviously relieved that Pacquiao made good on his promise that scaling down to a manageable level won?t be a problem.
With all the bases covered going into the eighth week of training, Roach expects Pacquiao to settle the score with Marquez before boisterous Filipino and Mexicans fans at the 12,000-seat Events Center inside Mandalay Bay.
“I can?t see that,” Roach answered a Manila-based scribe who asked him what would prevent Pacquiao from losing the rematch with the skillful Mexican.
“Manny has done all the work and we?ve covered all the bases, we have a good gameplan, I don?t think we are going to lose this fight,” said the 48-year-old Roach, who believes Marquez will only have two choices to make when he answers the bell.
“We have plans A and B and it would depend on what Marquez does and on how he wants to fight us. If he is aggressive, we are ready for that and if he wants to counter-punch, we are also ready for that.”
As if that was not enough, Roach has a simple message to Marquez, who will be making the second defense of the title he won last year from Marco Antonio Barrera.
“You better be ready although I am sure he will be ready and we are too,” said Roach as he started to see the people who trooped to the gym to either have their pictures taken with Pacquiao and have memorabilia signed begin to make a beeline to the exit.
When Pacquiao arrived here last Jan. 14 to set up training camp, he weighed 150 lbs but slowly got rid of excess baggage and was 140 lbs when the first of two weigh-ins were done four weeks ago.
