AS FAR as Freddie Roach is concerned, Manny Pacquiao could still improve on a lot of things and become more dangerous, while such cannot be said of Mexican tactician Juan Manuel Marquez.
Roach is so eager to start on hooking up with Pacquiao for the rematch with Marquez that he wants the Filipino not to wait for the holidays to finish before packing his bags and heading back to the States.
“The Wild Card will be open on Christmas Day,” said Roach during the victory party held at the 22nd floor of the Discovery Suites after Pacquiao?s one-punch destruction of Thailand?s Fahsan 3K Battery at The Fort in Taguig late Saturday night.
Talk has it that Pacquiao is flying to Los Angeles on Jan. 10, but Roach told The Bulletin during the victory party held at the 22nd floor of the posh Discovery Suites in Ortigas Center that “that?s late and I have asked Mr. (Rod) Nazario that I want Manny there earlier than Jan. 10.”
HBO has penciled Feb. 26 as the date for the rematch. The Lawlor Events Center in Reno and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas are being eyed to host the fight.
“I want him (Pacquiao) there (in Los Angeles) after Christmas,” said Roach, who sounded very pleased with the way Pacquiao took out Fahsan with one shot, a left uppercut that lifted the Thai?s feet off the ground in the fourth frame.
“The Thai fighter showed a lot of heart out there,” said Roach. “I liked what I saw and he made good use of his right hand and I plan to develop that weapon for Marquez.
Roach, who flies back to Los Angeles at 10 tonight via PAL, admitted that Pacquiao leaned too much on his left hand during the Marquez fight and “failed to make the necessary adjustments.”
“I don?t want him to rely too much on the left because Marquez is a smart fighter. So I want Manny to develop the right as well.”
If Pacquiao reports back to training not later than Jan. 10, Roach said the GenSan southpaw should be able to contain Marquez.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement as far as Manny is concerned, but I don?t believe that?s the case with Marquez. That?s the best Marquez can do,” said the 44-year-old Roach, pointing to that fight at the MGM Grand seven months ago that saw him (Marquez) get up the floor three times in the first round en route to a 12-round draw.
Pacquiao actually trained for only a little over three weeks for the Fahsan bout since Roach arrived in the country on Nov. 22. Before Roach came over, Pacquiao was taking his training lightly.
While Marquez too is going to have a break during the Christmas season, Roach said the difference with “Manny is that Marquez has been training for the rematch with Manny since November in the mountains of Mexico where the elevation is 15,000 feet.”
“That?s the reason why I want Manny back as soon as possible because Marquez is already in the thick of his preparation and that high-altitude training surely makes wonders as proven by what we saw last May.”
Pacquiao has been guaranteed a purse of $900,000 for the rematch.
