Freddie Roach is not about to push the panic button following Manny Pacquiao?s sudden decision to fly back to Manila and take care of very important ?money matters.?
Roach, the celebrated trainer, said while you can?t recover lost time in training, Pacquiao skipping a couple of days won?t really affect their two-month preparation.
?It really won?t affect our training program because we?re just about to start,? Roach said in a brief phone interview yesterday morning (Sunday evening in Los Angeles).
?It won?t affect him. We?re just trying to get him in shape and conditioned in his first week at the gym,? he told The STAR.
Pacquiao sneaked back to the country the other night. Reports said he was ?worried about the effects of the financial turmoil in the US that has sparked a worldwide crisis.?
Therefore, he was apparently concerned about his huge deposits back home, just wanting to make sure that his earnings were safe.
Pacquiao, according to his legal counsel Franklin Gacal, will fly back to Los Angeles today. If there was a chance, Pacquiao leaving last night was also a possibility.
There are still 74 days before Pacquiao takes on Oscar dela Hoya in Las Vegas, and it would have been difficult if the break came in the middle of the preparations.
Roach said he actually didn?t know that Pacquiao flew out of LA, saying he just ?read it in the (Internet) news.?
Roach said he actually allowed Pacquiao to rest on Saturday and Sunday since the 29-year-old boxer was still showing signs of the cold.
Pacquiao arrived in LA last Sunday, rested for two days then reported at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood on Wednesday where he did six rounds with the mitts.
Asked how Pacquiao?s first day at the gym went, Roach said it wasn?t bad.
?He said he?ll be back tomorrow. Then I want him to focus harder in training, which actually begins on Oct. 1. That was the plan anyway,? Roach added.
Sparring begins on Oct. 6. ?If that?s the reason then let?s give Manny the break. We all know he has huge deposits here and maybe he just needs some assurance, some peace of mind,? a Pacquiao insider said.
?It would have been hard for him to train while thinking of something else,? he added.
