Freddie Roach isn’t into talking trash.
The California trainer respects Erik Morales. He appreciates that a huge heart, an iron chin and a great right hand have helped the Mexican champion manhandle many of the world’s best fighters at 122, 126 and 130 pounds over the last seven years. And he understands that the always-motivated Morales will be even more motivated to beat Manny Pacquiao because Pacquiao dominated Marco Antonio Barrera, Morales’ nemesis.
But Roach also thinks that he trains the most powerful pound-for-pound fighter in the world, one whom Roach is certain can beat Morales on Saturday night (9 p.m.; HBO Pay-Per-View) in Las Vegas in the same relatively easy fashion he battered Barrera 16 months ago in San Antonio.
“Manny’s power and speed should be too much for him,” Roach said. “Manny is definitely the better puncher of the two, and the speed factor definitely is going to be the biggest difference in the fight.”
Whereas many boxing observers note the roughly 10-pound weight advantage Morales will own once they step into the ring at MGM’s Grand Garden Arena, Roach feels the extra weight will only accentuate Pacquiao’s speed advantage in their 12-round junior lightweight fight. After suffering a first-round knockdown, the relentless Filipino southpaw overwhelmed Barrera with that speed and power. He dropped Barrera in the third and 11th rounds, and won by technical knockout when Barrera’s cornermen threw in the towel.
Pacquiao, 26, immediately overwhelmed International Boxing Federation featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez 10 months ago, too. Pacquiao (39-2-2, 31 KOs) floored Marquez three times in the first round, but became overly reliant on his left hand thereafter and settled for a draw with the resilient, technically masterful Marquez (43-2-1, 33 KOs). Roach has worked hard during a nine-week training camp in Hollywood to build Pacquiao’s confidence in his right hook, a punch Roach feels he’ll be able to land repeatedly while applying non-stop pressure to the defensively deficient Morales.
“He had so much success early on with that left hand (against Marquez), he just got kind of stuck in that position, looking for the 1-2,” Roach said. “And he’s a much more complete fighter than that.”
Morales, meanwhile, is much more warrior than technician. Unfortunately for Morales (47-2, 34 KOs), he is also less than four months removed from his legendary third war with Barrera (59-4, 41 KOs, 1 NC), so back-to-back brutal bouts might take an insurmountable toll on a 29-year-old fighter who has participated in many difficult fights during a 12-year pro career.
“We’re going to make Morales fight every minute of every round, like we did Barrera,” Roach said. “And I don’t think at this stage of his career that he can keep up with Manny. Manny is tireless. He’s unbelievable. He’s a machine, he really is.”
Already an incomparably popular icon in the Philippines, the charismatic Pacquiao’s profile in the United States will grow even more if he can overcome Morales. A victory over the former three-division champion would amount to three impressive performances against three of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world in less than a year-and-a-half.
“I think he’s the most exciting fighter in the world,” Roach said. “I think people are going to watch this fight and think that, too. And with this fight, no matter which way it goes, one thing’s for sure – it will be exciting. They’re both going to be coming and neither one of them has any fear.”
