TRAINER Freddie Roach is convinced Hector Velasquez is the right guy for Manny Pacquiao before the Filipino boxing star takes on Erik Morales in a highly-anticipated rematch.
In a story posted on the website maxboxing.com by Steve Kim, Roach was quoted as saying: “The thing is, the guy (Velasquez) is a tough, durable opponent, goes rounds with a lot of people and that’s what we want—to get some rounds out of him and we should beat this guy.
“We’re not taking him lightly, of course. If we’re in 100-percent shape, like we are, we should beat this guy. The thing is you don’t have to fight killer after killer after killer, one, two, three, right in a row. So this will ease him into the training camp for the next fight.”
Kim noted that for the past years, Pacquiao had faced the best featherweight fighters in the world—Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Morales, adding Roach was relieved that Pacquiao was fighting a relatively lighter opponent this time.
Pacquiao and Velasquez mix it up on Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a 12-round fight, with the Filipino star needing to win to cement a rematch with Morales early next year.
Pacquiao continued to toughen up for the fight by sparring against Israel Vasquez, Robert Guerrero and Urbano Antillon on Wednesday (Tuesday in Los Angeles).
After watching the sparring, Kim reported: “The action was brisk and often heated. Pacquiao, like he does in fights, is an offensive fighter who can give as much as he takes. On this day it doesn’t really look as if he’s working on anything specific but just doing what he does best.
“And that’s fight in an exciting manner, engaging in back-and-forth action. Vazquez, Guerrero and Antillon all have their moments against the ‘Pac Man.’ But when the Filipino icon steps it up, he separates himself from his sparring partners.
“It’s a good day’s work, the type of work he didn’t get, according to his trainer, for their last outing.
“Definitely,” Kim quoted Roach as saying afterwards. “You can see he had 12 hard rounds today and he’s more focused. He has a tendency to play with the younger guys he’s sparring and has fun with them, but he’s definitely a more focused guy and using his jab a lot more. We still need a little more head movement; he’s standing in front of his guy too much. But overall, it’s been great.”
Back in March, when Pacquiao was preparing for Morales—who will also appear on Sunday’s card against Zahir Raheem—a carnival atmosphere existed at Roach’s Wild Card. That, in addition to his constant distrust of his former promoter, Murad Muhammad, turned Pacquiao into a distracted fighter, Kim wrote.
“When you’re getting ready to go to battle at that level I think any little distraction is going to bother you,” Kim quoted Roach as saying. “You didn’t get your tickets for your wife, he’s worried about that. He didn’t get the right room. We had too many people in the gym, we weren’t really focusing because he was performing for the audience, more or less.
“So there were a lot more distractions and that’s why we eliminated all of that. I think he’ll go into the fight with a much more sound mind and much more focused.”
Roach has closed the gym to Pacquiao’s fans and the Filipino star seems to be enjoying his privacy, according to Kim.
“The training camp is good for me,” Pacquiao was quoted as saying. “My trainer, it was his idea to close the camp; I’m enjoying my training.”
