Trainer Freddie Roach tells GMA News that he wants to test WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in the next two weeks. Pacquiao is training in the Philippines for his upcoming clash with Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. He told the paper that Pacquiao’s next two weeks of sparring will be his toughest. Roach is concerned with some of Pacquiao’s recent performances in sparring.
Pacquiao is currently sparring with Glen Tapia and Michael Medina. WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan is in camp with Pacquiao and Roach. Khan will be used as a sparring partner. Once they leave next week for Los Angeles to finish up sparring at the Wild Card Gym, Roach is going to use several fighters for sparring, including unbeaten junior middleweights Vanes Martirosyan and Peter Quillin.
“It would be the toughest two weeks coming up,” said Roach. ?It would be a big week for sparring. This week and next week. Manny right now is 100 percent in the mitts, but only 50 percent in sparring. So, we’ll get about 30 rounds this week and 30 next week, and then we start tapering off. I have more sparring there, better sparring. No, not better, but more of the style I’ve been looking for.”
“Consistency has been the best. We have good and bad days, but more good than bad lately, so it?s getting better and better. We need a little more focus, but I think overall, we?re doing okay.”
