MANNY PACQUIAO should think twice about taking Mexican fighter Oscar Larios lightly because if he loses the fight against Larios, the mega buck encounter with Erik Morales in November may not push through.
Pacquiao’s American trainer Freddie Roach aired this concern yesterday after the Filipino icon expressed his preference to stay in Manila for his training rather than fly to Los Angeles with Roach and stay there for one month and then return to Manila for his final preparations against Larios.
Roach, owner of the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood who is credited for making the Filipino the kind of fighter he is now, said he is worried that there would be too many distractions in Manila for Pacquiao. He also doubted if there’s anyone in Pacquiao’s local entourage who has the courage to tell Pacquiao what’s good for him.
“I talked with Bob Arum and he told me why we picked (Oscar) Larios to fight Manny because it is such a dangerous fight,” said Roach, who arrived yesterday at 5 a.m. from Los Angeles.
“Bob told me that we will blow the third fight with (Erik) Morales if Manny loses to Larios. Bob said Larios is not someone you deal with in a tune-up fight. Bob said we could have gotten a stiff, but I told him that we don’t want to let down the Filipino fans,” said Roach.
The American wants to bring along Pacquiao on a flight back to the States on Sunday night. But Pacquiao reportedly has made other plans.
Pacquiao and Larios have been penciled to square off on July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum. The Larios fight is billed as a buildup for the rubber match with Morales in late October or early November.
Roach said one reason he is here despite the heavy workload back in the States, is to convince Pacquiao to join him for the US trip.
Said Roach: “I won’t be able to come until June because I have fighters in big fights in the next couple of months.”
Among them are Filipino hotshots Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and Z Gorres, who are fighting against separate foes on May 20 at the Staples Center.
“There will be lots of distractions if Manny stays here. And it is necessary for Manny to train for a few weeks with me so he’ll have a strong base,” said Roach. “After that, we will go together to Baguio.”
Roach is seriously considering sending someone from the Wild Card to the country in the event Pacquiao stays and in the process gave out a few details about a Plan B.
“I’ll see if Justin (Fortune) can go and be with Manny here,” said Roach.
He noted that Buboy Fernandez, a close friend of Pacquiao and a Roach disciple, “is a great guy but is not the type to give out orders (to Pacquiao).”
Roach said he is not sure whether Fortune, who is Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, can cope with Pacquiao’s mood swings.
“Justin is not patient and he might fly back to Los Angeles after a few days,” said Roach.
“Buboy is not going to give orders, he’s a guy who’s going to take it (from Pacquiao),” said Roach.
Roach apparently knows Pacquiao can be stubborn and his plan should the Filipino gets his wish, is to recruit two or three sparmates from the States and bring them to Manila.
“You see, I am not taking Larios lightly. He’s got nothing to lose and Manny should be in very good shape to win.”
If Pacquiao is in top shape as he was in his second Morales fight, Roach predicted he’d take out Larios “in six or seven rounds.”
And to get in that kind of shape, Pacquiao may have to sacrifice some things such as nightouts, billiards, cockfighting, movies, and taping of commercials.
