Roach battleplan: Keep Pacquiao out of Cotto's reach

MANILA, Philippines - How to keep Manny Pacquiao away from Miguel Cotto’s heavy hands is the main concern of the Filipino boxer’s trainer, Freddie Roach.

It’s not that Pacquiao doesn’t have the chin, but the three-time Trainer of the Year, is just making sure that the unexpected doesn’t happen when the two fighters collide on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

“Manny has a really good chin because he has a big heart. Of course Cotto’s power is a major concern for me but I really think that we will have no problems. I’m training Manny not to get hit,” he said.

In a recent interview with doghouseboxing.com, Roach said it was Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound champion, who decided to take on Cotto, the reigning WBO welterweight champion, and not Shane Mosley or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao must have seen something from ringside when Cotto faced Josh Clottey a few months ago.

“Manny has always wanted to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. The Mayweather fight got delayed because of injury and Manny needed a fight around year’s end. After watching the fight Manny told (Bob) Arum that he could beat Cotto,” said Roach.

And now that the fight contract has been sealed, signed and delivered, Roach said the battleplan is in the making.

“Of course. I have already watched several hours of Cotto’s fights. I have been concentrating on how well he did against Shane Mosley. How he neutralized Shane’s speed. Yes, we will have a great game plan for Cotto,” said Roach.

Training for Pacquiao should begin by the second week of September, and based on early plans, the first week will take him to Baguio City, a great summer destination 250 kms north of Manila, and 1,500 meters above sea level.

Then the next four or five weeks will take Pacquiao to Mexico, in the resort town of Nuevo Vallarta, while the final push, probably the last two weeks, will see the FIlipino icon training in Los Angeles or straight to Las Vegas.

Roach explained that Pacquiao can no longer train the whole eight to 10 weeks in the US.

“Because of immigration laws he must spend five weeks training outside America. The laws say we can spend 183 days (yearly) in America and that means the last three weeks of training will be here at the WildCard,” Roach told David Tyler of doghouseboxing.com.

Michael Koncz, a Pacquiao adviser, said the boxer likes the idea of training in Mexico where he can give his fans more time to know him more, and how Mexican fight fans love him.

“He’d be very happy to do that as a cross-over star. Mexican fans love Manny. And when I was there recently all they asked me about is where’s Manny. There was a rumor two weeks ago he was in Nuevo Vallarta, but it didn’t push through and everybody I ran into asked about him.

“Manny will be happily surprised when we get to Mexico. He’d be surprised about his popularity there,” Koncz added.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=495260&publicationSubCategoryId=69

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Roach says Mayweather best pick for Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach can’t take his eyes off Floyd Mayweather Jr.

As Miguel Cotto opened the doors to his training camp the other day, three months before his scheduled bout with Manny Pacquiao, the three-time Trainer of the Year said he still considers Mayweather as the best fight out there for the Filipino boxing icon.

Roach told fighthype.com if he could have his way, he’d rather see Pacquiao fighting Mayweather – and no one else.

“I want Mayweather right now. I wanted him first the whole time. I mean, let’s face it, that’s the fight the whole world wants to see; the fight I want to see,” said Roach, who nonetheless has started doing his homework for the showdown with Cotto on Nov. 14.

Roach said there are many reasons why he considers Mayweather as the best choice. More than the revenues it could generate, the hottest trainer in the sport today said he likes Pacquiao’s chances against the American ex-pound-for-pound champion.

Better than Cotto, the WBO welterweight champion, or Shane Mosley, the WBA welterweight king.

“I think he’s the easiest fight of the three. He’s not that big. He’s not that strong. He breaks down quickly. He’s been off for two years,” Roach said of Mayweather, who comes out of retitrement to fight Juan Manuel Marquez next month.

“You know, at 135 and 140, he might have been great, but at 47 and 54, I don’t see the greatness...I think Manny will knock him out,” he added.

Yesterday, Roach also told boxingscene.com he was quite puzzled why Mayweather took on Marquez instead of Pacquiao, and that the fight, recently postponed, was announced on the day Pacquiao fought Ricky Hatton last May 2.

“I don’t get it. All he (Mayweather) had to do was wait one more day (after the Hatton fight) and he could have had Manny. I would have loved to have gotten to Floyd before Marquez, but that’s that,” said Roach.

He’s not looking past Cotto, still a dangerous opponent, but Roach would have loved if it was Mayweather instead they’re preparing for right now.

“When I was in the UK last month that was all anyone wanted to ask me about. That’s the fight that has to be made. Bob and Al Haymon (Mayweather’s adviser) will have to put their differences together to make that fight because it would be good for the entire sport,” Roach said.

“It’s a fight that has to happen. People talk about making big fights, but to me, that’s about as big as they come. I think it will happen,” Pacquiao’s trainer of eight years added.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=493828&publicationSubCategoryId=69

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Roach draws up fight plan

MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach is already in the “planning stage” as far as Manny Pacquiao’s coming fight with Miguel Cotto is concerned.

The three-time Trainer of the Year told The Las Vegas Review Journal yesterday that he plans to visit the Philippines next month just to make sure that Pacquiao is on track heading to the big Nov. 14 showdown with the reigning WBO welterweight champion.

Roach wants Pacquiao to train from eight to 10 weeks for the Cotto fight, and Day One at the Wild Card Gym should start on the second week of September or just after the press tour that will take the fighters from New York to Puerto Rico.

Even before Pacquiao goes to the US, Roach wants the reigning pound-for-pound champion to start flexing his muscles back home, getting rid of those excess pounds so by the time he reports to the gym they won’t have to start from scratch.

Meanwhile, Roach will start doing his homework in his Los Angeles home. “I know Cotto pretty well. I haven’t really studied him yet. I have a pretty good idea how we want to fight him, but until I sit down, watch the tapes and talk to Manny, we’re still in the planning stage,” Roach told the Review Journal.

The fight is pegged at a catchweight of 145 lb, two pounds short of the welterweight limit, and it remains uncertain if the 27-year-old Cotto will stake his title. Reports said WBO wants him to, but others say it just won’t happen.

Bob Arum said Cotto doesn’t want to stake his title because he doesn’t want to pay the sanction fee, whether it’s $150,000 or so much more than that. A lot of people are hoping that Cotto does put the crown on the line.

“I’ll go (to the Philippines) sometime next month and we’ll get started. For this fight, speed is going to be important. I think if you get Cotto in a fast-paced fight, he’ll tire. So we want to come out quick and set a fast pace. Speed is our biggest asset.”

Pacquiao fought Oscar dela Hoya at 147 lb last December, showing up for the weigh-in at 142 and climbing the ring at 148 1/2. Dela Hoya, who was knocked out inside nine rounds, weighed in at 145 and showed up for the fight at 147.

But Cotto is not Dela Hoya.

“He’s a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger. But I think Manny’s the better boxer, and Manny’s defense is the best it’s been. I think Pacquiao will stop him along the way,” said Roach.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=490911&publicationSubCategoryId=69

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