Roach elated with Pacquiao's showing -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao paused for a second, grinned and then delivered the punch line.

“May tama na (He gets hits right away),” said Pacquiao on Saturday afternoon when asked what happens when he finds himself at firing distance with Antonio Margarito next week at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Pacquiao said he has studied Margarito’s aggressive nature and that the Mexican’s slow reflexes is perfect for his run-and-gun style.

Sparring for the penultimate time, Pacquiao was in his deadly form, beating up Rashad Holloway and David Rodela in a five-round session that brought a familiar smile on Freddie Roach’s face.

“Masaya naman si Freddie sa performance ko at hindi naman siguro magsisinungaling si Freddie na happy siya sa kanyang nakikita,” said Pacquiao, who will have his last day of sparring on Monday, before Team Pacquiao departs for Dallas.

Still, Pacquiao is wary of what Margarito brings to the ring, noting that his 5-foot-11 foe has a nice uppercut and is a solid body puncher.

“Pinapalakas pa rin natin ang katawan kasi body puncher ang kalaban,” said the 31-year-old Filipino southpaw, who has gotten back on track as far as conditioning is concerned in less than two weeks after uprooting his training camp in the Philippines.

Speed remains the key factor in Pacquiao’s quest to cut the giant Margarito to size in their scheduled 12-round world super-welterweight showdown and Pacquiao is going the extra mile by insisting that he will run a little on Sunday, which is his day-off.

“He told me he will run a bit and I said ‘okay’,” said Roach, looking and sounding content that his prized puncher has recovered lost ground from the inconsistencies of training in Baguio and Manila.
“He’s ready to go,” said Roach, who will reunite with Pacquiao Monday as they engage in a light workout before getting on board a Boeing 757 for Texas.

Source: mb.com.ph