By Gareth Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
Freddie Roach has admitted to Telegraph Sport that Manny Pacquiao is distracted by politics. There’s no getting away from it. But would a series of fights, say four more, actually enhance the Filipino fighter’s long-term political career ? His popularity could further increase, especially if he were to face Floyd Mayweather, and moreover, it would put more financial clout behind his ambitions.
Pacquiao may disappear into politics after his contest in six days’ time with Antonio Margarito, but he won’t get those fighting years back….he has much, much longer durability in the political sphere. Previous to Pacquiao’s last four fights, my first question to Roach, normally on the counter of the diminutive office serving the entrance to the Wild Card Boxing Club, or on the steps, is: “Any change in Manny ?”
This time there clearly is a difference. Roach bears a heavy burden. There is the sense that a son is soon to leave home for good. Roach is proud of Pacquiao, but will lament the loss deeply. So will boxing. “I’m aways waiting for different Pacquiao to walk into the gym each time we start training camp, and yes, this time, there was a change in him., He said he misse his job. I told him, ‘This is your job’, but he said not this job, the one he has in Congress. You can’t change that.”
Roach admitted that it concerned him. “It worried me a little bit. I told him a couple of days later that he could be the President any time, but right now, we ar in training for a fight. There were way too many distractions in The Philippines. We are in good shape. His conditioning is fine, his running is good, there is no foot problem.”
The key, Roach continues to stress, as the Pacquiao camp moves to Dallas in 30 hours, is focus. “Even Mark Wahlberg wanted to come to the gym these last two weeks, and I had to say ‘no’.” Manny is very proud of himself, I am very proud of him. His country is proud of him. He talks the talk and he is prepared to walk the walk. I think he wants to better his country in such a bad way [Roach actually means in a good way !], we will lose him to politics some day soon, maybe after this fight if I’m honest. His focus has not been that great. If I can’t get him back on track, and he really loves this job, there is little I can do. But I do respect him for that…”
Pacquiao attempts his incredible run on an eighth title next week, but as he admits on CBS, having won the election to the Congress of the Philippines last May – a distraction his trainer believes could be hurting his chances in the upcoming bout. CBS’s profile of Pacquiao will be broadcast on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, November 7.
In the docu, Pacquiao lets interviewer Bob Simon know that serving his fellow Filipinos is where his priorities now lie . “I already achieved my goals in boxing, my dreams in boxing,” says the 31-yr.old fighter. “What I want to achieve more is in public service…I want to be a champion there.”
No wonder then that Roach has concerns that Pacquiao is not focused enough on beating Antonio Margarito, a taller, heavier fighter he meets at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas in front of 70,000 people. “I’m worried about it. Yes, I’m walking around at two in the morning,” he says. “Something is not right and we are not preparing the way we should for this fight.” Pacquiao has only lost three bouts in his professional career, which began when he was 16 fighting in the 105-lb. division. Roach knows that Pacquiao could lose this fight if he is not at the top of his game.
Pound for pound, Pacquiao is said to be the best fighter in the world. Promoter Bob Arum says Pacquiao is better than the greats he has promoted over the last 40 years, including Muhammad Ali. “Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter that I have ever seen,” Arum says. Better than Ali? “Yes he is, because Ali was essentially a one-handed fighter. Manny Pacquiao really shocks these fighters because he hits equally hard from the left side and the right side.”
Pacquiap now has to prove that on Saturday night in Dallas.
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment