MANILA, Philippines – Trainer Freddie Roach arrived at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, bringing with him with two big sparring partners for Manny Pacquiao, light middleweight Michael “ Murder Man” Medina ( 24-2-2, 19 KO’s) and undefeated welterweight Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s).
"We have a big fight ahead of us, we have some great sparring partners and we are ready to go to work,” he said.
Roach said he would meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao later on Sunday, after Pacquiao’s arrival from his hometown of General Santos City and “work everything out.”While his plan has been to move the training camp to Baguio City “after a couple of days,” Roach stated emphatically “we will start training tomorrow (Monday)” at the Johnny Elorde Gym in Quezon City where Pacquiao trained for two days last week.
Roach said that “without a doubt,” he had enough time to get Pacquiao in shape to battle the bigger and much taller Antonio Margarito—five inches taller with a six-inch reach advantage—for the vacant WBC super welterweight title at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on November 13.
“No problem at all,” he said. “We have seven good weeks and we’ll make the most of it.”
The celebrated trainer who has presided over Pacquiao’s amazing run of seven world titles in seven different weight divisions said Pacquiao wanted to train in the Philippines because “we had good luck here last time” referring to the successful title victory against WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto last November and the one-sided decision over Joshua Clottey in March.
Roach said he could train Pacquiao “any place I have a ring I’ll have no problem with. Give me a ring and I’ll get him ready.”
Roach emphasized that Pacquiao “has to be fit for Margarito or for any fight because the way Pacquiao fights his condition is the key. His style is nonstop and that’s why he is the best in the world today. We have to be in one hundred percent shape.”
A smiling Roach pointed at his two tall sparring partners Medina and Tapia and said they would be joined in the next couple of weeks by undefeated Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr who are both six feet tall.
He said “these guys will get him (Pacquiao) ready for the height and reach advantage so we can take that away from these guys as well as Margarito. The ‘tornado’ is going to be downsized to a tropical storm I promise you.”
Source: sports.inquirer.net
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