World Boxing Organization welterweight belt-owner Manny Pacquiao and
trainer Freddie Roach will finally meet today, four days after the
Hall of Fame corner man set foot in Manila, to map out how their
training camp will go.
Where and when the meeting will be Roach wouldn't say, except to tell
this writer the 147-pound champ and himself talk on the phone Thursday
night with Pacquiao telling him they will see each other today.
Pacquiao is currently with his family – wife Jinkee and chlidren – in
General Santos City where they spend the Holy Week.
Unless plans have been altered, Pacquiao originally set April 16 as
the day he will go to Baguio City to pitch camp at the Pines City, the
place where his team conducted his initial preparations in his recent
four fights because of the high-altitude training the country's summer
capital offers.
Meanwhile, Roach and the team of Amir Khan, the former World Boxing
Association and International Boxing Federation junior-welterweight
titleholder, who arrived in Manila two weeks ago, will have to go to
Baguio sometime next week.
Khan and conditioning trainer Alex Ariza arrive together in
preparation for his coming rematch with Lamont Peterson aimed at
winning back the 140-pound plum the latter took from him last
December.
"My wish is to get to Baguio as soon as possible, start preparing as
soon as possible and get Manny in shape as soon as possible," Roach
told this writer Thursday after doing the mitts with Khan at the
Planet Jupiter Gym in Makati City.
"I want Manny to win by a knockout and that's what we will be
preparing for. How to win by KO," he said, obviously to erase the
stigma of the eight-division champ's close and unimpressive victory
over arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez in Act III of their trilogy last
May.
Asked if Pacquiao's turning to be a preacher might lessen his killer's
instinct, Roach retorted: "I don't think so. Manny is a pro and he
knows how to deal with his being a preacher and a boxer."
The trainer said he doesn't see any problem getting Pacquiao into
shape notwithstanding the four months of inactivity since his last
fight.
"Manny I'm sure, will be hungry to train, so his long inactivity won't
pose as a problem," he said, adding he also sees very minor
distractions unlike those in the previous training camp. "That
four-month outside of the ring is a blessing in disguise because he
had a good rest."
"Well, now that he is a self-proclaimed changed man, I see no more of
the distractions that mark our previous preparations," he said with a
smile in his face. "Except basketball, of course, because outside of
boxing, that's his world."
Roach also said that there will be no major changes in the training
regimen as he will not be deviating from the 'winning formula' that
spelled success before. "It ain't broken, so why fix it."
Roach said Bradley is a tough physical fighter who uses his elbows and
head, but added he'll prepare Pacquiao for that.
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