AMERICAN ring guru Freddie Roach continues to gush as Manny Pacquiao enters the homestretch of his training for his world welterweight title clash against undefeated Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21 (Aug. 22 in Manila) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
“Manny doesn’t need to play his golden oldies. He’s still producing new hits,” Roach said in a statement issued by Pacquiao’s camp yesterday with under two weeks left before the Pinoy ring icon challenges the American for his World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation welterweight belts
“He (Pacquiao) hasn’t cut one corner in training camp. Not one. He runs up the hills in Griffith Park straight to the Hollywood sign. He crunches thousands of sit-ups daily,” Roach noted. “He spars three days each week and hits every bag on the gym floor with bad intentions every day.
“He is still the hardest worker I have ever trained and an eager student. He wants this (fight) more than anything. Manny is not training this hard to say goodbye. It’s to prove he’s still here.”
At 42, the 5-foot-6, Pacquiao is giving away obvious advantages in youth, height and reach to the 5-foot-10 Spence, 31, who has won all of his 27 fights, 21 of them by knockout.
The fighting lawmaker, who sports a record of 62 wins (39 Kos), seven losses and two draws, has not fought for over two years since grabbing the World Boxing Association super welterweight title with a close split decision win over erstwhile undefeated Keith Thurman in July 2019 at the MGM Grand Arena.
None of these things bother Roach, who has been in Manny’s corner for two decades since the boxer’s late handler Rod Nazario brought him to the American trainer’s Wild Card gym to prepare for his crack at then IBF super bantamweight champion Lehlo Ledwaba of South Africa.
A huge underdog, Pacquiao pulled off a stunning sixth-round technical knockout win over the South African on June 23, 2001 at the MGM Grand Arena, a victory that served as the launching pad to his meteoric ring career.
