Manny Pacquiao facing big distraction after Typhoon disaster, admits coach Freddie Roach Gareth A Davies By Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent11:16AM GMT 14 Nov 2013 Ten days out from fighting in Macau, China, Manny Pacquiao has more on his mind than just opponent Brandon Rios. Pacquiao, a congressman in the Philippines and a national hero, has been drawn into the tragic events which have taken place there due to Typhoon Haiyan. Pacquiao is training in General Santos, a sprawling metropolis in the southern Philippines, which has escaped the worst of the typhoon. “We have had a lot of calls about the tragedy of course,” said Pacquiao’s American coach Freddie Roach. “He told me he wanted to go down on Sunday but it’s too close to the fight for him to take any time off and we talked about that. He is focused on the fight still but obviously it is a big distraction because it killed all of those people. “We do talk about it in the gym – about how many people got killed in the storm and how many more have been affected. He is concerned about it yes, very much, but I think we have him pretty much on track on the fight. Related Articles Typhoon Haiyan: Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao dedicates next fight to victims 13 Nov 2013 Pacquiao could still face Mayweather 04 Nov 2013 Pacquiao: why Ive changed my ways 01 Nov 2013 The top 10 boxers of all time 01 Nov 2013 Pacquiao training like 20-year-old 24 Oct 2013 Pacquiao backs Beltran 09 Aug 2013 How to improve your fitness in the gym Santander “He knows it’s a big fight and he knows it’s a must-win situation and it’s bigger than that because he has to win for the country also, not just his boxing career, he knows he has to win for the people and he told me that yesterday. They seem to be inspiring each other.” Pacquiao has dedicated this fight against Rios to those who lost their lives in the typhoon. The people still love to see Manny Pacquiao. We work out on the third floor of a building and they have big windows and a lot of people watch from the streets to get a glimpse of Manny moving around the ring and so forth,” added Roach. “But as far as politics go, those people didn’t come until the storm hit the other day. Of course that was tragic and Manny does care about people and he’s been doing all he can from here.” Pacquiao, Roach and the team head to Macau on Monday. “We are 90 per cent ready,” explained Roach. “We have the game plan down. We know how we are going to fight Brandon Rios. He’s a taller guy and we have been watching the tapes of his last 10 fights. We have a great game plan and Manny knows how to fight this fighter and I believe it’s going to be a great night for the Philippines.” Indeed, the entire country grinds to a halt every time Pacquiao, a world champion across eight divisions in his career, steps into the ring. Roach added: “I think it is a situation where he has to look impressive in this fight and we are doing everything possible to do that. We have Manny’s mind on the right path I believe. He knows he has to look impressive in the fight and he knows Brandon Rios is coming off of a loss also. We can’t give into him at all in this fight. “I think Manny will outbox this guy and end the fight early – he has more speed and power but that all depends on how the fight goes. If Manny boxes a good fight and does well and he gets a bad decision then we’d have to sit down and talk about it. But it’s really hard to say until we see the fight. If I see he is slowing down and slipping in the fight I will be the first one to tell him. We have an agreement that I will tell him that and he will retire. I don’t see him slipping in the gym at this moment and he’s doing really well. He’s fired up and anxious to get back in the ring and I see good things. If things don’t go well we will talk about retirement and going into politics full time or something like that.” However, should Pacquiao win convincingly, and look back to his best, it is likely that talks will begin again to get the Filipino into the ring against the undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jnr for a $200 million superfight. telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/10448647/Manny-Pacquiao-facing-big-distraction-after-Typhoon-disaster-admits-coach-Freddie-Roach.html
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:48:45 +0000
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