BoxRec

By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach is starting to show signs of worry about his fighter Manny Pacquiao’s recent training sessions. Roach is shutting down the interviews for the 36-year-old Pacquiao until the April 15th media day. What happened was that Roach wanted a couple of sparring partners that mimicked the fighting style of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in order to get Pacquiao ready for the May 2nd fight.


The problem is that they found some guys that are too much like Mayweather, and Pacquiao is reportedly starting to struggle with some of his sparring partners. Boxing news like this is obviously bad for Pacquiao, because he needs to be able to shine against the Mayweather type fighters.

The fact that he’s not is really telling, because when he faces the real thing on May 2nd, we could see Pacquiao get straight up clowned by Mayweather. If it ends up being a one-sided fight, then that means no rematch for Pacquiao. The boxing public won’t go for the idea of a rematch if Mayweather totally dominates Pacquiao.

The word is Pacquiao is having problems cutting off the ring on his speedy, Mayweather-like sparring partners like he did against Chris Algieri last November. Roach isn’t happy. It’s unclear what Roach was expecting from Pacquiao.

“Freddie Roach is not entirely satisfied with how Pacquiao has looked in sparring, specifically in how Pacquiao is not cutting off the ring as sharply as he did in November,” Lance Pugmire said via the latimes.com.

Algieri was never a guy that was considered fast on his feet, so it’s not surprising that Pacquiao was able to cut off the ring on him to land his shots. But in Roach getting a couple of fast fighters in Rashidi Ellis and Kenneth Sims Jr, it’s really not surprising that Pacquiao is having problems trying to cut off the ring against them if those are the ones that Pacquiao is struggling against. Those fighters would likely give Pacquiao all he could handle in an actual fight.

“We’ve done so much press. He’s a little tired of it,” Roach said via the latimes.com. “I can be tired. He can’t.”

When hear a fighter’s trainer grasping for reasons to explain why his fighter is struggling in sparring sessions, it tells you that there’s some panic going on. I think Roach is definitely starting to worry about his fighter.
Even Pacquiao is starting to reach with the excuses.

“I’m not complaining about interviews,” Pacquiao said to the latimes.com. “This is just the first time I’m asking for time to focus. There’s something I need to achieve in this camp, especially mentally.”

Does this sound like a fighter who is starting to worry? It does to me. I think Pacquiao is worried now because he’s not dominating his sparring partners like he used to. They got some guys that are obviously a lot better than the fighters that they usually have as sparring partners, and Pacquiao is starting to struggle.

The guys that Pacquiao has fought for the past eight years of his career have been fighters that stood right in front of him like Tim Bradley, Chris Algieri, Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez and Brandon Rios. But now that Pacquiao is forced to fight elusive guys with quick hands, he’s having problems and showing his limitations as a fighter.

This goes beyond training. When an aging fighter like Pacquiao gets put in with guys that are 10 to 15 years younger than him, then it’s not surprising that he’s going to struggle because of the youth and the speed of the fighters. I don’t think this is something that Pacquiao is going to be able to change just by shutting off interviews with the media. You can put Pacquiao in a totally closed off environment to where he’s completely isolated from the outside world, and I still think he’s going to struggle against the speedy guys that they’ve brought into his camp for sparring. I’m sure he’s finding that out on his own.

Pacquiao is not going to beat Mayweather. Besides that who can out rightly mimic Mayweather. Translated Pacquiao is having trouble sparring.

Pac fans will just say this is not an issue as Floyd doesn't move that well anymore either.

Curious coming from Roach tho.

After all, he is one of the loudest saying Floyd can't move anymore.

So why is he so worried about Manny not being able to cut of the ring against guys who can?

LOL!!!!

koolkc107 wrote:Pac fans will just say this is not an issue as Floyd doesn't move that well anymore either.

Curious coming from Roach tho.

After all, he is one of the loudest saying Floyd can't move anymore.

So why is he so worried about Manny not being able to cut of the ring against guys who can?

LOL!!!!

Great question!! Not only that, everytime after Roach has said "Floyd's legs are gone" the very next fight we see Mayweather moving and avoiding shots with ease (see the Guerrero fight and the rematch vs Maidana). Both times Roach was saying that and look what happened, he never factors in the truth of what happens after either fight....it's like he doesn't want to acknowledge it so that he can give Manny some type of confidence (however false it is).

its good that Manny is making mistakes in sparring instead of getting his lip busted up like Floyd.

mistakes can be corrected on the spot, a bloody lip takes time to heal.

KBB wrote:

koolkc107 wrote:Pac fans will just say this is not an issue as Floyd doesn't move that well anymore either.

Curious coming from Roach tho.

After all, he is one of the loudest saying Floyd can't move anymore.

So why is he so worried about Manny not being able to cut of the ring against guys who can?

LOL!!!!

Great question!! Not only that, everytime after Roach has said "Floyd's legs are gone" the very next fight we see Mayweather moving and avoiding shots with ease (see the Guerrero fight and the rematch vs Maidana). Both times Roach was saying that and look what happened, he never factors in the truth of what happens after either fight....it's like he doesn't want to acknowledge it so that he can give Manny some type of confidence (however false it is).

Yep.

Every time he has had to, Floyd has shown he can still move well.

And with this being his hugest fight in years, it would be foolish to count on him aging overnight in the ring.

If that is what Roach and Manny are betting on, they are in for a rude awakening May 2nd.

How is Roach shutting down Manny's interviews connected to Manny's sparring ? These are just wild guesses. Manny looked confused in some of the interviews, so it was logical to shut them down. Besides, it is a big distraction. Manny should let Roach talk for him. It may be as simple as that. Of course, Floyd's fans can draw conclusions they want to be true.

ikorolev wrote:How is Roach shutting down Manny's interviews connected to Manny's sparring ? These are just wild guesses. Manny looked confused in some of the interviews, so it was logical to shut them down. Besides, it is a big distraction. Manny should let Roach talk for him. It may be as simple as that. Of course, Floyd's fans can draw conclusions they want to be true.

He's shutting them down because he's not allowing anyone to interview him, sure it may be a distraction but once he's finished sparring he can still speak for himself. As far as his (Manny's) confusion, why is it that he is the only fighter who doesn't seem to get an Interpreter to convey his thoughts?

Every fighter I see that doesn't speak English or speak it well will get an Interpreter to translate the things they say, Pacquiao can and should do the very same thing but instead he allows that idiot Nimrod Roach to speak for him and we all know that Freddie says the dumbest things ever all the time.

Roach has often let the cat slip out of the bag too many times which is why he was issued a gag order by Arum for a long time and not allowed to speak to the media.

I just hope these rumors are not true.

I do want to see a good fight May 2nd.

It is just that my common sense tells me I won't.

All mind games, nothing more... Manny will be 100% on fight night.

Golovkin gives interviews in broken English repeating a few phrases he knows and quite often not understanding what he is being asked, and Sanchez and Loefler talk for him. Kovalev responds in English too and his manager and promoter talk for him. How is it different. During camps, fighter need to concentrate on training or relax when they are not training, and interviews is too big of a distraction. This is true even for Floyd who speaks his own language during interviews.

If I were Manny or Floyd I would only be at the scheduled press conferences for this fight.
Too big of a fight to be wasting valuable time with reporters.

It's good that Manny is having problems with sparring partners, it means they are good fighters trying their best and also that Manny is working on his weaknesses. If he were knocking them out left and right it would give him a false sense of security - to win he's got to work hard from a disadvantaged position, he's not going to KO Floyd.

In all fairness, both men have a similar problem: how to find a guy that is close enough the other to adequately prepare for the fight.

I'd say that is pretty much impossible for either.

palooka wrote:It's good that Manny is having problems with sparring partners, it means they are good fighters trying their best and also that Manny is working on his weaknesses. If he were knocking them out left and right it would give him a false sense of security - to win he's got to work hard from a disadvantaged position, he's not going to KO Floyd.

There is no reliable information on that though ...

ikorolev wrote:

palooka wrote:It's good that Manny is having problems with sparring partners, it means they are good fighters trying their best and also that Manny is working on his weaknesses. If he were knocking them out left and right it would give him a false sense of security - to win he's got to work hard from a disadvantaged position, he's not going to KO Floyd.

There is no reliable information on that though ...

Just like there is no reliable information on the so called "busted lip" that Floyd supposedly got during sparring.

KBB wrote:

ikorolev wrote:

palooka wrote:It's good that Manny is having problems with sparring partners, it means they are good fighters trying their best and also that Manny is working on his weaknesses. If he were knocking them out left and right it would give him a false sense of security - to win he's got to work hard from a disadvantaged position, he's not going to KO Floyd.

There is no reliable information on that though ...

Just like there is no reliable information on the so called "busted lip" that Floyd supposedly got during sparring.

Absolutely. These are all rumors and mind games.

I actually posted video of a guy who reportedly sparred Floyd recently.

Couple that with the fact that it is Arum saying Floyd has a busted lip, and saying it in reply to questions about why MANNY ISN'T SPARRING, and I think we can take educated guesses as to probability...

Chris Williams is the 2nd biggest floyd nuthugger next to kbb, why would anyone take any notice of what he writes, again the only info coming out of either camp is what the trainers are trying to lead people to believe, anyone who believes any of this garbage it just gullible

Duh Freddie, there's a reason Floyd is choosing to fight your boy NOW instead of years ago. He's not stupid. He knows Manny has slowed down a tick.

diddy wrote:Duh Freddie, there's a reason Floyd is choosing to fight your boy NOW instead of years ago. He's not stupid. He knows Manny has slowed down a tick.

Duh Sr, there's a reason Manny is choosing to fight your boy NOW instead of years ago. He's not stupid. He knows Floyd has slowed down a tick.

Pureist wrote:You really have nothing constructive to add to any threads apart from your obsessive love for floyd, that's painfully obvious kbb, all I stated was that Chris Williams is nearly as biased as yourself, do you really think floyd Snr or roach will let footage of REAL sparring sessions out of the gym, do you really think pacquaio is having leg cramps, do you really think Judah dropped floyd sparring, wake up and smell the roses, as for me following you around,don't give yourself so much credit, your an obsessed casual fan from my observations

wait 15 mins, I'm still dropping you off.

Your keeping up you average, still nothing constructive and an intellectual level much lower than the kids you supposedly teach, your a winner

KBB wrote:

diddy wrote:Duh Freddie, there's a reason Floyd is choosing to fight your boy NOW instead of years ago. He's not stupid. He knows Manny has slowed down a tick.

Duh Sr, there's a reason Manny is choosing to fight your boy NOW instead of years ago. He's not stupid. He knows Floyd has slowed down a tick.

You dont seriously believe Manny was the one who didnt want that fight yrs ago, do you? You cant really believe that. No one with a functioning brain really believes that. Unless your IQ is less than 12 it is obvious Floyd was the one swerving it.

He does actually believe that, I know, I know, ridiculous, if brains were dynamite, he wouldn't have enough to blow his nose