After de la Hoya, Pacman to go after Hatton, Mayweather
By DENNIS GASGONIA, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/22/2008 1:13 AM
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If Manny Pacquiao beats Oscar de la Hoya, famed trained Freddie Roach said his ward will probably go after Ricky Hatton and former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.--if he goes out of retirement.
Roach, who is very confident about Pacquiao’s chances against the bigger de la Hoya, told BoxingConfidential.com’s Brad Cooney that boxing history favors their side.
“We are not going to win by decision, we are going to knock this guy out. In history, guys that go up in weight classes and then come back down get knocked out. Roy Jones Jr, Sugar Ray Leonard, guys like that,” Roach said.
If Pacquiao succeeds on beating the Mexican-American star, Roach said they will be running after Hatton, then Mayweather.
“A win over De La Hoya makes him a superstar, and sets up the Ricky Hatton fight,” Roach explained. “Obviously, Floyd is the best fight for us, if he comes back.”
Pacquiao’s coach said Mayweather could slug it out with his ward somewhere between 140 to 147 pounds.
“Floyd is a great fighter, and has a whole different style than the other fighters. Manny's best fighting weight is at 140lbs… he likes 147, so let's meet somewhere in the middle,” he said.
Preparations versus DLH
Roach said they are presently devising strategies to nullify de la Hoya’s strengths.
“Well, obviously, the left hook gets our attention. Obviously we will be watching out for that. We are working on getting away from that hook daily. We are working on everything that Oscar does well,” said Roach.
With Pacquiao’s speed advantage, Roach said they are incorporating more head movements in the training.
“I love the way Manny is moving his head right now, and I love where Manny is at right now,” he said.
Roach added that regarding de la Hoya’s size advantage, Pacquiao is “handling bigger guys quite well.”
“We just finished a great sparring day. Manny just hurt a 160-pound sparring partner with a right hook,” he said.
The famed trainer added that Pacquiao’s power does not seem to be affected with the added weight. He is currently walking around at 151 pounds.
“His punches are unbelievable. I wore the body suit for the first time with Manny Pacquiao because I don't want him holding back his body punches. He knocked the wind out of me three times today. We will be testing Oscar’s body out, trust me,” he said.
