Manny Pacquiao: Is Freddie Roach All Smoke or Is Pacman Truly Not Ready?
Trainer Freddie Roach doesn't like what he sees in Manny Pacquiao.
Roach, considered one of boxing's top trainers, recently said that Pacquiao (51-3-2) was not ready for his fight this Saturday against Antonio Margarito (38-6, 1 no contest) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Pacquiao, who has won titles in seven divisions, is regarded by many as pound-for-pound the best fighter in the sport.
Roach, his longtime trainer, said "his head is not in combat" and also told the London Telegraph that "this is the furthest behind schedule in my lifetime."
But is that really true? Or is it just a bunch of hot air?
Here are five reasons it's a smokescreen, and five reasons it is legit:
Smokescreen Reason No.5
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You can never take things at face value in boxing.
Go back through time, and you'll hear lies, hyperbole, and people who have said even crazier things. Before he stepped into the ring against George Foreman, Muhammad Ali was told he could get killed. Think about how many times, too, that boxers have said they "retired" only to come back multiple times (see Evander Holyfield, Sugar Ray Leonard).
Legit Reason No.5
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One of the biggest risks marquee fighters run is that they don't fight regularly, a dramatic change from the glory days when champions fought regularly. Joe Louis, for instance, had what he called his "Bum of the Month" club.
This will be Pacquiao's first fight in nearly eight months, since defeating Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium back in March, and third in a year.
Certainly the body needs time to rest and rebuild itself between fights, but stay away for too long, and there's always the chance of having ring rust. Some fighters, though, like Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have proven to be exceptions.
Smokescreen Reason No.4
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There's the fight itself that will take place, and then there are the mental wars and psychological games play, which has always been a staple of the sport.
Muhammad Ali made it into an artform, reciting poetry, screaming at Sonny Liston and referring to Joe Frazier as a "gorilla."
Staredowns have also become another time where boxers can try to get in each other's heads, but that's also turned heated, as was the case when a riot broke out when the fight between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis was announced. That almost happened between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales (pictured) during their epic trilogy, when Barrera took a swing at his rival when their second fight was announced.
He's not trading punches, obviously, but what Roach is doing is just another subtle form of trying to mess with Margarito.
Legit Reason No.4
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Margarito won't be the first, tough Hispanic fighter Pacquiao has faced, but he definitely will be the biggest. On his bio page, he is listed at 5-foot-11, and is much more of a natural welterweight.
Margarito was once considered one of the sport's toughest fighters, and he showed his ability just two years ago when he beat then undefeated champion Miguel Cotto (32-0) by technical knockout in the 10th round (pictured).
"In the sixth round, I could feel him getting weaker and I was getting stronger, and I knew it was my time," Margarito said.
This certainly won't be a cakewalk, and Pacquiao knows from fights with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez that the last thing Mexican fighters do is quit.
Smokescreen Reason No.3
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The one downfall for many great Hispanic fighters is when you've been in a ton of wars, you can get old quick.
Margarito isn't the same as he once was, and that was obvious last year when "Sugar" Shane Mosley pulled off a stunning upset of Margarito with a technical knockout in the ninth round. Through eight rounds, judges had Mosley leading by scores of 78-73, 79-72 and 80-71.
This isn't the same old Margarito, and Roach knows it.
Legit Reason No.3
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One thing about respected trainers like Roach: When they do see problems, they won't sugarcoat. Watch enough boxing, and you'll see some of the sport's greatest fighters get berated by their trainers.
One of the most memorable moments of this took place back in 1981 when Sugar Ray Leonard returned to his corner to have legendary trainer Angelo Dundee yell, "You're blowin' it son, you're blowin' it!" Leonard went on to stop Thomas Hearns in the 14th round.
Roach and Pacquiao have been together long enough, and he's never been one to pull punches during that time.
Smokescreen Reason No.2
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It's simply ridiculous, and isn't consistent with Pacquiao.
He is regarded as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters of this generation, his work ethic is relentless and he's never gone into a fight unprepared. He's also attained hero status in the Philippines, where the entire country has been known to shut down the night of his fights.
That's tremendous pressure, and something Pacquiao accepts, so you know there's no way he wants to let down an entire country.
Legit Reason No.2
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One of the biggest challenges for Pacquiao are distractions.
He is a beloved figure in his country, but he also got elected to Congress in May, and has also been known to sing and go out and play pool. While he does often train back home, Roach has said before he always likes it better when they return to California and train at his Wild Card Gym, where distractions can be managed better.
Smokescreen Reason No.1
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No way in the world Pacquiao slacks off here, because if he survives Margarito, up next is a showdown in 2011 with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Not only would it be a matchup of the sport's two biggest stars, and two future Hall-of-Famers, but it would break every record imagineable when it comes to pay-per-view numbers and money they could make. It's been stalled twice, but pressure is mounting, and both fighters know this is the one fight everyone wants to see.
Legit Reason No.1
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Trainers can do all they can to get a fighter ready, but it's up to the fighters to be mentally engaged and put forth 100 percent effort into preparing themselves. It's one thing to run, hit the heavy bag and spar, but if a fighter isn't concentrating, then he's just going through the motions and it will be reflected in the results.
Conclusion
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It would be very tough to always be at 100 percent, so it's likely Pacquiao may be off his game. But to think he won't be fully prepared and ready is absurd. He may not have his A-plus game that night, but Manny's talent alone will help him prevail over Margarito.
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