FightHype.com

FREDDIE ROACH IMPRESSED BY PACQUIAO IN CAMP; INSISTS HE'S NEVER LOOKED BETTER AND EXPECTS KO OF VARGAS

By Press Release | October 25, 2016
FREDDIE ROACH IMPRESSED BY PACQUIAO IN CAMP; INSISTS HE'S NEVER LOOKED BETTER AND EXPECTS KO OF VARGAS

"He has been very aggressive in his sparring – throwing combinations and he seems to be getting back to the old Manny – really quick combinations, in and out, flurries and very hard punching.  He has been hurting me while on the mitts," stated Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who talked about Manny Pacquiao's upcoming clash with WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. Check it out!

FREDDIE ROACH:  It was a pretty tough schedule in this camp but he held up really well.  The sparring days were really good and it's the best I've seen Manny in a long time – he is a lot more aggressive than I have seen him in the past and there was a lot of the old Manny Pacquiao coming out and he really, really looked good.  We trained right up until Saturday morning before our flight out to Los Angeles and he boxed 10 rounds and he looked great and he's in great shape, I know it's been a very difficult camp with the Senate and so forth.  Manny has always been a busy person but because of the Senate he seems to be a lot more serious than anything else he has done.  He is in Senate sessions on some nights until 7:30 or 8:00 at night and when he is done we go right to the gym.

How did you feel about the last Bradley fight - can you tell us about it?

FREDDIE ROACH:  I thought it was a good performance I thought he fought very well.  He was accurate a lot more than usual.  In this training camp he has been using his speed and his combinations, not just single-punching and he has looked very good and it is probably the best training camp he has had in a long time.  I look forward to Manny fighting in this style.

Freddie, you have said Manny has been hurting you – do you think he is back to the old Manny?

FREDDIE ROACH:  He has been very aggressive in his sparring – throwing combinations and he seems to be getting back to the old Manny – really quick combinations, in and out, flurries and very hard punching.  He has been hurting me while on the mitts.  My shoulder is a little messed up.  Buboy's hand and shoulders are messed up.  We'll hang in there ... but holding the mitts for Manny is not the most fun thing in the world to do – it's hard, hard work.  If he carries that over into the fight I think he will knock somebody out.  He hasn't knocked out any 147-pounders in awhile but again, they are much bigger guys and they can take better shots, but I feel that with the combinations and the way he has been training he has been very close to knocking guys out in the gym and so forth.  I am very impressed with him in the gym workouts so far.

I have seen some clips where the workout had to end early...

FREDDIE ROACH:  We have never ended a workout early.  We never end a workout early.  That just doesn't happen.  Manny Pacquiao comes into the gym and he works his ass off every day no matter how late we started. When he is in session -- if we begin at 8 p.m. -- we work out until the workout is over.  We have not taken one minute off because of that.  He is a Senator and he works very hard to do all of the stuff he has to do at that job.  He is busier than usual but he always likes a full plate and he has a full plate right now.

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't he sick for a few days in training camp?

FREDDIE ROACH:  Was he sick in training camp?  No.  There was a couple of days I told him to stay home and get some rest when sparring days were the next day and he didn't listen to me and he shows up anyway.  Manny Pacquiao is still the most dedicated fighter I have ever seen.  I did get him to take one day off because I told him sparring is more important, so I did get him to take one day off, yes.

How is the process of being a Senator and going to training camp?

FREDDIE ROACH:  It has worked pretty well for us so far.  We are on one end of it and he's on the other.  We are the ones that have only one job to go to and he has two jobs to go to.  It depends on how Manny feels and he looks great.  The workouts are good and he is disciplined 100%.  He comes in the gym every day no matter what time his Senatorial duties are over and he does a full scheduled workout.  I do think he will fight again.  And this is the best Manny Pacquiao I have seen in training camp in a long time.

In Closing . . .

FREDDIE ROACH:  Manny is in great shape and he's really looking good and I'm looking forward to this fight and many more to come after that.

*********************************

Boxing's only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY "Pacman" PACQUIAO, (58-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, and Roach are in the final weeks of training for their world championship collision with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas.  In just 11 days they will go mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown.  While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer's boxing career. 

Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank's digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and  mobile devices. 

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast include:  four-division world champion NONITO "The Filipino Flash" DONAIRE (37-3, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, defending his WBO junior featherweight title against undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (23-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, making his first title defense, against No. 1 contender  HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan.  The pay-per-view telecast will open with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (8-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-1-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title.  Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, will have his hands full against Prasitak, who enters this fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees.  Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office (except on Wednesday, October 19 because of the Clinton - Trump presidential debate), online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets.  To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).   

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo.  Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter. 

MARCH 18, 2024
MARCH 17, 2024
MARCH 14, 2024
MARCH 12, 2024
MARCH 11, 2024
MARCH 07, 2024
MARCH 04, 2024
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
FEBRUARY 22, 2024
FEBRUARY 19, 2024
FEBRUARY 15, 2024
FEBRUARY 12, 2024
FEBRUARY 08, 2024
FEBRUARY 05, 2024
FEBRUARY 01, 2024
JANUARY 31, 2024
JANUARY 30, 2024
JANUARY 29, 2024
JANUARY 25, 2024
JANUARY 22, 2024
JANUARY 18, 2024
JANUARY 15, 2024
JANUARY 12, 2024
JANUARY 11, 2024
JANUARY 08, 2024
JANUARY 04, 2024
JANUARY 01, 2024