"Of course he knows, because that's his hands," stated current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao as he recently shared hs thoughts regarding suspened former champion Antonio Margarito's hand wrap controversy. Pacquiao made it clear that he shares a very different opinion than his trainer, Freddie Roach, who recently revealed his own belief in Margarito's innocence.
"If he do hands up like that, that means he don't believe in himself. He didn't believe himself that he can bang. I'd never do that in my boxing career," Manny continued. "He knows how to wrap properly for the opponent."
Pacquiao's comments are a stark contrast to those made by his trainer just one week ago. "He swears to me that he didn't do it; he had nothing to do with it...I think he's telling me the truth," Roach recently stated as he revealed that he was willing to be Margarito's new trainer and would stand by his side in front of the California State Athletic Commission when it comes time to appeal the suspension. In fact, Roach personally contacted the commission himself to ask them for another trial in six months. "With me being his trainer, being the sole trainer, and with my reputation, maybe they'll be lenient," he added.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, disagrees with Freddie's assessment. "I think it's up to Margarito to stay out of boxing; just keep him suspended like two years," he commented. How this all will play out remains to be seen. Like a father and son, both Roach and Pacquiao have certainly had their share of disagreements in the past outside of the ring. However, when it comes to being inside the ring, both the fighter and the trainer are always on the same page. Come May 2nd, you can be sure that Manny Pacquiao will listen to and execute whatever Freddie Roach tells him to do.