Roach: I want Pacquiao to KO Bradley

By Boxing News - 04/08/2012 - Comments

Image: Roach: I want Pacquiao to KO BradleyBy Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao is going through a really dry spell of three years since his last knockout victory, and there are whispers around that Pacquiao is losing his power and is a fading fighter. Still, his ever faithful trainer Freddie Roach is still wishing for knockouts, and is hoping that Pacquiao KO’s his next opponent Tim Bradley (28-0, 12 KO’s) on June 9th.

Roach told the Manila Bulletin “I’d like to see Manny knock Bradley out.”

You notice how Roach is saying “I’d like” instead of ‘he’s going to knock Bradley out.’? What that shows you is that Roach is no longer coming up with his traditional knockout prediction for Pacquiao over one of his opponents.

Roach seems always predict a knockout for a Pacquiao and starts high in the 12th round, and then as the fight gets nearer, Roach makes the KO predictions earlier and earlier until he arrives at a 1st round knockout. But in this case Roach is saying “I’d like to see.” I guess I don’t blame the guy. Pacquiao hasn’t knocked anyone out since he stopped Cotto in November 2009. Looks like the power is gone. Oh, I know about Roach thinking Pacquiao is showing sympathy for his opponents and that’s why he’s not knocking anyone out, but I don’t buy it. That’s a convenient excuse. I’m just surprised that he came up with that one. I could see an excuse about Pacquiao’s leg cramps as being the reason why Pacquiao isn’t knocking anyone out anymore.

Roach can wish he wants, but Pacquiao isn’t going to be knocking Bradley out. If anyone is getting knocked out in this fight, it’s Pacquiao from a hard body shot. He has problems taking body shots at times and Bradley can definitely punch well to the body. If he drags Pacquiao into the deeper rounds when Pacquiao’s stamina typically fades, Bradley can go to the body and take him out when he’s exhausted. I wonder what Roach would say then?



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