By Dave Lahr: Trainer Freddie Roach is trying to keep Manny Pacquiao from running into so many head shots while training for Pacquiao’s November 13th bout against Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title at the Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. It’s looking like Roach is going to try and have Pacquiao use a hit and run style to keep him from getting hammered so badly by Margarito. In an article at Gmanews.tv, Roach gave Pacquiao a lot of directions during his sparring session with Glen Tapia, saying “Don’t stay in front of him because he will hit you. Don’t take two punches in order to land three. Move, move away.”

From the sounds of it, Pacquiao was getting tagged by Tapia, who was said to have done well against Pacquiao. That’s not a good sign. If a 20-year-old, 7-0 fighter like Tapia can find Pacquiao with punches, then Margarito will have no problems whatsoever. It looks like Roach has his hands full trying to keep Pacquiao from following his brawling instincts and wanting to slug it out. If that happens against Margarito, Pacquiao is going to get torn apart limb by limb.

Pacquiao’s last opponent Joshua Clottey really did a number on Pacquiao’s face with only landing 10 measly punches per round. Can you imagine what Margarito is going to do to Pacquiao by landing seven to eight times many? Roach wants Pacquiao to hit and run, but Pacquiao won’t be able to follow those instructions. He’s only good at fighting like that in the first minute or two of the 1st round. After that, he reverts back into his slugging nature and just goes toe-to-toe while Roach squawks in the corner telling him to move. Those mutterings from Roach are completely lost on Pacquiao, because he only one way of fighting and that’s 100% attack.

Pacquiao’s high punch output attacks work on fighters like Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Clottey and Oscar De La Hoya, all of whom had come off recent defeats. But against a warrior like Margarito, who loves to slug it out, it’s going to be like bringing slop to a hog. He’s going to love and batter Pacquiao. If Pacquiao was able to switch gears and follow a plan B after things get bad for him in the first couple of rounds, I think he might have a chance to beat Margarito. But he won’t be able to do that. Pacquiao continue to fight as he always does and will come right at Margarito trying to beat him at his own game by throwing a lot of punches and getting his teeth knocked out in return.

Margarito can’t be out-worked. That’s not possible. You can clinch him to death like Shane Mosley did, but you can’t outwork him. Pacquiao is going to try and he’s going to get kicked around the ring like a little soccer ball from November 13th.