By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach has noticed that his pupil WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has started using his left hand more than his right, and that’s the same problem Pacquiao made in his other two fights with Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004 and 2008. Roach is now working on Pacquiao making adjustments to his style by having him use his right hand more.
Roach said this to philboxing.com: “I will have to make a very small adjustment in his style of fighting…we will continue to change it this week. That’s what I don’t want to happen. Manny falling back to what he’d been doing before, especially in their first two fights which did not impress many. I don’t want a repeat of that. [Since then] Manny fought heavier, bigger opponents after that split decision victory [in 2008] in the second fight. He’s [Pacquiao] stronger, faster and more mature now.”
I think Roach is completely wrong about Pacquiao being faster than he was in 2008. Is Roach kidding? Anyone with two eyes can see that Pacquiao has slowed down significantly in the past three years. Some of it is because he’s eaten his way to 147 lbs, which of course would slow someone down. After all, Pacquiao has put on 20 pounds and it doesn’t matter if it’s all muscle. He’s slower and his stamina isn’t nearly as good as it was. But the other part is age.
Pacquiao is in his 30s now, and he’s mature but not in a good way. I don’t see Pacquiao as a better fighter now than he was in 2004 and 2008. He’s bigger and older, but not better. Pacquiao gets hit a lot more than he ever did before, and he’s so tired all the time. He’s clearly better. But I can understand why Roach is staying that. He probably wants the gravy train to last as long as possible.
It doesn’t matter if Pacquiao uses his right more in his third fight with Marquez, he’s still going to be made to look silly at times, because Marquez is simply a better fighter than he is. Pacquiao will win if he knocks Marquez down a couple of times, but if not, there’s going to be controversy. Marquez will make Pacquiao look silly enough in most of the rounds to cause a lot of boxing fans to see him as the winner. The only way that can be avoided is if Pacquiao can score a knockdown or two. Roach wants a knockout, because he doesn’t like that many boxing fans think that Marquez got ripped off in his two fights with Pacquiao.
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