INQUIRER Sports

If Cotto doesn't run, we'll knock him out in the first round.?

This was Freddie Roach's bold declaration minutes before Manny Pacquiao started his training session Wednesday afternoon at Gerry Penalosa's Gym in Mandaluyong City.

Pacquiao is winding down his training here in the Philippines and will leave for the US this weekend.

When asked if he had any regrets coming to the Philippines to train Pacquiao after everything that happened, Roach said he has no regrets.

?No regrets. We continued to train despite the typhoons. The aftermath was tragic of course, all those people being flooded. But we continued to train despite the weather and we don't melt when hit with water,? Roach confidently declared.

Was this the first time Manny used the swimming pool during training?

?We've been trying to make him swim for eight years This is the first time he tried it.?

Did Pacquiao like it? ?No, He swallowed a lot of water and didn't like it.? Roach replied.

There were local and American TV crews waiting for Pacquiao. After going through his usual warm-ups and stretching, Pacquiao went through his afternoon sparring session which was closed to the media. He sparred for ten rounds against Danny Escobar, Shawn Porter and Jose Luis Castillo. Pacquiao once again showed his amazing stamina as he hit the speed bag after his sparring session.

In 23 days, Pacquiao will face WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico gunning for a historic seventh world crown.