‘Now’s the best time to beat Pacquiao’
MACAU—Freddie Roach yesterday moved a level up from the ground floor weigh-in arena to the media center dining hall of The Venetian here looking fresh and fulfilled, a boy assured of a great Christmas present.
The gift, if ever, won’t be available until today, when Manny Pacquiao clashes with Brandon Rios for the WBO International welterweight belt. But something in Roach’s confidence seemed to send this warning: Rios could be saved only if the noontime battle were canceled.
There had been an initial order for a knockout in six rounds.
But after Roach took a supremely insulting kick to the chest from a member of Team Rios, the order was modified.
Roach had asked Pacquiao to work out a devastation inside four rounds, the faster, the better.
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Meanwhile, the prevailing confidence inside Team Pacquiao got boosted further after the weigh-in ceremonies, wherein the main protagonists were made to strip to the waist.
Marvin Somodio, a trusted young assistant to Roach, said he doubted if Rios could last long enough to make the main event truly exciting.
Somodio, who ably pitched in for Roach in cornering for Ruslav Provodnikov (against Mike Alvarado in Denver), said Rios appeared both hollow and soft.
A picture of the bare-chested Rios was also likened to a pale, unpromising banana tree.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, was ruddy and firm, dignified as the great molave.
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Looks could indeed be deceiving.
The previous day, Rios chief trainer Robert Garcia told the Inquirer “now is the best time to beat Pacquiao.”
Just the same, Garcia warned that Pacquiao is strong and could still be deadly.
“If he were 140 percent four years ago, he should be no more than 100 percent now,” Garcia explained.
There was the crushing loss to Juan Manuel Marquez via a cold-blooded knockout nearly a year ago—which has definitely left a stigma—coupled with the year-long inactivity, which could work against Pacquiao’s ability to seek an easy win or early KO.
“They seemed sure of scoring a knockout against Brandon, who has never been stopped,” Garcia pointed out, while adding Pacquiao has been KO’d at least three times.
Garcia said Pacquiao can no longer go the full route without slipping in the closing rounds.
Of course, there’s the eye-popping truth that, younger and bigger as he is, Rios has not waged battle against a fearless warrior of Pacquiao’s might and stature.
Anyway, seeking counsel from the venerable American boxing guru Larry Merchant, a group of Filipino sports editors asked the grizzled expert about Pacquiao’s winning chances.
“He has tremendous edge in experience, power and speed,” Merchant said.
Did Rios trainer Garcia call it right in saying this is the best time to beat Pacquiao?
“Why not?” Merchant answered. “This is no longer the Pacquiao of four years ago.”
Merchant, 82, said he has not seen a veteran fighter of Pacquiao’s age who has recovered fully and come back competitively from that kind of tragic stoppage suffered by Pacquiao against Marquez.
Just the same, Merchant warned that Pacquiao, the best of his time, is a marvelous warrior capable of springing surprises.
Given his youth and inexperience, Merchant said Rios will have to surpass himself if he hopes to come out triumphant from today’s exacting main event.
