Manny Pacquiao (right) spars with trainer Freddie Roach. AP FILE PHOTO
HOLLYWOOD— Trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t mind whether the Fight of the Century ends early or lasts the full 12 rounds.
All he wants is for his prized ward, Manny Pacquiao, to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in overwhelming fashion on May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
It is a mission Roach planned and charted last month, when the megabuck bout was finally forged.
And with Pacquiao just as committed to end the flamboyant American’s 47-win run, they are refining Roach’s fight plan that could change boxing’s landscape forever.
Though Roach would love a knockout, the seven-time Trainer of the Year doesn’t want to put undue pressure on Pacquiao, whose chances of a stoppage, several fight experts say, largely depend on whether or not Mayweather will choose to engage him toe-to-toe.
Still, Roach is convinced that Pacquiao will emerge the winner.
“He’ll be ready to fight short (by knockout) or long (by convincing decision),” said Roach.
Like conditioning coach Justin Fortune, the chief trainer believes that on May 2 fans will see the fightinest Pacquiao ever.
Both see Pacquiao as deadlier than the one who sent Oscar De La Hoya and Antonio Margarito into retirement, stopped Miguel Cotto, and shamed Shane Mosley.
A study on Pacquiao’s punches, conducted by Sports Science last year and reported by Marv Dumon of Examiner.com, revealed that the Filipino’s shots are indeed lethal.
They generated a force of 806 pounds—equivalent to a shotgun blast—and was unleashed in just 0.12 seconds. Comparatively, it takes 0.3 seconds to blink an eye.
The impact and the speed with which the punches are landed are said to be Pacquiao’s distinct advantage against Mayweather.
Fortune claims Pacquiao is so well-conditioned now that he can keep those bunches of punches coming wave after wave against the undefeated American.