Manny Pacquiao during training at Elorde Gym in Pasay City. He is preparing for a title defense against Jeff Horn on July 2 in Australia. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Freddie Roach is fond of giving predictions, especially when there’s a knockout involved.
He once gave a piece of his mind before Anthony Joshua clobbered heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko saying the British will own the whole fight.
Klitschko never made it to the 12th round falling to Joshua at the 2:25 of the 11th with the Brit taking home the WBA Super, IBF, and IBO World heavyweight titles.
Roach also predicted that Sergey Kovalev has to stop Andre Ward in the two pound-for-pound greats’ matchup back in November 2016.
Kovalev scored a 2nd round knockdown but failed to capitalize allowing Ward to take a unanimous decision win and take the WBA Super, IBF, and WBO World light heavyweight belts.
Roach, being the oracle that he is, though somehow backtracked on the outcome of the fight between Manny Pacquiao against Jeff Horn.
He did say there would be a knockout but it’s not on him to say which round Horn will taste the canvas.
“I don’t know, he’s a tough guy from Australia,” said Roach of Horn Thursday at Elorde Gym in the Mall of Asia Complex. “But that’s really up to Manny, Manny can knock him out whenever he wants in my opinion.”
Pacquiao’s last knockout victory was back in 2009 when he stopped Miguel Cotto with a minute remaining in he 12th round to win his first WBO welterweight title.
Roach, though, is confident that Pacquiao is primed to break that dry streak especially after seeing the Filipino fighter breeze through his workout.
“We’re getting closer, we’re getting close,” said Roach.