Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
BRISBANE, Australia—Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have a long standing pact regarding retirement. Roach is going to tell Pacquiao when it’s time to hang up his gloves.
After spending training camp with Pacquiao in Manila and General Santos City, before flying in here Saturday, Roach feels that his prized ward has more gas left in his tank.
“I believe he’s good for a couple more fights,” said Roach, during Pacquiao’s media workout Tuesday.
Still, the seven-time traner of the year, is imploring Pacquiao to deliver a definitive performance on Sunday.
But with Pacquiao unable to finish off his last dozen opponents, Roach sounded reluctant to predict a knockout as he’s had a string of misses.
Some of them near misses especialy that bout against Chris Algieri, who Pacquiao knocked down six times but was allowed to go the distance in Macau in 2014.
In the same breath, Pacquiao could have knocked out Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito, both in 2011, but opted to carry them through.
This time, Roach wishes Pacquiao’s killer instinct would be back.
Though he genuinely likes Horn as a fighter and as a person, Roach wouldn’t mind him becoming Pacquiao’s 39th KO victim in 56 wins, six losses and two draws.
Roach feels that Pacquiao still wields the speed, the power, and the stamina to dominate a less-experienced opponent like Horn.
“He (Pacquiao) still does over 50 rounds a day,” Roach said.
According to Roach, this fight is crucial toward charting the route of Pacquiao’s ring career.
Roach said Pacquiao needs to make an statement by way of a knockout or a highly impressive win.
A victory by decision will disappoint Roach, to say the least.
“If he struggles we’ll have to sit down,” said Roach, hinting that he’d advice Pacquiao to retire if that happens.
Of course, a hard hitter like Horn always has a chance to cut short Pacquiao’s legendary career.
And Roach is anxious that Pacquiao will again try to gauge Horn’s strength first, just what he did against Miguel Cotto, his last KO victim in 2009, before going for the kill.