Pacquiao ready to rumble – Roach

source: mb.com.ph

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao is armed to the teeth and definitely ready to rumble.

On Thursday at the Wild Card in Hollywood, trainer Freddie Roach was all smiles, glowing and radiating the kind of smile that suggests he is happy with the turnout of Pacquiao’s preparation for the May 7 title clash with Shane Mosley.

“He is ready to fight,” Roach told a handful of scribes from Manila.

Even though Pacquiao did not go full throttle in his eight-round sparring session with Shawn Porter and Ray Beltran, Roach was more than satisfied with what he had seen as the Filipino resorted back to horsing around, something that convinces him that all is fine and well.

“Manny just went halfway and that’s how it is (when he is about to finish training camp),” said Roach, revealing that the final sparring sessions will take place Saturday and Monday just before Team Pacquiao departs for Las Vegas.

Roach they have already mastered the gameplan for the scheduled 12-rounder that not only dangles Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown, but more importantly, his stranglehold on the mythical title of pound-for-pound king.

While Roach gives credit to Mosley’s experience, his durability and one-punch knockout power in both hands, there is simply no way the 39-year-old challenger will pull off an upset.

“I don’t think we can lose this fight but he (Mosley) might get frustrated and fight dirty,” said Roach. “He knows every trick in the book.”

Echoing his star pupil’s assessment of Mosley, Roach said Pacquiao will have to come up with an explosive showing to get past Mosley and prove he is truly the world’s No. 1 fighter.

source: mb.com.ph