LOS ANGELES – With less than three months before the biggest fight of the year, Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is wondering why his star pupil has yet to report to training camp.
And better yet, why Pacquiao or his management team has not decided where training camp will be held.
Pacquiao is unable to train in the US due to tax reasons, leaving Roach and his coaching staff and sparring partners in limbo.
"Every time, I call Manny’s number, Mike Koncz (Pacquiao’s advisor) answers the phone and I tell Mike ‘where are we training?’ [Koncz] said, ‘I haven’t asked Manny yet.’ I said, ‘well, don’t you think you should ask him? Let’s get something straight here so we know which direction we’re going.’"
"I’m a little pissed off to be honest with you [about] the lack of communication," said Roach to the Asian Journal.
Pacquiao is shooting a movie in Manila, but Roach believes the pound-for-pound kings needs to be in the gym to prepare for "the toughest bout in his career."
"People tell me he’s too slow," said Roach. "He beat Shane Mosley, one of the fastest guys in the world. He knows how to nullify speed."
Cotto is already three weeks into his training camp. And despite suffering some setbacks with a loss against Antonio Margarito and a decision win against Joshu Clottey, Cotto is motivated that a win against Pacquiao will get him back to the top of the pound-4-pound rankings.
"He knows a win over Manny Pacquiao erases all the bad things that’s happened in his past. So anyone who thinks this is an easy fight is a fool. This guy is going to give it all he has," said Roach.
It’s been three weeks since Roach has spoken to Pacquiao and now, dealing with the untimely death of his younger brother, Joey, Roach’s frustration boiled over.
Roach blames Pacquiao’s advisor Koncz for the lack of communication and comments he made in the media referring to Freddie as "just a trainer."
"I know I’m a realist I know boxing," said Roach. "Mike Koncz made a comment that we don’t need to talk to Freddie he’s only the trainer. Well, Mike Koncz, I’m the only one in the camp that knows boxing and knows the sport…I’ve been studying this guy (Cotto), watching his fights, I have a good strategy in mind and we just have to implement it now."
"Well, maybe Mike Koncz can come up with the strategy," Roach added. "I don’t know. You know, I’m so pissed off with that guy you know if they don’t want me to be the trainer anymore that’s fine with me do it yourself."
Koncz told ABS-CBN Philippines that Pacquiao is on schedule. The pound-for-pound king will be training in Baguio after the kick off press conference at Yankee Stadium in New York, according to Koncz.
Koncz also told ABS-CBN that he and Roach would handle the friction between them "internally." (Joseph Pimentel, AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published on September 2, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A1 )
Damn Cotto is the toughest fight for manny, Coach Freddie knows
