HE spoke quietly. Clustered round him were journalists, helpers, assorted hangers on and who knows whom else. Manny Pacquiao was taping up his hands, ahead of a workout that would take up most of his Wednesday afternoon. Whether focused on the session ahead or already channeling his energies towards the Chris Algieri fight alone, I couldnโt say, but Pacquiaoโs voice was so soft it obliged you to lean in towards him and strain to make out his words.
โI have to use my speed. Speed and power,โ he murmured. โCo-ordination, footspeed and handspeed.โ
โI donโt want to be careless in the fight,โ he continued. โI donโt want to get careless but what Iโm trying to show is the old days, the old days of my career.
โWhat I have in my mind right now is to do things that people will enjoy. I will do the things on Sunday that people will enjoy.โ
That suggestsย Pacquiao wants to defend his WBO title with a knockout. His trainer, Freddie Roach took up the theme. โHe wants to get back to where he was knocking people out because he started hearing you guys [the media] say he lost his punch. You guys keep saying that, heโll want to get stronger and stronger, prove everybody wrong. So I should thank you for getting him motivated,โ Freddie said.
โI think Mannyโs going to dominate this fight,โ Roach continued. โ[Algieri] is not a bad person but heโs really cocky and I think heโs in way over his head. Heโs a durable guy. He proved that he has heart. I just think heโs in over his head with Manny Pacquiao. At this level itโs not the same as Ruslan Provodnikov. This is a much higher level fight than that one was and I think heโs in way over his head.โ
The trainer promises Pacquiao will start fast. โWe canโt give this guy momentum, we canโt let him get confidence. Weโve got to keep him at bay, weโre going to start quick,โ Roach said. โYou canโt give a guy like this confidence. A young man can grow, heโll get stronger, more brave, better as the fight goes on. Our gameplan is to jump on him right away, say โhiโ to him, but not jump on him in a stupid way. Weโve got to do it correctly and smart.
โHeโs supposed to have a fast jab. He doesnโt know what fast is, until he gets in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. They donโt realise what speed is until youโre in there against it.โ
For the full Pacquiao-Algieri preview donโt miss this weekโs issue of Boxing News, available via our app on iTunes and Google Play.
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