PACMAN CHASING KNOCKOUT
“SEVEN years.”
Freddie Roach cackles down the phone from the Philippines with relief and excitement filling his vocals.
“I have not seen this Manny Pacquiao in seven years.”
This week, Pacquiao knocked down his sparring partner Adrian Young twice.
He has not done that a week out from a fight since 2010.
Pacquiao left his other sparring partner, Sydney’s George Kambosos, with welts across his face too.
And he eased off once he saw they were in trouble.
So Pacquiao’s opponent next Sunday, Brisbane’s Jeff Horn, won’t have to look far to find his own trouble. Just across the ring inside Suncorp Stadium.
“It’s been a long time, it makes you feel happy, I’m feeling the power on the mitts,” said Roach, recognised as one of the greatest trainers in modern boxing.
An uneasy issue has existed between fighter and trainer for some time.
Pacquiao went from wild party boy to deeply religious disciple in 2009.
Coincidentally, that was the last time Pacquiao scored a knockout victory – against Miguel Cotto in a 12-round slugfest that established Pacquiao as the undisputed best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.
But a religious experience at that time, in which Pacquiao says God spoke to him personally, seems to have also dimmed his killer instinct in the ring.
Before finding God, Pacquiao reeled off vicious knockout wins over Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Cotto.
Since then, nine wins via points decision, and three defeats including the shock onepunch knockout delivered by foe Juan Manuel Marquez.
“When he found the Bible, he’d tell me, ‘I don’t have to hurt people, I can beat them by points’,” Roach said. “It has been frustrating.” So as preparations began for this showdown against Horn, Roach urged his man to find the mongrel again.
He can’t explain how – maybe it’s Pacquiao’s own frustration at not being able to put opponents away any more, or the bigger lure of a potential mega-million-dollar rematch with Floyd Mayweather with a devastating performance – but the Filipino great is firing heavy artillery again.
While Pacquiao is not taking Horn lightly, he and his team are well aware that he needs a highlight-reel knockout against the rookie contender to land himself another huge payday – possibly against Mayweather.