Roach likes work of Pacquiao in camp

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Freddie Roach is not a man given to hyperbole. When Manny Pacquiao’s trainer says the pound-for-pound champion is having his best training camp, Sugar Shane Mosley had better pay attention.

Pacquiao is in the final stages of preparation in Hollywood for his bout with Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on May 7, and the Filipino congressman hasn’t been so singularly focused on boxing for quite a while.

“He hasn’t lost a step. He’s working at a higher pace than ever,” Roach said Wednesday in his Wild Card Gym. “He’s not in the same condition as the last fight. He’s in better condition than I’ve ever seen. He isn’t going to get caught underestimating anybody.”

Roach fretted about Pacquiao’s focus and fitness throughout a rocky camp heading into last fall’s win over Antonio Margarito, calling it the worst training session of their careers. Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) was newly elected to office, which added another responsibility to the usual pandemonium swirling around the Philippines’ most famous man.

This time around, Roach and strength-and-conditioning coach Alex Ariza have been downright floored by the eight-division champion’s determination to knock out Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), who has never been stopped.

“It’s the complete opposite side of the spectrum this time,” said Ariza, who’s in charge of Pacquiao’s fitness. “I’ve never seen Manny more motivated. I thought [the camp before Pacquiao’s victory over Miguel] Cotto was the perfect blueprint for a training camp, but this has surpassed it.”

On their first day of workouts, Pacquiao did his running in the mountains, skipping the usual warmup days on the flats in Baguio, his Filipino base. He spent just three weeks training amid the innumerable distractions back home before starting his more monastic five-week session in Hollywood, reversing the schedule of last fall’s camp.

Pacquiao already is solidly near the bout’s 147-pound limit, and his sparring sessions already have exceeded 12 rounds, with Roach marveling at Pacquiao’s sharpness and speed.

Pacquiao doesn’t share some fans’ disappointment with Top Rank’s choice of his latest opponent. Mosley, who turns 40 in September, has been unimpressive in his past two fights against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sergio Mora.

“I’m not going in confident, or underestimating him,” Pacquiao said. “He’s a pound-for-pound champion, a good fighter. I’m just going to be in condition and ready to fight.”