Prediksiyon ni Roach kinontra ...na hanggang 9th round lang ang itatagal ni Dela Hoya

Kung si Golden Boy Promotions’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Schaefer ang tatanungin, hindi na dapat paniwalaan si American trainer Freddie Roach ukol sa mga prediksyon nito.

 Kabilang na sa mga palpak na prediksyon ng 48-anyos na si Roach, ayon kay Schaefer, ay ang mga payo nito kina Israel Vazquez at Bernard Hopkins.

 “Freddie makes a lot of predictions, remember that Freddie said that Vazquez should not fight Rafael Marquez?” ani Schaefer. “Then Israel took another trainer, and he won twice against Rafael Marquez. Then Freddie said, after the fight with (Joe) Calzaghe, that Bernard Hopkins is too old, he should not fight anymore. Then Bernard Hopkins took another trainer and he had the best fight of his life, against Kelly Pavlik.” 

Para sa non-title welterweight fight nina Oscar Dela Hoya at Manny Pacquiao sa Disyembre 6 sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada, sinabi ni Roach na hanggang nine rounds lamang ang itatagal ni “Golden Boy” kay “Pacman”.

“And now, Freddie says that Oscar is old and can no longer pull the trigger, you know what? Freddie Roach is gonna be wrong, three for three,” sabi ni Schaefer.

 Matatandaang si Roach ang tumayong chief trainer ni Dela Hoya nang matalo ito kay Floyd Mayweather, Jr. para sa light middlewight championship noong Mayo ng 2007 matapos mabigo si Hopkins kay Calzaghe noong Abril. 

Bilang paghahanda, pinanonood ng 35-anyos na si Dela Hoya kasama si Mexican trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain ang mga nakaraang laban ng 29-anyos na si Pacquiao.

 “I’m watching more tape than ever with Nacho; he likes to analyze everything,” ani Dela Hoya. “We’re paying close attention to his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez because he had to be at his best in that one.”

 Kinuha ni Dela Hoya na mga ka-sparring partners ang 26-anyos na Venezuelan knockout artist na si Edwin Valero, ang 22-anyos na si Cleotis “Mookie” Pendarvis at ang 35-anyos na si Fred Tukes. (R.Cadayona)