By Rob Smith: Trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t see the point of Manny Pacquiao taking a tune-up fight in April against a still to be determined opponent. Roach believes that Pacquiao is fighting at such a high level now that a tune-up fight would serve no purpose in helping him.
Roach said in an interview at fighthub.tv “They’re talking about a fight in April in Macau right now, a tune-up with Manny. I really don’t want a tune-up right now. I don’t think a fighter like Pacquiao needs a tune-up fight. Manny was fighting the best fight [against Juan Manuel Marquez] I’ve seen in a long time.”
Roach sounds like an old school trainer. I’m not sure that he fully understands how badly Pacquiao was knocked out by Marquez last month in Manny’s 6th round knockout loss. Pretty much anyone that saw that knockout would have serious concerns about Pacquiao getting back in the ring only four months later.
A knockout like that could lead to Pacquiao getting hurt easier in his next fight, and you kind of want to take the cautious approach.