Freddie Roach On Manny Pacquiao’s Fight with Marquez: “This fight won’t last six rounds”

Freddie Roach On Manny Pacquiao’s Fight with Marquez: “This fight won’t last six rounds”

Next weekend Manny Pacquiao will get in the ring with Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time. If this fight is anything like the first two, it looks to be a great way to cap off the trilogy and finally settle the score between these two fighters. The first two fights brought a lot of excitement, but also a lot of controversy from the side of Marquez as well. In the first fight that was determined a draw in 2004, Marquez felt he won the fight. Then in 2008, Pacquiao won a split decision, but that fight also came with some controversy. Heading into the fight, the Marquez camp claims they have the better fighter and that Marquez has already beaten Manny Pacquiao on two separate occasions.
Marquez might be in the twilight of his career, and while the stiffest competition for Pacquiao remains Floyd Mayweather Jr. there is a lot of bad blood between Pacman and Marquez and the two fighters will finally be able to settle the score on November 12th in Las Vegas.

Freddie Roach joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with 2 Live Stews to talk about the two previous fights between Marquez and Pacquiao, what he thinks about Marquez saying he was robbed in the first two fights, what he makes of Floyd Mayweather intimating that he would be willing to fight Pacquiao now, and whether or not Pacquiao is distracted by this news with Mayweather.

On the two previous fights between Marquez and Pacquiao:

“They had two really, really good fights, 24 rounds, and one point separates the two. But Manny has come a long way since they fought. He’s bigger and better fighter now and I don’t think Marquez is gonna last six rounds this time. He’s on a weight program, he has put on a lot of muscle, and I can’t wait for this fight to happen. It’s been a long time coming and I can’t wait to shut Nacho and him up and finally close the book on this one.”

What he thinks about Marquez saying he was robbed in the first two fights:

“The thing is Marquez fought two great fights that were good for boxing. Nobody got robbed, they were just very close fights. He did go to the Philippines wearing a t-shirt that said I got robbed by Manny Pacquiao twice, I beat Manny Pacquiao twice, and that was a slap in the face to Manny. Believe me payback is a bitch, Manny doesn’t like this guy, and this fight won’t last six rounds I’m telling you. Manny is so amped for this fight and this is the best training camp he has ever had. He just really wants this guy badly and I can’t wait to shut these guys up.”

On the idea that a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight could be getting closer:

“Floyd Mayweather sends Leonard Ellerbe his little puppet…He won’t even mention Manny’s name, he says the little guy. Is he talking about Larry Merchant? He’d probably knock him out too. The thing is…Floyd sign the contract, shut up, sign the contract, and let’s get it on.”

Whether or not the news about Mayweather is a distraction:

“Pacquiao doesn’t let anything distract him. In training camps and so forth he is 100 percent focused on Marquez right now, this news about Mayweather who cares? If he wants to fight, sign the contract then we will believe it.”

On his prediction for the fight:

“Manny really wants this fight and this fight won’t last six rounds. If Marquez comes to fight it won’t be a sleeper, he does have a lot of balls, and that’s gonna be his downfall in this one.”