MANILA, Philippines – May malinis na 47-0-0 win-loss-draw ring record si Floyd Mayweather, Jr. kasama ang 26 knockouts.
Siya ang itinuturing na ‘pound-for-pound king’ sa kasalukuyan.
Subalit kumpiyansa si chief trainer Freddie Roach na tatalunin ni Filipino world eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao ang American world five-division titlist.
Ngunit hindi ito magiging madali.
“I think Pacquiao is going to win the fight but it’s not an easy fight believe me. We have to fight the perfect fight to win, that I know. This is our best opponent by far,” ani Roach matapos panoorin ang kabiguan ni Chinese superstar Zou Shiming sa title fight nito kay world super flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng ng Thailand sa Macau, China.
Matapos ang laban ay kaagad na babalik si Roach sa kanyang Wild Card Boxing Club sa Hollywood, California para sa pagsasanay ni Pacquiao.
Habang wala si Roach ay sina assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez at strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune ang namamahala sa training camp ni Pacquiao sa Wild Card.
Nakatakdang labanan ng 36-anyos na si Pacquiao ang 37-anyos na si Mayweather sa Mayo 2 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
“This is the biggest challenge of my life and I love a challenge. And studying this guy he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He doesn’t have any bad habits. He is a very difficult fighter to beat but I think we can beat him yes,” wika ni Roach kay Mayweather.
Para malaman ang galaw at lakas ni Pacquiao ay kinuha ni Mayweather si dating world welterweight ruler Zab Judah.
Sinabi ni Judah na gagayahin niya ang mga kilos ni Pacquiao sa kanilang sparring session ni Mayweather.
“I go hard. Anybody that knows me, they know that Zab is going to bring the best of his ability,” ani Judah. “For me to go in there and give Floyd so-so work is not helping him. If you’re going to help him, come in there and give him the dominance that Manny is going to bring -- the good power, the good speed, the good angles, the good movement -- and allow him to learn from those things.”