BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Freddie Roach wants Juan Manuel Marquez down and out in November.
“Victory is no longer enough. I want Manny to knock out Marquez,” declared the celebrated trainer from the City of Pines yesterday.
Pacquiao and Roach are entering their second week of training in Baguio, for the Nov. 12 showdown with Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Roach spoke to reporters yesterday and said he wants Pacquiao to finish Marquez off, and shut him up.
Pacquiao is coming off a unanimous victory over Shane Mosley last May, but experts felt the Pinoy champ was a little too soft on his opponent.
They touched gloves the whole fight, smiled at each other in the days leading to the fight, and hugged like brothers at the end of the fight.
Roach doesn’t want to see that in November.
“No more Mr. Nice Guy,” he said.
But he admitted that it’s not an easy thing to do with Pacquiao because “how can you teach him not to be (nice) when he is the nicest person around.”
Still, if he could have his way, Roach said it should be war inside the ring when Pacquiao and Marquez meet for the third time.
Hopefully, it will be the last.
Roach may get what he wants, and may even find no need to remind Pacquiao about dropping his “Mr. Nice Guy” attitude.
During the Pacquiao-Marquez press tour earlier this month, it was pretty evident that both boxers didn’t like each other.
They hardly spoke and smiled to one another. Handshakes were hard to come by.
Pacquiao is keeping his cards close to his chest.
“Magka-alaman na lang sa fight (We will know during the fight),” he said.
Pacquiao fought Marquez to a draw in 2004, and scored a razor-thin decision against the Mexican in 2008.
Marquez, up to this day, likes to believe he won both fights.
“In this fight, all the questions will be answered,” Pacquiao said.