Roach says Manny Pacquiao retires if he struggles against Timothy Bradley
The legendary trainer of WBO world welterweight king Manny Pacquiao insists that the 33-year-old Filipino superstar will retire if he “looks bad” defending his belt against WBO light welterweight titleholder Timothy Bradley Saturday night at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Nevada.
Freddie Roach, who made history with his two brothers when all three of them battled on the same fight card at the Boston Garden in June 1982, claims Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) is determined to dominate Bradley (28-0-0-1, 12 KOs) and prove that his extremely controversial majority decision triumph over Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) in their third match last November in “Sin City” was an aberration.
The 28-year-old Bradley, who is presently rated by Ring Magazine as the eighth pound-for-pound pugilist in the world, is also a former two-time light welterweight champ who has trumped solid pugilists Lamont Peterson and Devon Alexander.
“Bradley’s no killer, but he tries hard,” said Roach, 52, a native of Dedham (Mass.) who was voted Trainer of the Year on four occasions by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). “Manny should eat him up as he comes forward. I think Manny should look really good in this fight. If he looks bad, he retires. At least I’ll tell him to. And he may be the first one who will listen to me.”
As evidenced by his paltry knockout percentage, Bradley owns feathery fists and doesn’t possess the physicality to damage “The Fighting Pride of the Philippines” when they clash.
Pacquiao, voted “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s by the BWAA, is blessed with superior hand-speed, accuracy and punching power and his footwork is utterly elite. “Pac-Man,” the first pugilist to win 10 world crowns in eight different weight classes, “should eat (Bradley) up.” On the contrary, should Manny Pacquiao somehow find himself in a brutal struggle with Timothy Bradley this weekend, perhaps “he retires.”
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