HOLLYWOOD – Timothy Bradley’s threat of beating Manny Pacquiao with his vaunted left hook hardly unfazed Freddie Roach.
“He can’t punch with either hand,” the highly-respected trainer said as he tried to mock the reigning welterweight champion, who stakes his World Boxing Organization (WBO) belt against Pacquiao next Sunday (Manila time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I’m not worried about it (left hook). He can kick me if he wants to.”
Bradley made the boast on Thursday during his media workout at the Fortune gym when he proclaimed that his left hook will finish off the 35-year-old Pacquiao in their rematch in the same manner the right hand of Juan Manuel Marquez sent the Filipino boxing superstar to dreamland during their fourth meeting in 2012.
But Roach simply laughed off the remark by the unbeaten title holder, stressing Bradley is obviously just trying to make noise for the 12-round bout.
“For Timothy Bradley to say that is quite surprising because I thought he is a good guy and a gentleman like Manny,” said Roach Friday shortly after training Pacquiao and former world champion Miguel Cotto one after the other at the Wild Card gym.
“He’s talking trash like I am. He’s just trying to talk himself into the fight.”
The Hall of Fame trainer, a disciple of the late great Eddie Futch, however, maintains his respect for Bradley, who dealt Pacquiao his first loss in seven years during their 2012 fight when he scored a split decision to dethrone the pride of General Santos City as the world’s 147-lb. king.
“This guys has never been knocked out before. He’s a tough guy, maybe one of the toughest guys in the world, and he took a lot of punishment in some real tough fights. He’s very game,” he said of the 30-year-old Bradley, whose record stands at 31-0 with 12 KOs.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
