MACAU – Manny Pacquiao is out to prove that he’s still the mean fighter the world has come to know.
“I’m not yet past my prime,” said Pacquiao in trying to ward off insinuations that his Hall of Fame career is now on the downside following back-to-back losses in his last two fights to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.
“I still have the power. I still have the speed.”
They Said It!
“I still have the power. I still have the speed.” - Manny Pacquiao
And proof of that is his and trainer Freddie Roach's belief that Brandon Rios, his American opponent in his comeback fight at the Cotai Arena inside the Venetian Hotel, will not be able to withstand Pacquiao’s power that he’ll likely move out of harm’s way for most of the 12-round welterweight bout.
Even though the 27-year-old Rios (31-1-1, 22 KOs) is a known brawler, Roach sees the native of Oxnard, California will try to be on the defensive end this time.
“Manny likes when people come to him like Brandon does. I think he might move out, try to move a little bit, try to be a little bit more defensive. I can see that,” said Roach, who’s been at Pacquiao’s corner for 12 years now.
“Manny thinks he’s gonna run,” stressed Roach. “He will run until the first punch landed and fight back.”
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