Freddie Roach has been the driving force of much of the trash talk leading up to Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao on May 2. As Pacquiao has begun his sparring, Roach was talking about new holidays.
"I am confident May 2 will be celebrated for years to come as St. Manny's Day - the day he drove Mayweather out of boxing," Roach said.
"When Manny threw out the first punch it felt like opening day of Irish spring training. Manny looked so fresh today. I'm very happy with what he showed me. You couldn't tell he had been away from the ring since the (Chris) Algieri fight in November. Manny is on fire in the gym."
Roach has complained that powerful adviser Al Haymon, who has worked closely with Mayweather throughout Mayweather's historic revenue sharing contract with Showtime, has been paying potential sparring partners to stay away from Pacquiao's training camp.
That issue has died down it seems, as Pacquiao was pleased as punch with his sparring work on Day 1.
"My sparring partners gave me good work today. They were perfect for testing the strategy Freddie and I have developed to beat Floyd Mayweather. I was very happy with my stamina and speed today," Pacquiao said.
Stamina will be especially important for Pacquiao during his showdown with Mayweather, whose cardio is famously unending. Pacquiao is considered the more powerful puncher, but hasn't scored a knockout victory since 2009. Because of Mayweather's superb defense, it's a strong possibility that this fight will go the full 12 rounds.
If so, Pacquiao will need every ounce of his stamina to maintain the frenetic pace necessary to bother Mayweather, or even hurt him.
[ESPN]
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