Freddie Roach maintains Manny Pacquiao will be lost to politics sooner or later
Freddie Roach has continued to speak of Manny Pacquiao’s retirement from boxing as his star fighter trains for his November 13 bout with Antonio Margarito.
Roach said he will not prevent Pacquiao from retirement should politics come to monopolize his interests.
"I would tell him to call it a day," Roach said upon arriving in Los Angeles after a four-week stint in the Philippines. "I believe that if that’s where his heart is [in politics], then that’s where it is. You know, if he beats Antonio Margarito, it would
be his eighth world title. And what more would he have to accomplish?"
In May, Pacquiao was elected lone congressman of the Sarangani province.
Since training camp began four weeks ago, Roach has voiced concerns about Manny’s extracurricular activities, some of which have conflicted with valuable training time.
Additionally, the looming fear is that Pacquiao’s interest has shifted from boxing to politics.
"He (Pacquiao) loves his job," Roach confirmed. "He said he misses his job as a congressman. His mind was on Congress for the first few weeks of training, and you could tell. It wasn't on being in the gym...He's so proud to be a politician, and he walks
the walk. He loves being a congressman and trying to improve his country. And I feel that eventually, yes, we will lose him to politics."
Given that this may be Pacquiao’s last campaign as a fighter, it has given Roach all the more reason for to get his fighter in top shape and showcase his talents.
The remaining weeks of training camp will play out at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Pacquiao is expected to spar with some of the top boxers in the world, including Vanes Martirosyan, Amir Khan, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
"The final three weeks will be two weeks of hard sparring at the Wild Card. Mostly what we have to work on is just focus. You know, Congress is gone for now. We don't have to deal with that right now because it's not here to deal with."
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