Pacquiao makakaiskor ng KO kontra kay Horn -- Roach

MANILA, Philippines - Naniniwala si chief trainer Freddie Roach na ito na ang panahon para muling makapagposte ng isang knockout victory si Filipino world eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

At ito ay laban kay Australian challenger Jeff Horn sa Hulyo 2 sa Suncorp Stadium sa Brisbane, Australia.

“Manny hasn’t scored a knockout in a long time, and it’s time that changed,” sabi ni Roach kay Pacquiao.

Huling nagtala ng KO win si Pacquiao noong Nobyembre ng 2009 nang pasukuin si Miguel Cotto sa 12th round para agawin sa Puerto Rican ang suot nitong World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.

Idedepensa ng 30-anyos na si Pacquiao ang kanyang WBO belt laban sa 29-anyos na si Horn.

Sinabi ni Roach na hindi minamaliit ni Pacquiao ang kakayahan ni Horn, isang dating school teacher.

“He is working his ass off for this fight and we will be keeping the world title,” sabi ni Roach. “Manny doesn’t underestimate anyone. He knows upsets can happen in boxing and that Horn is a good pun-cher but we are prepared for anything.”

Samantala, para pag-handaan si Pacquiao ay plano ng kampo ni Horn na kunin sina Ukrainian sensation Vasyl Loma-chenko at American welterweight prospect Errol Spence Jr. bilang mga sparmates.

“I would dearly love to get Lomachenko to work with Jeff because like Pacquiao he is so fast and razor sharp,” sabi ni trainer Glkenn Rushton sa panayam ng Fox Sports tungkol sa Ukranian WBO super featherweight king.

Gusto ni Rushton na makakuha ng sparring partner ni Horn na makakagaya sa kilos at lakas ng Filipino world eight-division champion na si Pacquiao.

At sina Lomachenko at Spence ang mga halimbawa nito.

“Pacquiao boxes with an intensity unlike most fighters but Loma-chenko is a ring genius,” wika ni Rushton.

“I want guys who are lighter than Jeff (67kg) as sparring partners so they can simulate the same sort of speed and movement that has made Pacquiao such a star,” dagdag pa nito.

Mas gusto ni Rushton na kunin si Loma-chenko.

“Lomachenko would be much more suitable to prepare for Pacquiao than Errol Spence who is more of a power pun-cher,” ani Rushton.