Pacman wants Rios out in two rounds

MACAU – Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao aren’t on the same page on how they see Sunday’s fight against Brandon Rios would end.

A few days ago, Roach said Rios won’t last six rounds. But he has changed his mind. Yesterday, he said the upcoming Mexican-American can’t stand four rounds.

Roach is highly satisfied with what he’d seen the past few days inside the gym. Now that the fight is three days away, the celebrated trainer feels it’s time to get things done.

“I don’t think the fight will go more than six rounds. That’s my initial prediction. But after last Monday’s workout, when he (Pacquiao) punches like that we might be going four,” he said.

Roach said he’s not impressed with Rios. He never was and never will be.

“I’m not a big fan of Brandon Rios. I don’t think he’s a good fighter. I think he’s a tough guy and I don’t think tough guys win fights. Good boxers win fights

“The more I watch him on tapes, the worse he gets. He doesn’t do anything spectacular. He’s not special. He’s just a tough guy. He’s just in front of you. He swings back but he’s too slow for Manny in my opinion,” Roach added.

Pacquiao hardly makes his predictions known. He’d rather keep it to himself and share them with only those closest to him.

Roach said in a recent conversation with Pacquiao, the Filipino welterweight who hits as hard as a heavyweight, let his intentions known.

“When I said like, ‘You knock him out in six,’ and he looked at me and said, ‘Six?’ And he goes like that,” said Roach, motioning with his two fingers.

That’s what Pacquiao did. He raised two fingers.

Roach took it as Pacquiao saying he wants Rios out in two rounds, the same manner by which he knocked Ricky Hatton out in May 2009.

“And Manny Pacquiao has never done that to me in my life. He wouldn’t say in public but he did give me two and he told me Freddie we have to take care of this guy quickly,” he said.

There’s one more thing that gave Roach the assurance that Pacquiao is going for his first knockout win since he stopped Miguel Cotto in 2009

“The most motivating thing for me when he told me, ‘Freddie are these the guys who made fun of you on TV?’ And I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Okay,’ and then he walked away. That’s all he needs to know,” Roach said.

It was for the Antonio Margarito fight three years ago when Rios, a sparring partner for Margarito, was caught on video mimicking Roach, who has Parkinson’s.

Roach, of course, didn’t like it. The Margarito camp denied making fun of Roach, and said they didn’t know Roach had it.

Nobody forgets.