Freddie Roach believes Manny Pacquiao's speed will be the key factor in Saturday's massive showdown with Ricky Hatton.
Trainer tired of verbal sparring with rival Mayweather Snr
Freddie Roach has told
Sky Sports News that Manny Pacquiao will be too fast for Ricky Hatton when the pair meet in the ring on Saturday night.
Having put Pac Man through his final paces on Monday, the trainer is confident his man will stop the British boxer late on at the MGM Grand.
The Hitman is well known for being a pressure fighter and the defending IBO light-welterweight champion's team have talked of targeting his opponent's body.
However, Roach is confident Pacquaio's speed will counter Hatton's best laid plans and lead to a finish in favour of the Filipino star before the final bell.
Good strategy
"Ricky's main thing will be a left hook to the body, he'll try and put Manny on the ropes and use the left to the body," he said.
"It's a very good strategy and I would use a similar one. But I feel my guy is going to be too fast for him - Ricky's going to have trouble finding him.
"For this fight I've made Manny more of a counter puncher. Ricky's aggressiveness is going to get him into trouble.
"I think this fight will go a little way but I do believe Manny will knock him out before the end. I know Ricky's a resilient, tough guy, so we're going to go some rounds."
Roach said Pacquiao's performances in sparring "were so good it was almost scary", insisting his fighter has never been better prepared.
"I came up with a game plan for the fight and Manny's just really got it down," he told
Sky Sports. "He's looking really good.
"We sparred for the last time on Monday and he looked so good it was almost scary. He's really ready for the fight - I've never seen him more prepared.
"He's done 154 rounds of sparring. Monday's always our last day of sparring, then we have five days off."
While the fighters have kept relatively quiet in the build-up the two rival trainers have verbally sparred with each other, though Roach admits he has grown weary of battling with opposite number Floyd Mayweather Snr.
Respectful
"This is the Pacquiao-Hatton show, not the Floyd or Freddie Roach show," he added. "It's about the fighters. I just believe I have the better fighter.
"I think Ricky is a great guy and I wish him well. He's always respectful and I have nothing bad to say about him."
Hatton is used to Mayweather's antics but feels Roach's sudden desire to speak out is perhaps a sign that the Pacquaio camp are over-confident.
"Floyd's like that seven days a week, twice on Sunday," Hatton said.
"Freddie Roach, generally, is a nice guy who doesn't have too much to say and I think this is the most vocal I've ever heard him.
"So maybe they're a little bit over-confident. I don't know, but when someone starts acting a little bit differently from what they normally do...as I say, Freddie's a nice, quiet man.
"Freddie normally doesn't say anything while you can't shut Floyd up."
