As he readies Manny Pacquiao for his Nov. 13 fight with Antonio Margarito (on HBO pay-per-view), Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, is taking some time to talk to FOXSports.com about the preparation process from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
We started off asking Freddie about the how the fight came about and what he, as a trainer, has to do in the inital phases of training.
This is Part 1 of a four-part series leading up to the fight.
FOXSports.com: Let's start with the fight with Floyd Mayweather that never happened. Did you and Manny think a fight with Mayweather was going to get worked out?
Roach: I don't think it was ever going to work out.
FOXSports.com: How soon did Antonio Margarito's name come up after that?
Roach: Well, Bob (Arum, Pacquiao's promoter) made us the offer. It was the best offer out there for the fight. We took it right away.
FOXSports.com: What were your first thoughts when the fight with Margarito became a reality?
Roach: I thought it was a good fight, a fight that Manny asked for at one time. It's somebody he wanted to fight. As long as Margarito was licensed, we were set to go.
FOXSports.com: How involved are you when the fight is being negotiated?
Roach: Not at all. They give me an opponent, I get him ready for the opponent. That's not my job.
FOXSports.com: Once the fight is announced, take me through the first things you do as a trainer.
Roach: Well, we condition him first. Eight weeks out, we start with conditioning drills and core work. Six weeks out we start sparring. Our peak sparring will be this week: 10 rounds on Tuesday, 11 rounds on Thursday, 12 rounds on Saturday. Then we start tapering off the last week with less rounds. The last day of sparring will be on Monday. We'll box four rounds on the Monday before the fight and then we head to Dallas.
FOXSports.com: When did you start looking at films of Margarito?
Roach: The day the fight was signed.
FOXSports.com: How do you get Manny up to speed on what you see in the films?
Roach: Manny and I watch tapes separately and we bring what we find to the table in the ring. We work the strategy out together.
FOXSports.com: When Manny starts training, he's in the Philippines, right?
Roach: Yes, we spend the first six weeks in the Philippines.
FOXSports.com: Are there big differences training over there and over here?
Roach: Well, I'm more comfortable at the Wild Card. We know when we're at the Wild Card that the fight's getting close. Baguio (in the Philippines) serves its purpose, but the two final weeks we'll be here.
FOXSports.com: Obviously, Manny's a pretty busy guy in the Philippines. What's it like trying to get him focused?
Roach: Yeah, in the Philippines, it's a little bit different this time, because he's a Congressman. A lot of people, like the President, pull him this way, people who need him. There are a lot more distractions over there. That's why we come over here.
