“Hatton gets hit easily and he’s got no defense,” Roach told the Bulletin Friday from the Wild Card Boxing Club, site of Pacquiao’s training camp for the May 2 battle with Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“Manny is way much better than Hatton. I just can’t see Manny losing the fight,” said Roach, who believes Pacquiao will get the job done in three rounds or less.
“I am more confident in saying that Manny will beat Hatton than when he fought (Oscar) De La Hoya,” said Roach, who presided over another heated eight-round sparring session involving Pacquiao against hot welterweight prospect Raymond Serrano of Philadelphia and rugged lightweight Urbano Antillon.
“Eight rounds of good and hard rounds and Manny just keeps on getting better and better and I am happy where he’s at right now,” said Roach.
Still, Roach wants to instill in Pacquiao’s mind that he cannot afford to relax against Hatton.
“Getting his back on the ropes would be the biggest mistake (that Manny will make),” said Roach, when reminded that in one of the workouts with Antillon, Pacquiao allowed his sparmate to pound away as though he was a punching bag.
“He’s getting bored that’s why he does that,” said Roach, noting however that Pacquiao will be on his guard next week with the arrival of Mike Alvarado, an unbeaten junior-welter from Denver, Colorado.
Alvarado holds a 25-0 record with 18 knockouts and is fighting underneath the Pacquiao-Hatton show.
Roach stressed that Pacquiao just cannot elect to stay stationary against Hatton, who thrives against fighters who stand still and trade at close range.
Under Roach’s plans, Pacquiao will go eight rounds on Saturday “then go nine rounds next and ten rounds before going 12 rounds (sometime in the third week of this month).”
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