Latest Roach interview:
Michael David Smith: You were extremely confident that Manny would beat Oscar De La Hoya. Are you equally confident of Manny's chances against Ricky Hatton?
Freddie Roach: Definitely. Manny will knock Ricky out, for sure. I'm very confident. I've studied Ricky Hatton's tapes. He has too many flaws for Manny Pacquiao. He's made for Manny Pacquiao.
How important is studying film and how much time have you spent looking for Ricky's flaws and developing a game plan for Manny?
I've watched Ricky Hatton nightly for the last two and a half months. I try to pick up everything I can and relay that back to my fighter, and get Manny ready to fight his fight. He's definitely ready.
Who's a tougher opponent for Manny, Hatton or De La Hoya?
I think Hatton will be a tougher fight. Going into the fight with Oscar I thought it would be tougher. It didn't work out that way but I look at it as, Manny had a great night.
What challenges does Hatton pose that Oscar doesn't?
I think Hatton is more physical, and when he puts you on the ropes he uses his shoulders and forearms, so we have to be careful, we can't go against the ropes too often.
Is 140 pounds a good weight for Manny?
It's his best weight, for sure. He's gotten used to 140 pounds. I've had him in with 140-pound sparring partners, and he's gone through seven sparring partners, the most we've ever had. Manny's a compassionate guy, he doesn't want to hurt people -- if he hurts a sparring partner he backs off, of course.
But he's very physical and strong at 140. I know (Hatton's trainer) Floyd Mayweather Sr. thinks he has the stronger fighter, but I don't think so.
You metioned that Manny is compassionate. He seems like such a nice guy out of the ring, but in the ring he has a killer instinct. How can a nice guy outside the ring turn it on like that?
He is very effective in the ring, he likes to exchange, he has that killer instinct, but at the same time, in the Oscar fight I thought he had him in the corner and backed off when I thought he should have finished him.
Sometimes he doesn't want to embarrass people. Sometimes I have to urge him not to go lightly with guys. Sometimes I have to scold him in the corner to finish somebody.
Another aspect of Manny's personality is his generosity with his friends and his family. He's currently living in a place in Los Angeles with nine buddies. Do you worry that his friends are a distraction from the task at hand?
I've always worried about that, but they know the fight is coming up. We have a curfew of 9 o'clock, and everyone's in bed by 9. I have my assistant, Michael Moorer, go check on that, so that curfew is enforced. It's not a bad situation. He has his Filipino crew and they like to be around each other, they enjoy each other's company, they play cards and things like that.
What do you think the future holds for Manny? Do you think we'll see him fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
I do. I tell everyone I'd love to see Manny fight two more fights and retire. Everybody says I'm crazy because he can make so much money, but I think he fights Mayweather and (Juan Manuel) Marquez and call it a day. What else does he have to prove? I'd like to see him retire, go into politics and maybe be president of the Philippines. But I would definitely like to see him fight Floyd and hopefully we can get that to happen.
Is Manny the type of guy who would retire on top?
I think he would. He really wants to get into politics because he wants to help his country. He's going to college now and educating himself to get ready for that position. If the right fights come, if the Mayweather fight comes and he gets that victory, what better way to retire? That would be great.
What do you think Manny's legacy in boxing will be? When we look back some day, how historically great will we say he was?
We'll look back on him as the greatest fighter of his era, of course. He brought big money to the smaller weight classes and he's the most exciting fighter in the world. That will be his label, that he's so fun to watch.

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