Roach: “I don’t think we’ll knock Cotto out".

The top trainer said on Thursday that he will be arriving in Manila on the “19th or the 20th” and will immediately meet up with his fighter to start serious work for preparations for the Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Cotto.
Roach, who had earlier expressed his disagreement with setting up camp in the Philippines owing to distractions, said he spoke with Pacquiao on Wednesday night and the renowned student assured his master there’ll be no hanky-panky whatsoever as soon as they kick off the four week camp in Baguio.

After four weeks in Baguio, Roach will bring Pacquiao back to the Wild Card for the final four weeks “so he gets rid of jet lag.”
Pacquiao has been advised to set up camp outside US territory owing to tax issues that, if taken for granted, will cost the Filipino pound-for-pound king millions in dollars.

Roach said he’ll bring in two of the four sparmates to Baguio as the 49-year-old Boston native brushed off suggestions made by Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz that former world champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico be taken in as well to help in the sparring.
“He’s a shot fighter, Castillo’s drunk,” blurted out Roach, who has been calling the shots in the corner over the last eight years.
Instead of Castillo, Roach will lean on Shawn Porter, Raymund Serrano, Urbano Antillon and old hand David Rodela.
Cotto, according to Roach, is not to be messed with owing to his advantage in size and strength.

“Cotto is strong and bigger, he is at his prime right now. He is a game guy and he likes to exchange so we have to be very careful, good puncher, great left hook to the body. I have been watching a lot of tapes of him and I am getting to know him a lot better everyday.”

Roach describes Cotto as “solid and does everything consistently.”
Still, Roach believes Pacquiao will prove to be far more superior than the 28-year-old from Caguas, Puerto Rico.

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