Manny Pacquiao to retire if knocked out by Rios, says Roach

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Manny Pacquiao to retire if knocked out by Rios, says Roach

If Filipino boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao gets knocked out by hard-hitting slugger Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios when they fight in November, then his career is over.

Pacquiao's trainer, Hall-of-Famer Freddie Roach, said so himself in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.

"It's over, 100% (if Pacquiao is knocked out by Rios)," the respected trainer told Kevin Iole.

"We have a deal. When I tell him it's over, he'll say it's over, and that's it. He's pretty loyal with his words and if that happens, it will be the end," Roach explained.

Pacquiao, who was knocked out by Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez when they fought last December, is trying to get his career back on track against Rios, a former lightweight champion who has won 23 of his 33 fights by knockout.

The loss to Marquez was Pacquiao's second straight, having lost on points to unbeaten American Timothy Bradley in June 2012.

But Roach is confident that he doesn't have to give Pacquiao retirement advice anytime soon.

"The thing is, people look at the losses and they think the reason is that he's getting old," Roach said. "That's not the case, not from what I see."

"Look, we all thought he beat Bradley, so throw that out. And in that Marquez fight, I thought he was doing well and was looking like he was going to win by knockout when he made a mistake a ran into a shot," he added.

When asked if he has seen signs of decline from the former pound-for-pound king, Roach adamantly said: "None whatsoever."

"I'd tell you if I did," he added.

"The minute I think he doesn't have it, when I see that he's not the Manny Pacquiao of old, I'll tell him that's it," Roach said. "I don't think he’s at the point, and I think you'll see him look good in this one, but this is a very important fight for him."

Pacquiao faces Rios on November 24 in Macau.