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Pacquiao vs Marquez IV: Freddie Roach on the 'lucky punch' knockout, his losing streak, and Manny's future

Freddie Roach said after last night's fight that the stunning KO punch wasn't lucky, that he's tired of losing, and that he thinks Manny Pacquiao will be back strong in 2013.

Freddie Roach

"I thought Manny was fighting a good fight. We ran into one. No excuses. Marquez won the fight."

(Did you feel like it was going your way?)
"That was our strategy. It was working very well. I thought we were in control of the fight. I thought we almost had him out. Get a little careless, and walked into a two-inch punch."

(Was it a shock?)
"He never saw it coming. If you watch the replay, it's about a two-inch. Manny got caught swinging a little bit wild. We got caught. It was a great knockout."

Pacquiao vs Marquez: Recap / Highlight Video / KO GIF

(Is Manny getting older and not taking punches as well, or is Marquez punching harder?)
"I think he's punching harder. His body's very well-developed. The first knockdown was a big overhand right that caught Manny. It didn't hurt him real bad, but it was a pretty good shot. He's very strong, very physical in there. A lot more than he was before. I think his punching was improved, yes."

(Were you concerned in the corner after the first knockdown? Was Manny?)
"He wasn't really affected by that one too much. He was fully recovered by the time he got back to the corner. His wits were there. Going out for the fourth round, he had no problems whatsoever."

(What would you advise Manny right now?)

"That's a tough question, what to advise Manny right now. Let this settle down a little bit, absorb it. The possible retirement, possible rematch; I'm not sure which way we're going to go right now. It depends on how he feels and what he wants to do. If we do fight again, and we get back in the gym, I see good signs, we'll go on, I see bad signs, we won't."

(Terribly stupid question about "Martinez" and his power)
"I never said that. I said he doesn't look natural. That was all I said."

(What did you see that would make you think of retirement?)
"I said we'll see, because there's a lot to swallow. I said if he's back in the gym and I see signs of him declining, I'll tell him to retire. If I don't see that, I won't tell him to retire. I'd love to get a rematch. But is that the best move right away? Should we try him out in a softer fight first? There's a lot of different things we have to think about. It's very complicated and it's not going to be overnight."

(Did you see any signs of decline?)
"No, I thought he was fighting a great fight. I thought he was fighting a very smart fight against a very strong opponent. I don't believe in luck, but he walked into one. That happens."

(Do you think Marquez was setting up for the counter right?)
"That's his best punch against Manny Pacquiao. He did suck him into it a few times in the fight. He definitely did that time. It was a good set-up. It was by design. It wasn't a lucky punch. He set us up well. I was a little surprised he could pull that off, seeing how hurt he was, but he did."

(Would you be surprised by Marquez failing a drug test?)
"I'm not going to accuse anyone. He won the fight. He looked -- you know. I don't know anything about drugs, so I don't know."

(If Marquez fights Tim Bradley, how would you break that down?)
"It's a very good fight. Bradley's a very good boxer. Obviously Marquez has turned into a better puncher. It's a great match."

(Emotionally, how is it for you to take this loss?)
"Sucks. I mean, I hate to lose. We've been on a little bit of a bad run lately. A tough run. But ... I hate to lose. If we do get a rematch or another fight and I get Manny back in the gym and he's 100% focused and does like he did for this fight, we'll go on."

(Is this the end for Manny Pacquiao?)
"I don't think so. I don't think this is the end for Manny Pacquiao, no. I was just talking to him before he went to the hospital. He's fine. He knows he walked into a punch. He made a mistake, and he got careless, and that happens in boxing. It's not the first time we've been knocked out, and it's not the first time we've come back from a loss. It will be a lot of hard work, but I'm sure if everything goes well, he'll be fine."

(Were you expecting Marquez's body attack?)
"I think we expected pretty much what he brought. I didn't think he'd be as heavy-handed as he was, but his right hand hurt Manny a lot more this time than it did in past fights."

(Was Manny too aggressive?)
"Things started going our way, and he got a little bit aggressive. He wasn't using his feints and pulling him in at the right time. He just walked right into one. It was a concern. If I'd gotten him back to the corner, I was going to tell him to get back to boxing and sharpshooting the guy. I thought the fight was about over. I didn't think it was going to last that much longer on our side."

Pacquiao vs Marquez CommentaryOli Goldstein / Eddie Gonzalez / Scott Christ

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