FREDDIE ROACH

Freddie Roach admits to feeling the creeps whenever he is reminded that Miguel Cotto is already deep in training while Manny Pacquiao is still taking it nice and easy.

Although the tried and tested eight-week training camp for the November 14 fight doesn’t start until the middle of this month, Roach remains worried since he is given the notion that those close to Pacquiao are not taking the fight seriously and the fact that the Puerto Rican has gone full blast in training.

“That’s why I’m concerned, he’s (Cotto) taking it seriously,” Roach told Steve Kim of mazboxing. “He’ll be in the best shape of his life, he’s a bigger, stronger guy. It’s the toughest fight of Manny’s life.”

Roach was hoping that Pacquiao would agree to train with him in Toluca, Mexico, but the fighter sent his long-time friend Buboy Fernandez, who also assists Roach in training, to Baguio over the weekend to make an inspection of the hotel that houses the gym that Pacquiao intends to use as his headquarters for five or six weeks.

Fernandez has reported to Pacquiao about what Baguio has to offer and they have made a decision that the City of Pines will be the place to train as soon as they arrive from the five-city press tour that kicks off this Thursday with a press conference at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz said they’ll make sure there’ll be no distractions along the way.

“We will be beefing up our security by tapping two police officers,” said Koncz.

Even the city government of Baguio is willing to extend assistance to guarantee that the training doesn’t miss even a single beat.

“We are being offered additional security if we like so it looks like Baguio is an ideal place to train,” added Koncz.

Team Pacquiao leaves for New York on Wednesday morning via Cathay Pacific. After stops in Puerto Rico, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, Pacquiao will immediately head back to the Philippines so he could begin camp.

Pacquiao should be back in Manila on September 17 or 18.