Last hurrah for Manny? Roach not standing in Pacman's way

Some good things never last. This is the reason why Freddie Roach will not prevent Manny Pacquiao from leaving boxing if and when he decides to retire after his title fight with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Aware that politics has already gotten half of Pacquiao’s interest following his election as the lone representative in Congress of the province of Sarangani, Roach bared that he’ll counsel the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter to hang up his gloves if he's asked for his opinion on the matter. “I would tell him to call it a day," said Roach shortly upon arriving in Los Angeles over the weekend after spending the last four weeks helping Pacquiao get in shape at his high-altitude training camp in Baguio City. “I believe that if that’s where his heart is, then that’s where it is," stressed Roach, 50. “You know, if he beats Antonio Margarito, it would be his eighth world title. And what more would he have to accomplish?." Roach just expounded on his earlier remarks made in an interview by BBC World News that retirement may soon beckon the Filipino boxing icon. And it’s no secret that politics is behind it. “Well, he (Pacquiao) loves his job. He said he misses his job as a congressman. His mind was on Congress for the first few weeks of training, and you could tell. It wasn't on being in the gym," he added. “He's so proud to be a politician, and he walks the walk. He loves being a congressman and trying to improve his country. And I feel that eventually, yes, we will lose him to politics." And that’s exactly the reason why Roach wants Pacquiao to focus while in training, since this fight with the lumbering Mexican may be the last in his illustrious and colorful career that spans 15 years. “His focus is the key," stressed Roach. The remaining two weeks of training in the old confines of the Wild Card gym will be crucial, according to the famed trainer, to get Pacquiao in the best shape against the biggest opponent he’ll ever face in his career. “The final three weeks will be two weeks of hard sparring at the Wild Card. Mostly what we have to work on is just focus. You know, Congress is gone for now. We don't have to deal with that right now because it's not here to deal with right now," he said. But having known Pacquiao since he first entered the popular gym on Vine St. in Hollywood as an unknown fighter with rich potential, Roach believes they’ll still be able to overcome this latest – and perhaps final – adversity staring at them. “I think that we will knock Margarito out along the way. I think that Margarito’s defense is terrible. He’s slow. I know that Margarito is supposed to be in great shape for this fight, but that's what he's supposed to be. It's a world title fight, so that's what I expect," Roach said. “Margarito should be in the best shape of his life. But Pacquiao's going to be too fast, and Margarito's defense is going to be too poor, and we will dominate him." - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV