Pacquiao has been tabbed as the favorite to retain his WBO welterweight belt against Algieri, but the American has been the picture of confidence during the lead-up to the bout.
Algieri's height and reach are his greatest physical advantages over Pacquiao, but Roach is expecting his fighter to neutralize these fairly easily and quickly.
"When you have a reach advantage? How hard is that to take away?" said the trainer, as quoted by Boxing Scene. "If you have a boxer like Manny, that's not so difficult."
"Just because he's taller doesn't make him better. We're faster, better. We're going to take him to school," he guaranteed.
Assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, who was in charge of the early weeks of Pacquiao's training camp, is similarly confident that his longtime friend will have no trouble against Algieri.
"Asahan niyo na uuwi tayo ng maaga," said Fernandez ahead of Team Pacquiao's flight to Macau.
"Wala naman kasi 'yung height. Hindi problema 'yung height," added Fernandez, echoing Roach's sentiments. "Kung ikaw mismo na fighter, kulang ka sa training mo, doon ka matakot. Pero kung pataasan lang ng height, hindi tayo dapat matakot."
"Walang problema 'yan kahit matangkad 'yung kalaba. Sa aking, lang tatamaan at tatamaan," he added.
Pacquiao's strength and conditioning trainer, Justine Fortune, said the "Pacman" was in fantastic shape already and the only concern now was maintaining that and not over-training.
"He's in a hundred percent shape. He's ready for the fight," said Fortune. "He's in great shape for the fight, because we'll have to chase (Algieri) all night."
Pacquiao's team is anticipating that Algieri will run from Pacquiao once he feels the Filipino boxer's power, and both Roach and Fortune have warned that if Algieri chooses to stand and trade instead, then he will kiss the canvas.
"Pacquiao will outscore him if he does run," said Roach. "But if he has any guts at all, and he wants to fight a little bit and go for the world title, I think we'll knock him out."
"If Algieri engages, he's knocked out, simple as that," said Fortune.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
