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Source: Abac Cordero, Philippine Star

HOLLYWOOD – Freddie Roach laughed hard at reports that Antonio Margarito is down to 150 pounds.

He laughed hard because he said or he thinks it’s not the right thing to do.

“To be on weight this early is f.....ing ridiculous,” Roach told Filipino scribes whom he allowed inside his miniature office at the Wild Card Gym.

Margarito is a lot bigger, a lot heavier than Manny Pacquiao, and would need a lot more time, a lot more effort to make the catchweight of 150 lb.

Pacquiao has no problem with the weight, and had in fact tried to add up a couple of pounds over the last few days just to come closer to the limit. He was at 147 1/2 two days ago.

Roach said Margarito making the weight with a week to the fight is not the wise thing to do.

“I mean Oscar (Dela Hoya) also did the same thing and its ridiculous. Like now he’s trying to maintain the weight,” he said of the 5-foot-11 Mexican, who arrived in Texas Sunday (Monday in Manila).

“They say you’re healthy when you make weight a week of the fight. Bull...All fighters are making weight on the day of the fight,” he said.

Roach said he wouldn’t mind if Margarito grows twice as big after the official weigh-in, saying the heavier the Mexican climbs the ring, the happier the celebrated trainer will be.

“Manny Pacquiao of course is underweight because we’re fighting in a weight division where we don’t really belong, but the thing is, we’re a special person that can excel at any weight,” he said.

Dela Hoya agreed to fight Pacquiao at 147 in December of 2008, but may have made the biggest mistake of his career when he made sure he’d make weight way ahead of the fight.

The result was a sensational stoppage for the Filipino fighter.

Roach was asked where and how he got the information that Margarito is down to within the limit.

“You know, I have my spies out there,” he said.

Notes: Sunday, a cold day here in LA, was the typical day away from the gym for Manny Pacquiao. He was out before 7 a.m. for a quick run at Pacific Park, then breakfast with his mother, Dionisia, at his La Palazzo apartment. He granted interviews for Filipino TV stations, and then, past noon he was out for a send-off party somewhere near. Late in the afternoon he proceeded to the Cascades Studios along Santa Monica Blvd. to rehearse the songs he’d play in the after-fight concert in Texas. With members of the MB band on hand, Pacquiao belted songs like “Everything I Do” by Bryan Adams, “To Love Somebody” by the Bee Gees and “Imagine” by the Beatles as a small crowd, including his wife, Jinkee, watched. The Cascades Studios is a perfect rehearsal place for artists in this side of town, with its 12 booths being rented out at $45 an hour. The lady manning the front desk was asked of any big names who’ve been around, and she said, “Manny Pacquiao.” Then how did Freddie Roach spend his day off? “Just relax perhaps,” said Pacquiao’s chief trainer, who said he also planned to catch the second episode of HBO’s 24/7 on the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, “60 Minutes” on CBS, which aired its Pacquiao segment Sunday, or the Ben Affleck movie “The Town” just because he heard it was all about guys (bank robbers) from Boston, where he hails. “Then I’m going to sleep,” he said.