Sports

Roach’s plan: Pacquiao ‘W’ and a Hall induction

LAS VEGAS — Freddie Roach usually doesn’t mince words, and he didn’t this week when he talked about tomorrow night’s WBO welterweight championship fight where Manny Pacquiao will defend his title against Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand (HBO PPV, $54.95).

“I have no fear for this fight,” Roach told The Post. “Manny Pacquiao is in great shape. I think he’s going to look great. He won’t lose a round.”

Roach’s confidence comes from the way Pacquiao has looked during training camp and his long relationship with the Filipino fighter. It began with Pacquiao walking into his Los Angeles-based Wild Card gym in 2001. Since then, Pacquiao has won world titles in six different weight divisions, while Roach will achieve the highest honor in the sport Sunday when he is inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.

Roach will work Pacquiao’s corner tomorrow night and then board a private plane he has chartered for $26,000. It will leave between midnight and 2:30 a.m. to Syracuse, from where Roach will drive to Canastota. Hitching a ride will be ring announcer Michael Buffer, who also is being inducted in a 2012 class that includes: Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, broadcaster Al Bernstein and boxing writer Michael Katz.

“I’m really cheap,” Roach said about having to spend $26,000 to rent a private plane. “But it’s a once in a lifetime deal. It hasn’t sunk in because of everything that’s going on. But it’s going to be great.”

Roach is the most successful trainer in boxing with a client list that, along with Pacquiao, includes middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and former junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. After Sunday’s induction, Roach will connect on Monday with Chavez, who defends his middleweight title against Andy Lee June 16 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Right now, Roach’s focus is on Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs), who takes on a hungry and determined Bradley (28-0, 12). Pacquiao’s rededication to his faith and elimination of devices such as gambling, drinking and carousing has been a constant theme in the build-up to the fight. Roach said all of the changes have been for the better, especially one change that hasn’t been mentioned.

“The biggest thing for him to give up was basketball,” Roach said. “It’s his favorite sport. He loves to play basketball. I asked him why he gave up basketball and he said, ‘I thought maybe I was doing too much. I was running real hard in the morning. I’d train real hard in the gym and then I’d play basketball for three or four hours at night, and maybe I was doing too much. Maybe that’s why I was getting the leg cramps.’ ”

Leg cramps have plagued Pacquiao in his last few fights, including his fight last November against Juan Manuel Marquez, where he escaped with a majority decision.

It was later revealed Pacquiao was dealing with personal and marital problems the week of the bout.

“His head wasn’t in it,” Roach said. “We had a good training camp. It was one of our best. But the last week everything crumbled.”

Roach insists his born-again fighter is focused for Bradley.

“I think we’re going to knock this guy out,” he said. “I think he’s going to be tough and everything and he’s going to keep coming and coming and coming. Manny loves when they come to him like that. But Manny also thinks he’s going to run. If he runs it’s going to take a while to catch up to him. But I do think we’ll knock him out along the way.”

That would make the trip to Canastota all the more enjoyable.

george.willis@nypost.com