Manny Pacquiao found out the hard way that Jeff Horn is no pushover when he lost in July. There were a lot of factors tied up to the upset, with most people believing the Filipino fighter took the Australian for granted.

Serving as a wakeup call, renowned trainer Freddie Roach is leaving no stones unturned. He will take a more active role in selecting the appropriate sparring partners for Pacquiao – bigger, stronger and younger.

Move over Koncz

Oddly, Mike Koncz wanted to be in charge of getting sparring partners for Pacquiao last time out. Roach explains how the adviser had his view of right fighters.

And as most know, that tactic hardly produced results.

Being a veteran trainer, Koncz may best leave the training part to Roach. The 57-year-old trainer has been around long enough to know who Pacquiao needs to spar with.

He, however, cautions that Pacquiao will need to be ready for the punishment that bigger and stronger fighters will bring. As he stressed via Boxingscene.com, this is what the Pac-Man has to deal with if he wants to be a world championship fighter.

Pain and gain

From the looks of it, Pacquiao will be in for a rough training camp. It could be a defining moment for the eight-time division champion who is no longer as young as he used to be.

While he believes he can still fight with the younger fighters, his quickness may not be at par.

While he did unload on Horn in the 9th round in the “Battle of Brisbane,” some fans saw him a step behind the younger Horn.

It could be a case of taking Horn for granted. Some critics single out how the Australian fought dirty though it comes with the sport. The sequel also carries big stakes, the result of which could dictate Pacquiao's future.

The boxer/ senator will be turning 39 one month after that fight, likely raising questions on retirement once more. Another loss to Horn could be the end of his career, seeing a third meeting makes no more sense.

Another win will probably set up a rubber match, likely affirming that the Pacquiao-Horn tiff was a money-making scheme from the beginning.

If that does happen, the third meeting may likely be Pac-Man’s last hurrah.

For Horn, nothing could be sweeter than stamping his class on the Filipino boxer once more. It lessens complications and likely sends Pacquiao into retirement. For now, Roach is not throwing in the towel. Until the final bell sounds, the Pacquiao camp will try to see if the Pac-Man’s run is truly nearing its end