by Pawel Pronishev
Earlier this year, trainer Freddie Roach spoke to reporters from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California. The interview took place prior to Manny Pacquiao's May bout with Shane Mosley. During the interview, Roach was approached about the possibility of Pacquiao fighting Amir Khan in the future. Pacquiao and Khan are Roach's two top students.
During that period of time, Roach disclosed that someone in Pacquiao's camp made a request for Manny not to spar with Khan. The two boxers did train alongside each other, and they shared sparring partners, but as requested they did not spar with each other.
"I think so [I could see it happening]. I wouldn't want that to happen, but Pacquiao is running out of opponents and Pacquiao and Amir would sell. Someone from [Pacquiao's camp'] asked me not to let them spar for this camp," Roach said.
During that camp, when Roach was questioned on why Pacquaio and Khan were kept apart, he replied - "there won’t be any sparring with Amir. He's going home when Manny starts sparring, so the schedule doesn't work out."
The two boxers are once again likely to train side by side, with Pacquiao fighting Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12, and Khan facing Lamont Peterson on December 10. During a recent interview, Roach said there are no plans for the two of them to spar each other.
The question remains on whether there will be an actual fight between the two of them in the future. They both claim to have a very close friendship and refuse to discuss a possible fight. Roach has already stated, that if a fight came about, he would work Pacquiao's corner.
"I wouldn't want to see that fight happen, but If that fight ever happened I would be in Manny's corner. Manny is my guy," Roach said.
It really depends on Khan's ability to secure a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. If Khan is able to beat Pacquiao in the race to Mayweather, and actually pulls off the upset, then a lot of pressure will mount for a Pacquiao-Khan showdown.