By Carlos Boogs
According to Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. eventually succumbed to the extreme pressure from the fans - who were demanding that he fight WBO champion Manny Pacquiao (who Roach trains) on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Before the two fighters finally reached a deal in February, there were rumors of Mayweather potentially facing Miguel Cotto or Amir Khan. In the past, Mayweather selected opponents and at best there was minor backlash from the fans. Not this time. Thousands of fans took to the social networks and shot down any rumored opponent who wasn't named Pacquiao.
"He fought a couple of southpaws in his last [few] fights because I think he was knowing that he had to fight Manny Pacquiao, because I think he got embarrassed into taking this fight. The fans were finally getting on him....like he was at a basketball game and [the crowd was] chanting 'Manny, Manny, Manny,'" Roach explained.
"Then he went to Miami to see Manny at a basketball game. I thought that was one of the keys to make the fight happen. When they got together like that I said to myself 'it's getting closer, it's getting closer.' And when I saw them announce it on TV, I was the happiest person in the world. I love challenges. This is the biggest challenge of my life. I can't wait to win this fight."
