Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who handles WBo welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, does not view Terence Crawford as a big enough name to do a major pay-per-view event.
Pacquiao and Crawford, who are both promoted by Top Rank, appears to be a very viable fight. But for whatever reason the boxers appear to be heading in different directions for the moment.
Pacquiao is scheduled to defend his title against undefeated 2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn on July 1, at the Suncorp Stadium in Bribane. Crawford could be heading into a junior welterweight unification with Julius Indongo.
After Crawford's most recent win from three weeks ago, when he demolished Olympic gold medal winner Felix Diaz, he called for a fight with Pacquiao.
But Roach is not a big fan of the fight, and says the reason are strictly financial for his fighter.
Roach would much rather have him face three division world champion Mikey Garcia or former two division champion Danny Garcia.
“Who’s Terence Crawford?” said Roach to ABS-CBN News. “Popularity-wise, I think Mikey Garcia is the best option, because it will pit Mexican versus Filipino,” he added. But I like Danny Garcia the best.”
“(Danny) came all the way to my gym and they don’t like me. But he shook my hand and said, ‘I want Manny Pacquiao. I said okay, but they got to talk to Michael Koncz and Manny.”
According to Roach, he doesn't believe a black fighter being matched against a Filipino will do good business on pay-per-view. Other than Pacquiao's mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roach indicates that Pacquiao's numbers against black fighters on pay-per-view have not been impressive.
But Pacquiao did over a million buys for Shane Mosley, who at the time was viewed as a big underdog. And Pacquiao's numbers against Joshua Clottey, who was unknown, generated around 700,000 buys. However, Crawford is likely going to demand a guarantee than Mosley or Clottey received for facing Pacquiao, who would also want a really big guarantee to face Crawford - which leaves Top Rank in a tough spot where the pay-per-view would have to generate a high number to avoid taking a loss.
“Filipino against Mexican sells well, but Filipjno against black? It doesn’t sell well in America,” said Roach. “(Crawford) has audience, yes. In Nebraska, (where he comes from).”