Roach: I Have a Secret Weapon, Floyd Disrespected Him

By Edward Chaykovsky

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach is claiming to have an ace up his sleeve as the days count down for the mega-match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Roach is training Pacquiao very hard the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. The fight is scheduled to take place on May 2nd from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Roach has put together what he feels is a strong team of sparring partners to mimic the fighting style of Mayweather - including a secret weapon. Roach won't reveal the name but claims the boxer was once a part of Mayweather's training camps and left on bad terms. He is such a secret that Roach has the guy staying at his house to avoid pre-fight detection by reporters.

"I got the guys that I wanted. We selected good young fighters, undefeated fighters. We got one kid from Finland, he’s 24-1. We got one kid from Chicago, he’s 8-0. We had one kid from Boston but he didn’t work out, he can’t make it so we guy a guy from St. Louis," Roach told On The Ropes Boxing Radio. "I brought some great young kids to box, I’ve got too many actually. I got six really good guys that all look like Mayweather."

"And I have one that I’m gonna use in the last two weeks is one that used to work at Mayweather’s gym and was part of Mayweather’s camp. He does the style really well, he’s my secret weapon right now, he’s my secret weapon right now. He’s staying at my house, we talk about strategy all night long, we watch film all night long and he said that Mayweather had disrespected him and they kind of just threw him aside, so I took him on."