By Lem Satterfield
Five-time Trainer of the Year, Freddie Roach, set the record straight with BoxingScene.com concerning whether or not eight-division king and WBO welterweight titlist, Manny Pacquiao, would ever face WBA junior welterweight champion, Amir Khan.
Roach recently worked his seventh straight bout in the corner of Khan (25-1, 17 knockouts), who vanquished Irish boxer, Paul McCloskey (22-1, 12 KOs) when Saturday sixth-round, unanimous technical decision went to the score cards due to McCloskey's cut that was caused by an accidental clash of heads.
Khan was without recently fired strength trainer, Alex Ariza, against McCloskey, a factor that Roach said did not truly affect Khan's overall performance. Roach is presently preparing Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) for the May 7 defense of his WBO belt against Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs).
BoxingScene.com: But if it did happen, you have gone on record as saying that you would not choose to work Amir Khan's corner over Manny Pacquiao's corner, correct?
FR: Yes.
BoxingScene.com: Was the absence of Alex Ariza noticeable as Amir Khan's former strength trainer in what was Khan's first fight without Ariza against McCloskey?
FR: I'm sure that he missed Alex a little bit because having a new guy is always an adjustment. You have to get used to him and it's never really smooth at first, of course. Amir and Alex had a good rapport, so I'm sure that it was apparent a little bit in that fight. But overall it didn't have a huge effect on the fight at all. So, no.
BoxingScene.com: Was there any difference in Amir Khan's punching power?
FR: No, we fought an awkward southpaw, and every time that Paul McCloskey threw a punch, Amir hit him. So he stopped throwing punches and made it a little bit more of a non-action fight. So it was a little bit more of a boring fight. The guy just had a really awkward style and he didn't really want to exchange too much.
But Amir did what he was supposed to do. I wish that they didn't stop the fight because of the cut, however, because I really feel Amir was about to knock him out. I felt like Amir had hurt him a couple of times in that round. In fact, I'm sure that Amir hurt him a couple of times in that round. But that's the way that it goes.
BoxingScene.com: So you're happy with Amir Khan's overall performance?
FR: I'm happy with it, considering the way that Paul McCloskey fought us. So, yes.
BoxingScene.com: Who would you like to see Amir Khan fight next?
FR: Well, obviously, I want to see him clean up the 140-pound division. So, you know, the next guy out there is Tim Bradley. So, I hope that he's next.