Roach wants to silence Pacquiao’s critics

By Dennis Principe Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 02:25:00 06/29/2009 Filed Under: Boxing MANILA, Philippines - In pushing for a showdown with Miguel Cotto, American trainer Freddie Roach apparently wants to silence critics of the one-sided win scored by Manny Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya. Interviewed by the Inquirer, Roach said he wants his prized ward to battle a legitimate world welterweight champion who is at his prime and is not past the age of 30. “When we fought Oscar before the fight they said he’s going to kill Manny and then afterwards they say he was old. So after we beat Cotto what are they going to say?” said Roach during an overseas telephone interview from his Wild Card Gym. “So we’re going to beat another champion at that weight and that will be another achievement for Manny Pacquiao, another world title for the pound for pound king.” The age factor is probably one of the reasons why Roach is seemingly disinterested in getting another world welterweight champion Shane Mosley as Pacquiao’s next opponent. Mosley, 37, holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight crown in knocking out Cotto’s lone conqueror Antonio Margarito in the ninth round last January at the Staples Center. The 28-year-old Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), who holds a 12-round decision win over Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), is the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) title holder. Cotto recently defended his crown with a close decision win over tough Ghanaian Joshua Clottey in New York. “When we fought Oscar at 147 he was not the world champion. Cotto’s a world champion at 147 so he will definitely be our toughest fight to date,” said Roach “Shane lost to Cotto so who’s the better fighter? Style-wise Shane’s a little bit faster than Cotto. But either guy is fine.”