Freddie Roach wants Mayweather-Pacquiao next

By Michael Woods Trainer Freddie Roach told NYFightBlog that he expects to see Manny Pacquiao today, that he will ask Manny who he wants to fight next, and that he strongly suspects his fighter will say he wants Floyd Mayweather. Roach, in a Wednesday phoner, told us that he is as eager as most fight fans are to see Pacquiao -- who is coming off a controversial victory against Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday -- fight Mayweather. "The Mayweather fight is the one the whole world wants to see, everywhere I go fans tell me that," said Roach, who is cornering Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday for his scrap in Texas with Peter Manfredo, a bout that will run on HBO. "For me, Mayweather is the number one choice to fight next. I'm trying to get hold of Manny, to get his feelings on it. If the choice is $30 million to fight Marquez or Mayweather for $100 million in the biggest fight of all time, I'm sure he'd go for Mayweather. But I haven't had the chance to talk to him." There has been talk that Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum is aiming for a fourth Marquez fight before he's inclined to possibly get bogged down in another protracted negotiation session with Team Mayweather. The Mayweather crew has indicated they want to take on Pacquiao, and have targeted a May 5 date for this boxing Super Bowl. But the two sides have flirted off and on for so long, cynics wonder if they can ever find common ground. Roach is optimistic it can get done. Roach told me that he is confident that Arum, who he said is superior at what he does, will deliver the fight that Pacquiao desires. "And I think that's the Mayweather fight," Roach said. "I will see Manny today. He's in the U.S. and leaves for the Philippines tonight." I understand that the fans don't always get the fights they want, and that there are often good behind-the-scenes reasons for that, reasons fans and even nosy media are not aware of. I accept that. But sometimes the powers that be need to listen to the majority, listen to the customers, and move heaven and earth to make the fight the customers desire. If that means swallowing some pride, or leaving some money on the table, or doing business with people you find loathsome, so be it. Let's get it done, people with the power. Floyd says he wants it. It's looking like Manny wants it. Make it happen, and end this excruciating period of fruitless flirtation and posturing. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/boxing/post/_/id/503/freddie-roach-wants-mayweather-pacquiao-next-thinks-manny-does-too

Comments (20)

too bad duckqiao has no heart ...too bad he's a one dimensional bum who made his career by beating on weight drained damaged goods from top rank :lol1: bob arum be protecting humble coward congressman ass all day long :rofl: A picture in the avatar of mma fighter i suppose?(i dont give a fukk anyways), a bad (non funny) photoshop picture in the signature?....real boxing knowledge in the comments?.....gotcha.......... anyways, i hope this fight get made real soon, because is begining to lose his flavor, after the controversial weekend, and the excessive bs (in both camps) surrounding the fight, it needs to happen now.........

14y ago

BoZz

Roach: Arum Decides Who's Next For Pacquiao seriously those people are such a mess ducking and lying since the beginning of the negotiation ...only retards like pactards believe them their bull**** :lol1:

14y ago

BoZz

14y ago

brently1979

If Pac want's this fight he should demand it. Tell Arum it's Floyd or nothing, that's if he really wants the fight.

14y ago

4Corners

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Pac fights Marquez and Bradley in 2012, and Floyd fights Martinez/Alvarez and Khan. The federal judge that mediates negotiations with Floyd and Pac already confirmed the reports of Top Rank and Pac not pursuing a Mayweather fight, in favor of a 4th JMM fight. Why would he be lying???

14y ago

MrRolltide91

Roach: Arum Decides Who's Next For Pacquiao

14y ago

edgarg

I have faith that Manny will come to his senses. true I want to see another Marquez v Pacquiao fight.. but I agree that if he losses to Marquez it jeopardizes everything. Win or lose he can always fight Marquez next. I'm a big Marquez fan, but I'm also a Pac fan.. and we've all been wanting to see this fight for so long. It will happen. It HAS to! He won't lose to Marquez. For one thing, if Marquez "has his number" he also has Marquez' number. Another thing, he won't allow himself to be stepped on as he was in the last fight, which was when marquez had him immobilised and threw his most effective punches. I look to Pacquiao to beat Marquez pretty well in the next and last fight. he can always fight Mayweather because regardless of the result of the Marquez fight, styles make fights, and the Mayweather fight would make a ton of money, which Mayweather would love, and MannyP also as he needs lots both for the hospitals and schools he endows in his home country, but also to pay for his later planned election campaign expenses. If he beats Marquez, the situation won't be any different than it has been for the past 3 years with Mayweather reluctant to try his chances, and if he loses to Marquez, this will make Mayweather all the more keen on the fight. So, "them's my reasons" for my opinion.

14y ago

check_hook

Roach wants it. Pac wants it. Well, kinda. Arum doesn't want it. Pac is fighting Marquez again next. This goes to show you who's leading everything and it isn't Manny. Fuck you, Arum. Go fuck a goat or something. Sorry Bryan Cranston, you are wrong here. If it doesn't happen it's because Manny doesn't want it, and will agree with Bob's counsel.:nonono:

14y ago

SkillspayBills

The only way the fight happens is if Pac TELLS Arum to make the fight. Arum would rather make Mark 4-7 before a May bout.

14y ago

Reloaded

Freddie is saying IF Manny wants Floyd it will be on , Freddie is saying Arum will give Manny what he wants ,,,,,,,,,,,, There you have it boys if Manny does not fight Floyd it is Manny that doesnt want the fight !!

14y ago

dc3383

Whats funny is if Manny said no I'm not fighting Marquez what is Bob gone do; its like Manny released all his power to Bob like he has comprimising pics of him.

14y ago

RSBonos

You get the impression over the years since Pac made it big that he ignores Roach outside of their training camps. Roach pretty much admitted in the past that they don't talk at all in between fights, that's why i've found it so funny that people listen to Roach when it comes to picking opponents. It's all Top Rank and Pac's camp choice.

14y ago

Shogunofharlem1

this fight floyd and then fight jmm>>>>>fight jmm and then fight floydExactly. After the floyd fight(if he wins) hes fights Marquez one last time before retirement. They could even advertise it as "one last loose end to tie up"

14y ago

sweetpea87

Then in the famous words of the great Mills Lane........Lets get it on!!!!

14y ago

Sin_City

14y ago

MrRolltide91

the floyd fight is the most sensible for manny to take. if he gets another controversial win over marquez or if by unfortunate chance he loses to marquez in another rematch, he can kiss the megabuck fight with floyd goodbye. this fight floyd and then fight jmm>>>>>fight jmm and then fight floyd

14y ago

crookshanks

thought roach said pac needs a tuneup first before the pbf fight.

14y ago

arraamis

true pac should fight mayweather next and then go for the 4th marquez fight right after. That is the best sequence Fight Floyd and if\when he loses .... Fight JMM and hopefully win .... Then rematch Floyd. Crazy Paid in three fights. 100 million 50 million 130 million

14y ago

x3_bazooka_x3

Freddies not stupid, he knows the risk involved with a fourth Marquez fight, Pas popularity took a massive hit saturday night, and they do not want to risk any more negotiating power they may have left, I have a feeling Floyds going to be in the drivers seat here, he will get more money, larger share of the PPV revenue and likely beat Pacquiaos ass, likely stop Manny.

14y ago

Jedi_Vader

Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight isn't dead yet Maybe all is not lost afterall. The highly anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may not be dead just yet. Though Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, whose company has already reserved May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to host the bout, is concerned that Pacquiao’s team is not interested, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said he’s simply not ready to talk now. Arum did not rule out conversations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, but said he is not prepared to talk to Schaefer about it at the moment because he has a full schedule. Arum is promoting a WBC middleweight title fight in Houston between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Peter Manfredo Jr. on Saturday, then has a media day for Miguel Cotto in Florida, the Thanksgiving holiday, and then the Cotto-Margarito pay-per-view in New York on Dec. 3. “Our position is simple and that is that right now, we’re not ready to talk,” Arum said Tuesday. “I’m in Los Angeles now, but I’m flying to New York in a couple of hours. I have a big fight to promote on Dec. 3.” “Manny is on his way back to the Philippines today. In a few weeks, whether it’s a Marquez rematch, a Mayweather fight, a fight with Timothy Bradley, or whatever, we’ll sit down with the appropriate parties and talk. But we’re not ready to talk about it now.” Schaefer said he would like Arum to meet with him in Los Angeles later this week with retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, an arbiter who has mediated several disputes between the companies. Schaefer said he believes Arum is not interested in making the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, and so he said he is ready to move on and find an opponent who is willing to fight Mayweather. There are indications that Mayweather’s team has reached out to middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, though that could not be confirmed. “I left Bob a message two months ago and he never called me back,” Schaefer said. “I read comments from Bob in the Los Angeles Times this morning saying that Manny wants a rematch with Marquez. What am I going to do, sit around and wait to see what they do? Hell no. I am going to get the biggest fight done for Floyd that I can. We wanted to make the Pacquiao fight, but if Bob doesn’t want to do it, or Manny is saying that he wants to fight Marquez, what can we do? “Floyd wants the fight. He gave his team the go-ahead to reach out to me to get it done and we are ready, willing and able to talk. But in order to reach a deal, the other side has to want to come to the table.” Arum, who said on Saturday he planned to pursue a rematch with Marquez, said he’s open to whatever the best deal is and said he’d need to speak to Pacquiao. “There’s no rush,” he said. “There is still a lot of time. Manny just had a fight and went through a very hard training camp. He’s going home now. We need to give him a little time, and we have a lot of things to do ourselves. I’m not ruling out anything. No decisions have been made. But we’re just not ready to talk. Schaefer can talk to me, and I’m happy to talk to him, but we’re not going to talk in a negotiating stance just yet because of everything going on.” http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16112011/58/mayweather-pacquiao-bout-dead.html

14y ago