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[EXCLUSIVE] Freddie Roach: "Manny has got to Fight Mayweather!"
Roach exclusive: Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather most important fight for 30 years and must happen
By Gareth A Davies
Boxing and MMA
January 23rd, 2010
Freddie Roach has spoken to Telegraph Sport in depth about his exasperation in dealings behind the scenes in getting the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to come to fruition. Roach told me: “The bottom line is that we don’t really need him, Manny could have two more fights, in between go to the election in the Philippines, make another 20 million US dollars, and retire. We really don’t need Mayweather. There are easier fights out there for Manny.”
But in reality, Roach, and Pacquiao, insisted to me that they want this fight because the Filipino wants the ultimate test, which Mayweather would provide. “Look, this is a fight the world wants to see, I want to see, Manny wants to see, and it would be a real shame for boxing fans, and casual sports fans, all over the world, if it does not happen. I have been through this before – and I hope we come out the other end with a positive from both sides.”
Roach also revealed that Pacquiao and he had planned to train exclusively in LA for the Mayweather fight, originally slated for March 13, having decided to forego the portion of the training camp in The Philippines., held last time at Baguio City. “There are so many pressures on him when he trains there, because of the demands on him from all quarters. We had put together the idea of training exclusively here at the Wild Card.”
“Manny got the green light over his busted eardrum [sustained in his victory over Miguel Cotto last November], and we had planned an early January press conference and then we were going straight into training camp.”
Roach also told Telegraph Sport that the insinuations over PEDs levelled at Pacquiao were hurtful – and believes they were a systematic ploy from Mayweather and his adviser Leonard Ellerbe: “It’s kind of a shame in today’s society that people are always looking for a negative. Why can’t Paulie Malignaggi and Floyd Mayweather just say Manny’s a good fighter, because that’s all he is…he’s a good fighter. He’s the most honest guy I’ve known, he doesn’t like taking anything. He has never taken drugs. I know him really well. I’ve been with him and around him since 2001. I have problems getting him to take vitamins, and he doesn’t like needles. I know it’s out there, and people are saying ‘why wouldn’t he take a blood test, and they think we’re hiding something. He does not react well to having blood taken. He’s weak for three days, afterwards. Some people pass out after blood being taken. Maybe it’s not physical, but it bothers him mentally. We can’t have that five days or three days out from the fight. [With calls for random blood tests from Mayweather right up to the day before the fight]. I don’t want to send my fighter in there feeling weak mentally or physically, so we would not agree to that.”
“Ellerbe says he wants a level playing fields. Ok, we’ll tie one of Manny’s hands behind his back,” joked Roach, now preparing Pacquiao to face Ghanaian Joshua Clottey instead on March 13, in Arlington, Texas, at the NFL home of the Cowboys.
“I think that was their ploy all along, to get under our skin. Who is Mayweather ? He’s just the opponent, not the champion. If this fight doesn’t happen, these two guys will be known as the fighters who avoided each other, and did not make it happen. In my view, it has to happen for the sake of boxing. It simply has to happen.”
By Gareth A Davies
Boxing and MMA
January 23rd, 2010
Freddie Roach has spoken to Telegraph Sport in depth about his exasperation in dealings behind the scenes in getting the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to come to fruition. Roach told me: “The bottom line is that we don’t really need him, Manny could have two more fights, in between go to the election in the Philippines, make another 20 million US dollars, and retire. We really don’t need Mayweather. There are easier fights out there for Manny.”
But in reality, Roach, and Pacquiao, insisted to me that they want this fight because the Filipino wants the ultimate test, which Mayweather would provide. “Look, this is a fight the world wants to see, I want to see, Manny wants to see, and it would be a real shame for boxing fans, and casual sports fans, all over the world, if it does not happen. I have been through this before – and I hope we come out the other end with a positive from both sides.”
Roach also revealed that Pacquiao and he had planned to train exclusively in LA for the Mayweather fight, originally slated for March 13, having decided to forego the portion of the training camp in The Philippines., held last time at Baguio City. “There are so many pressures on him when he trains there, because of the demands on him from all quarters. We had put together the idea of training exclusively here at the Wild Card.”
“Manny got the green light over his busted eardrum [sustained in his victory over Miguel Cotto last November], and we had planned an early January press conference and then we were going straight into training camp.”
Roach also told Telegraph Sport that the insinuations over PEDs levelled at Pacquiao were hurtful – and believes they were a systematic ploy from Mayweather and his adviser Leonard Ellerbe: “It’s kind of a shame in today’s society that people are always looking for a negative. Why can’t Paulie Malignaggi and Floyd Mayweather just say Manny’s a good fighter, because that’s all he is…he’s a good fighter. He’s the most honest guy I’ve known, he doesn’t like taking anything. He has never taken drugs. I know him really well. I’ve been with him and around him since 2001. I have problems getting him to take vitamins, and he doesn’t like needles. I know it’s out there, and people are saying ‘why wouldn’t he take a blood test, and they think we’re hiding something. He does not react well to having blood taken. He’s weak for three days, afterwards. Some people pass out after blood being taken. Maybe it’s not physical, but it bothers him mentally. We can’t have that five days or three days out from the fight. [With calls for random blood tests from Mayweather right up to the day before the fight]. I don’t want to send my fighter in there feeling weak mentally or physically, so we would not agree to that.”
“Ellerbe says he wants a level playing fields. Ok, we’ll tie one of Manny’s hands behind his back,” joked Roach, now preparing Pacquiao to face Ghanaian Joshua Clottey instead on March 13, in Arlington, Texas, at the NFL home of the Cowboys.
“I think that was their ploy all along, to get under our skin. Who is Mayweather ? He’s just the opponent, not the champion. If this fight doesn’t happen, these two guys will be known as the fighters who avoided each other, and did not make it happen. In my view, it has to happen for the sake of boxing. It simply has to happen.”
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