By Edward Chaykovsky

Trainer Freddie Roach is hungry for to secure WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. as a 2014 opponent for Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather has a set return date of May 3rd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao's next date is scheduled for April 12, likely in Las Vegas.

The next opponent for Mayweather is rumored to be Amir Khan, while Pacquiao's is going to face either WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley or Juan Manuel Marquez in a fifth fight. Roach prefers the fifth fight with Marquez.

Mayweather has an exclusive multi-fight contract with Showtime. Mayweather's plans to fight in May and then on September 13th. Roach doesn't see any opponent, for Mayweather, being more profitable than Pacquiao. 

"I would like the rematch [with Marquez], but Mayweather...he has a big contract with four fights left on it. And they can't fulfill that contract without fighting Manny Pacquiao. They are talking about Amir Khan, but he has no pay-per-view audience. To make the money to pay the contract [they need Pacquiao], that's why they had to go with Canelo so quick, because the first fight [with Robert Guerrero] lost so much money. I really hope that Bob [Arum] makes that fight happen for us. Obviously Golden Boy and Top Rank would have to do business with each other. It won't be the last time. Todd [duBoef] has a bit of a relationship with the other company. We need this fight for the sport of boxing and we need it now," Roach said in an interview posted on BoxingScene.com.