By Miguel Rivera
Freddie Roach, the longtime trainer of eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao, is praying that his boxer will secure a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao will defend his WBA "regular" welterweight title against Adrien Broner on January 19th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And the contest will headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View event.
It's perceived that Pacquiao, should he win, move forward to a potential rematch with Mayweather.
Mayweather won a twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao in 2015, in the richest and most financially lucrative fight in boxing history.
Afterwards, Pacquiao revealed that he entered the fight with a shoulder injury. He underwent shoulder surgery a few days later.
"Mayweather has spoken badly about him. I think the winner of this fight can get the fight against Mayweather. I hope it happens, I would like to see that, I was very disappointed in the first fight against Mayweather," Roach said to Eduard Cauich.
"In that fight, Manny told me he could not move his arm in the fourth round, I told him not to hurt himself, to go with the flow, I would have liked for him to be operated on before the fight, so he wouldn't get injured during the fight, but it happened. Now his shoulder seems to look good now. Hopefully we'll fight that guy once more and see the real Manny Pacquiao."
Pacquiao, at 40-years-old, is still very sharp and has no intention to walk away at the moment.
"I've been dealing with Manny Pacquiao for a long time. When his work ethic comes down, I'm going to tell him to retire, but that moment has not come," said Roach said.
"His discipline is incredible, he has always been very busy, he has always wanted to do more, in basketball, in the ring, it doesn't matter. In two weeks I will tell him no more basketball, I will tell him that he doesn't do basketball anymore, to play darts."