Amir Khan's trainer Freddie Roach blasts Paulie Malignaggi over Manny Pacquiao drugs smear -- Mirror

By David Anderson, Mirror.co.uk

The trash talking in the build-up to Amir Khan's US debut boiled over as Freddie Roach blasted Paulie Malignaggi over his drugs smear.

The normally placid Roach exploded yesterday when asked about Malignaggi's allegation that fighters at his Wild Card Gym may not be clean.

Malignaggi claimed Manny Pacquiao's refusal to take a blood test for his clash with Floyd Mayweather Junior, which is now back on for November 13, suggested Roach's fighters may be hiding something.

Roach usually ignores Malignaggi's fast-talking because it helps sell tomorrow's fight, but feels the loudmouthed New Yorker overstepped the mark with that dig.

An angry Roach insists that Khan and the rest of his fighters are clean and that their success is down to hard work.

"Paulie brought it up that Amir may be on something because he trains with me, well, he can go and f*** himself because my guys are clean," fumed Roach.

"It annoys me, it does. It's an insult, but more so to my fighters because my guys just work hard. They have a good work ethic. That's what their success is down to. I know that for a fact.

"I feed them, we cook for them. We know what they put into them every day. It does sadden me. We've never flunked a drugs test. The commission, they run the sport, not the fighters, and they do a good job."

WBA lightwelterweight king Khan has consistently denied any suggestion that he has used drugs and claims no one at the Wild Card Gym is on any performance-enhancing substance.

"Any time they want to do a drugs test on me, I'll put my hand up and take one to prove I've never taken anything," he said. "I'm a natural athlete - like Manny.

"When they say Manny is doing drugs, I am in the same gym as him with the same trainer and nutritionist and I can tell you that it's hard work, which has changed our body shape."

Malignaggi will regret angering Roach and the man with the plan believes he has worked out a strategy to destroy the former IBF champ at Madison Square Garden Theatre.

Roach has told Khan to stay close to the powder-puff punching Malignaggi and feels his man has the power to hand the challenger the biggest beating of his career.

Ricky Hatton is the only fighter to have beaten Malignaggi inside the distance with his 11th-round stoppage 18 months ago and Roach has tried to wind him up by saying Khan will do it in three.

"I said Amir would knock him out in three rounds to wind Paulie up because he talks so much s**t, but I really do believe he will stop him," he said.

"I want Amir to stay in the pocket and fight with him. With a puncher I probably wouldn't make that same move, but with Paulie I have the liberty of doing that.

"We have been training for Amir to stay in the pocket and fight and not get out like he would normally do.

"Paulie's a mover and we have been working on moving from side to side and having Amir's presence in front of him will be the best pressure in this fight.

"He's not going to be able to shake Amir and he'll be with him everywhere he goes."

Source: mirror.co.uk

Amir Khan can challenge Floyd Mayweather, insists trainer Freddie Roach -- Telegraph

By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk

Khan defends the World Boxing Association light-welterweight belt against Brooklynite Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, the fifth fight for which Khan has worked with Roach, marking the British boxer's US debut.

"The 140lb division is the most competitive division in the world right now and the guy who emerges from the group will be the next pound-for-pound king," said Roach.

Apart from Khan, the emerging talent in the division Ricky Hatton once dominated includes Americans Victor Ortiz, Timothy Bradley [World Boxing Organisation champion] and Devon Alexander [World Boxing Council/International Boxing Federation], and Argentine Marcos Maidana.

"I think I've got the best boxer in Amir out of them all, because he is adaptable. He has only fulfilled 50 per cent of his potential so far, so the rest is up to him. Those other guys are really one-dimensional by comparison," said Roach.

"Amir is a great student – he absorbs, he listens and wants to learn. Amir has picked things up quicker than [Filipino] Manny Pacquiao. A fight between Amir and [American six-time world champion] Mayweather would be a year to a year and-a-half away.

"Style-wise it would be a good fight and I would like Amir to fight him one day but let's take care of the guys at 140lb first."

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Manny Pacquiao slurs anger Amir Khan -- UK Express

By Niall Hickman, Express.co.uk

AMIR Khan has admitted the drug slurs aimed at his gym-mate Manny Pacquiao have fired him up as he prepares to take to the ring in New York tomorrow.

Floyd Mayweather Jnr suggested Pacquiao may have taken drugs as theyclosed in on a deal to fight each other, sparking the collapse of negotiations.

And Khan, who has trained alongside Pacquiao in the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles in preparation for his WBA light-welterweight defence against Paulie Malignaggi, said: “When they are saying Manny is doing drugs, well, I am in the same gym and let me tell you, it’s rubbish.

“Mayweather should see the work that goes into making your body change. It is like being a machine. The work ethic we put into it, the diet, the training, everything. I have changed. I have got less muscle, but I am hitting harder.

“Like Manny, I eat 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day and you have to work damn hard to get rid of that. I used to eat junk food before moving to America. Now I can’t do that. Even the running I do is not enough.

“I have to look after myself every minute of the day and train so much harder.” Khan and Pacquiao are now close friends and after the Briton’s first-round knockout by Breidis Prescott two years ago, it was Filipino Pacquiao who helped him pick up the pieces.

Khan said: “Sparring with Manny meant I had to use my brains. I had to hit and move. It made a massive difference in recovering my confidence. I owe him so much. He has told me that I am the greatest sparring partner he has ever had.”

Source: express.co.uk