Freddie Roach Says “The World Knows That Floyd [Mayweather] Is Ducking Manny Pacquiao At This Point” -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

While fight fans still hope for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Junior clash, Pac-Man’s trainer Freddie Roach says he has all but given up on the idea of the fight ever happening.

HBO’s Ross Greenburg is still optimistic the fight will go ahead, at the third time of asking, next spring, but Roach, in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, said he feels the super-fight is one destined to go on the “it never happened list..”

“I don’t think it will ever happen,” Roach said quietly. “It will be one of those fights we’re never going to see. I would’ve happened by now. $40 million guarantee for both sides, plus pay-per-view. How can you turn that down? Boxing’s a sport but it’s a business also.

“The world knows that Floyd is ducking Manny Pacquiao at this point. I think Floyd’s content beating mediocre-type opponents with styles he can beat and he’ll stay away from southpaws like Manny Pacquiao.”

Usually, such words from a member of the opposite side from his opinion would result in a response from “Money.” But as we all know, Mayweather Junior has been incredibly and uncharacteristically silent as of late; due to the amount of trouble he got himself into the last time he launched into an anti-Pacquiao tirade. Then there’s Floyd’s well publicised legal troubles (he is due in court later this month, for allegedly hitting the mother of two of his children).

But with all that’s going on around him, it must be tough for the self-proclaimed greatest fighter in history to keep so quiet. With Pac-Man currently the undisputed number-one star in all of boxing, Mayweather must surely be feeling a little jealous. Will this jealousy, along with a desire to prove he is the best in the sport P-4-P, not Pacquaio, finally force Mayweather to sign for the fight?

Assuming he beats the rap on November 9th and remains free, will the soon-to-be 34-year-old agree to terms and get it on with Pac-Man next spring as Greenburg feels could be the case? We can certainly hope so, even if Freddie Roach has seemingly lost all hope for the fight ever happening.

But is Mayweather afraid of the lethal southpaw who is a hero to millions, as Roach claims? Until we see him step into the ring with Pacquiao, many people will think so. In terms of public opinion at least, Pacquiao is not the man who turned the fight down, Mayweather is.

Source: eastsideboxing.com