HOLLYWOOD â Freddie Roach challenged unbeaten world five-time champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight his ward Manny Pacquiao for the public to see who between them is the one-dimensional fighter. âWell, letâs fight and see," said Roach at his Wild Card gym here, a couple of days after Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto on his tracks in their World Boxing Organization (WBO) 12-round welterweight title showdown at the MGm Grand Garden Arena. âIf thatâs the case, all he (Mayweather) does is run. Heâs one-dimensional too, run, run, run. Weâll attack, attack, and attack, and thatâs what makes it a big fight." Roach was reacting to Mayweather Jrâs interview over British sports channel Skysports, where âMoney Mayweather" referred to the Filipino boxing superstar as a âgood puncher, but just one-dimensional." âThe thing with Pacquiao is that I donât see any versatility as a fighter," said Mayweather Jr.
He (Mayweather) makes a boring fight, but a lot of people will buy tickets to see him lose (to Pacquiao). It would be a huge fight, I agree, but it would be less exciting than any other Manny Pacquiao fights. â Trainer Freddie Roach
Asked about it, Pacquiao lets out a big grin. â
Anong magagawa niya, e yun ang style
ko," he told Manila-based sportswriters, with whom he had a small chat after making a late afternoon visit at Roachâs famous gym. The Filipino ring icon stayed at the Wild Card for just 20 minutes, and then hurriedly left to have his swelling right hand x-rayed at a nearby hospital. âCheck up
lang naman," he said of the heavily-bandaged hand. â
Pero at least, i
tong tenga ko, hindi na makirot." Mayweatherâs remark though, only fired up Roach, the man long credited for turning Pacquiao into the fighter considered one of the greatest â if not the greatest â of all time.
Less action Roach admitted a fight with Mayweather means less action, the American ring superstar having been known not as a toe-to-toe fighter, but a very good counter-puncher. But being the match up everybody is all waiting for, the three-time Trainer of the Year concedes a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown will definitely be a big hit. âIt (fight) would be more exciting for the people. It would be the biggest Pay-Per-View of all time. It will be watched by more people than anyone ever," Roach said. âBut, Cotto came to fight, and Mayweather comes to run," Pacquiaoâs trainer stressed. âHe makes a boring fight, but a lot of people will buy tickets to see him lose. It would be a huge fight, I agree, but it would be less exciting than any other Manny Pacquiao fights." In the event the bout, perceived to be the biggest of the century, pushes through, Roach made it clear that Pacquiao should have a big say on the terms of agreement, specifically on the weight issue and the prize money. âWe need to negotiate for the money and the weight, but I want the fight at 145," Roach said. âJust because his last fight (against Juan Manuel Marquez) made a million buys, letâs face it, 90 percent of those buys were for Marquez, because heâs popular now after the Pacquiao fight. âMayweather still doesnât have that huge audience. I would go for 60-40 for Manny and hopefully, we could make it happen."
Should the Mayweather fight be sealed, Roach said Pacquiao needed to be in the perfect shape of his career. âWe need time to get ready for that (fight). We have to come out with a real different style. Itâs a whole different ballgame," he said.
Not in March 2010 Roach added that should they able to come to terms with the Mayweather camp, the former 1996 U.S. Olympian wouldnât definitely be Pacquiaoâs next assignment in March. Pacquiaoâs trainer even suggested a March fight for the worldâs top pound-for-pound wouldnât be possible even if Mayweather agrees to climb the ring with him. âIf we get Mayweather, why risk losing that (March) fight," Roach said. âIâd say he rest for a while, enjoy the holidays, run for elections, and Congressman Manny Pacquiao will kick Mayweatherâs ass," he said.
â GMANews.TV