ROACH TALKS TO PACQUIAO: FIGHT HORN NOT LOMACHENKO OR CRAWFORD
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 29 Jul 2018
Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach was dismayed of his favorite fighter Manny Pacquiao that he knew that he was not hired as coach of the Lucas Matthysse fight only in the media. Roach made some statements that the eight-division eleven-time world champ had not talked to him since the loss to Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia.
But lately, Roach told ESPN boxing reporter Carlos Narvaez that he has spoken to Pacquiao and said the Filipino boxing icon wanted to reunite with him after wresting the WBA welterweight belt from Matthysse.
Roach said he appreciated the fighting senator who was simply more superior than the Argentine KO specialist.
"I talked to Manny and I told him that he looked good. I think his opponent tried to pack it in early. He couldn't handle Manny's pressure," Roach was quoted in Boxing Scene. "It was a good fight for him."
The seven-time Trainer of the Year said they had several conversations with Manny already where they have talked about working together.
Roach declared he is very busy training his boxers right now, especially Alberto Machado, the Puerto Rican WBA super featherweight champion.
He recalled having joyous times working with the former pound-for-pound king of the world. "The truth is I'm happy with the 16 years I was next to Manny."
Roach is very cautious about Pacquiao's age. "He is already 39 years old. He still has good speed and power. But father time does not forgive and we all get slow."
He would like Manny to exact revenge on Horn after that controversial decision loss. "Horn would be a good fight to finish his career."
But he is not comfortable with the names they are talking about out there as Pacquiao's next foes like Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford.
"I think they wouldn't be the right opponents. I think that I wouldn't like those fight for Manny," warned Roach.
Pacquiao could just be used as a stepping stone by Top Rank for Lomachenko and Crawford to become pay-par-view stars when the fighting senator has distanced himself from his long time promoter.
Crawford became boxing's latest three-division champion winning the WBO welterweight title with a ninth-round TKO of Horn at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last June.
Crawford outlanded Horn 155-58 in total punches and connected more than half of power punches 124-53, according to CompuBox.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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