Roach wants to check Pacquiao’s shoulder before letting him fight

By Boxing News - 10/30/2015 - Comments

Freddie RoachBy Dan Ambrose: Trainer Freddie Roach says that he wants to evaluate Manny Pacquiao’s surgically repaired shoulder himself before him allows him to fight again. He says he’ll know if Pacquiao’s shoulder is giving him problems or not when he starting training for his next fight.

Coming off of a torn rotator cuff is likely going to be difficult for Pacquiao, as it is for other fighters. He very likely won’t have the same strength, speed or flexibility in his arm that he once had. That’s why it’s not a good idea for him to be fighting someone really difficult unless it’s a fight for a lot of money.

As far as who Pacquiao will be fighting next, Roach says that it’ll be Pacquiao who makes the decision about that. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has been talking about wanting Pacquiao to fight WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford, but Roach, Michael Koncz and Pacquiao might have other ideas.

You can bet that Roach will make sure he lets Pacquiao know what his thoughts are about who he should fight next. Roach already said that he would like Pacquiao to fight Danny Garcia next, but Arum recently said he doesn’t like that fight. However, if Pacquiao were to insist on fighting Garcia, then Arum presumably would have to go along with the program.

Pacquiao can make good money in a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a fight against Amir Khan. Mayweather is saying he’s not coming back, and Khan is starting to grow impatient with the negotiations. He’s not going to wait around forever for Pacquiao if a contract isn’t drawn up soon for him to sign.

“Normally, yes, I will see it once we get in that ring,” said Roach via philboxing.com. “I can tell if he’s sore or if he gets tired. Manny told me he will be the one to decide whom he wants to fight and when he’s ready to fight, but I want to see that arm.”

Pacquiao really should be focusing on taking a couple of tune-up fights instead of facing someone really good in his first fight back from shoulder surgery. That’s impossible though because he plans on retiring after this fight. If money isn’t an issue for Pacquiao, then he needs to wrap up his career with an Andre Berto type of soft opponent so that he can finish with a win. In other words, Pacquiao should fight someone who is well-known but not really good.

The money that Pacquiao could make fighting someone like Robert Guerrero or Brandon Rios would likely be more than he’d get against Terence Crawford, who isn’t known to the casual boxing fans in the U.S. If Pacquiao wants and easy fight then he needs guys like Guerrero, Rios or Khan. If he wants a difficult fight for a lot of money then he needs to go after the winner of the Miguel Cotto vs. Saul Canelo Alvarez. Crawford should be the last resort because it would be a tough fight that wouldn’t bring any money. Pacquiao wouldn’t get much credit though from the casual boxing fans because they don’t know who Crawford is. Only the hardcore fans know who Crawford is.



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