By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach thinks that a bout between his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao can take place against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but Roach still isn’t saying about what Pacquiao giving in and taking the random blood tests that Mayweather wanted. Rather, Roach is repeating a lot of his same old lines, saying to ESPN “Mayweather is a good fighter and I think he came up with these excuses because he was not ready for Manny. He [Mayweather] had two years off and I think he needed more time. He has a fight coming up and if he beats [Shane] Mosley, all the rust will be gone. Then he will be sharp for a guy like Pacquiao.”
I think Roach is missing the point. Mayweather wanted Pacquiao to submit to random blood tests because he suspects that Pacquiao might be taking something. As far as I can tell, Mayweather hasn’t changed his mind on wanting Pacquiao to take the random blood tests, so it doesn’t what Roach believes about Mayweather being afraid of fighting Pacquiao.
The real question is whether Pacquiao will take the tests. I hope Roach doesn’t think that Mayweather will drop that request, because I don’t see that happening. Mayweather looked ready for Pacquiao in his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez last year. That version of Mayweather would have spanked Pacquiao the way he fought against Joshua Clottey, in my view. Mayweather was totally dominant against Marquez. You can’t say the same thing for Pacquiao in his fight against Clottey. Pacquiao got beat up a little, and was hit cleanly many times in the 12 round fight.
Roach says “Everyone knows that he [Pacquiao] blames losing the fight to [Erik] Morales on that” [Pacquiao having to take a blood test]. “He [Pacquiao] was tested the day before. When he gives blood, I lose him for three days and then gets better.” If Roach loses Pacquiao for three days, then he would still have 11 days for Pacquiao to snap back in shape if he agrees to have the random blood tests stop two weeks before the fight.
That should be enough time for Pacquiao to get over the trauma of having his blood tested. At least that way there would be a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Without Pacquiao agreeing to take the blood tests, then Mayweather will probably never agree to fight him. I doubt Mayweather is going to change his mind about the blood tests, and it doesn’t look like Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum doesn’t want to set up a fight with Mayweather if he insists on blood tests taking place.
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