By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach feels that Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be an “easy” fight for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, according to Nick Giongco of Manila Bulletin. Roach says “Manny’s going to knock him [Mayweather] out. He couldn’t move, he’s got more legs. Manny’s going to hit him from every angle.” Roach is basing this off of Mayweather’s near shutout 12 round decision over Shane Mosley last weekend. It’s hard to imagine to what Roach saw in Mayweather to lead him to believe that Pacquiao will beat him.

Mayweather reduced Mosley, who is perhaps the 3rd best welterweight in the division, to a punching bag last weekend. Roach and Pacquiao had the opportunity to fight Mosley, but passed him up to fight Miguel Cotto. The selection of Cotto was an odd one given that Cotto had recently been stopped by Antonio Margarito two fights previous to being selected as an opponent for Pacquiao. Of course, Cotto and Pacquiao both share the same promoter Bob Arum, so it’s understandable that Pacquiao fought Cotto rather than a non-Top Rank fighter like Mosley.

Mayweather would be anything but an easy fight for Pacquiao. If Roach really believes that, he needs to take another look at the Mayweather-Mosley fight and then take a look at Pacquiao’s last fight against Joshua Clottey. Pacquiao took some heavy shots in the Clottey fight and had his face puffed up by him. In contrast, Mayweather got out of the Mosley fight looking fresh and almost untouched. That’s how dominant Mayweather was in the fight. He seems to be fighting on another level than Pacquiao right now and nothing Roach says will change that.