By John F. McKenna (McJack): In an interview with the Associated Press Freddie Roach said that the upcoming fight in September between Floyd Mayweather (41-1, 25 KO’s) and Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO’s) could be preparation for Floyd to fight Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s).
Roach said that he feels it was no accident that Mayweather chose Ortiz as his next opponent after his long layoff from the ring. Ortiz is a southpaw, as Pacquiao is, and he presses the action with high volumes of punches, just as Manny does. Roach said that he thought that “Money” chose Ortiz to help him get ready for Pacquiao.
Roach said that as soon as he heard the report that Mayweather was going to fight Ortiz he thought it was a preparation fight for Mayweather to eventually fight Pacquiao. By the time Floyd steps into the ring to face Ortiz in September he will have been inactive for sixteen months.
Roach went on to say that Mayweather has limited experience in his career against southpaws and that Zab Judah for one gave him problems. “I’m just figuring he’ll give us a good blueprint how to fight him, how Floyd handles a southpaw.”
Roach said that some southpaws have given Mayweather problems. “Zab Judah gave him problems but was not able to maintain the pace. Guys like Victor Ortiz, Manny Pacqiao, they can maintain the pace. And I do think the southpaw stance gives him trouble.”
Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who handles Ortiz and has worked with Mayweather in the past laughed off the suggestion that “Money” Mayweather chose his fighter to prepare for a possible fight with Pacquiao. Schaefer said that it would be foolish to pick someone as young, as strong and as physical as Ortiz to prepare for Pacquiao.
Mayweather has insisted all along that he will require random blood testing for any future fight, even though it is not required by any boxing commission. Pacquiao has agreed to blood testing, but the two sides could never agree to the protocol for the tests.
Mayweather has come under increasing criticism by boxing fans and writers who have accused him of using the drug testing issue as an excuse not to fight Manny Pacquiao and thereby protect his 41-0 record.
Comments are closed.