Roach thinks Mayweather is avoiding risky fights

By Boxing News - 04/10/2014 - Comments

roach45By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach still seems bothered that Floyd Mayweather Jr. never bothered to face his fighter Manny Pacquiao, and he’s now lashing out at Mayweather by saying he’s just trying to avoid taking risky fights so that he can retire undefeated. Roach says that Pacquiao accepted a 64-40 split to face Mayweather, but then the fight still didn’t happen. He thinks that Mayweather doesn’t want to face the 35-year-old Pacquiao for fear of being beaten.

Roach doesn’t say anything about Mayweather having agreed to a 50-50 deal to fight Pacquiao in 2010, only to see the fight fail to happen after the fight fell apart over Mayweather wanting random blood testing.

“The most important thing for Mayweather is to retire undefeated,” Roach said to Boxing News. “So he won’t fight anyone that will endanger that. He won’t take chances. Then he can retire without a loss on his record and claim he’s better than the fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson who did suffer defeat. I’m not conserved about Manny fighting Mayweather anymore.”

Roach seems to be forgetting that Mayweather is coming off of a one-sided win over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in his last fight in September of last year. I’d say that Canelo is a dangerous fighter. In fact, I’d pick him to destroy Pacquiao if that fight were to ever take place. Mayweather also fought and beat Juan Manuel Marquez when he was in the prime of his career in 2009. This is the same Marquez who Pacquiao was knocked out by in 2012, and who Pacquiao has two controversial wins over along with a controversial draw. Marquez is a risky opponent, but Marquez easily beat him. Mayweather also beat Miguel Cotto. That’s a risky opponent, isn’t he?

Roach’s argument that Mayweather isn’t taking risky fights doesn’t make sense because he’s taking nothing but risky fights.

Mayweather is facing WBA welterweight champion Marcos Maidana on May 3rd to fight in a unification bout. I would definitely pick Maidana over Tim Bradley, Pacquiao’s opponent for this Saturday. I like Bradley a lot, but I see Maidana as being better than him due to his power and aggression.
If Roach wants Mayweather to fight Pacquiao so badly then he should simply tell him to take the fight once his contract with Top Rank expires at the end of 2014.

Mayweather already said that he’d fight Pacquiao once he’s no longer with Top Rank. This would be the perfect chance for Pacquiao to get the fight with Mayweather by fighting him after his contract with Top Rank expires. If Pacquiao is serious about wanting to fight him, then he’ll not re-sign with Top Rank.

Roach should be looking at his own fighter Pacquiao in talking about easy fights. What was Pacquiao doing fighting Brandon Rios recently? What about Pacquiao’s fights against a shot Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley? Why was Pacquiao fighting Joshua Clottey when he was coming off of a loss to Miguel Cotto? Why did Pacquiao fight Ricky Hatton after he’d already lost to Mayweather?



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