Manny Pacquiao throws a left at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Al Bello/Getty Images)
Freddie Roach still wants a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. And if the second fight happens, the veteran trainer thinks it will be a different story from the first showdown in May last year.
Roach told On The Ropes Boxing Radio that he is still optimistic the second fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather will happen. He admitted that he was mad he did not see a fit Pacquiao in the record-setting fight last year.
Mayweather, who retired after winning against Andre Berto in September last year, ran away with a convincing unanimous decision win over Pacquiao. But if a rematch happens, Roach is confident that a healthy Pacquiao, who dealt with shoulder injury in the first showdown, will destroy Mayweather.
"I still was a little disappointed in Manny's performance," Roach said. "But now he's one hundred percent and I think at one hundred percent, he will destroy him."
The Hall of Fame trainer insisted that Pacquiao is also aching to get another crack at Mayweather because he felt he won last year or the fight should be closer than what the score cards suggested. Pacquiao also retired in April after defeating Timothy Bradley but is already scheduled to return in November.
Mayweather previously said that he is happy with his retirement and he sees no reason to face Pacquiao again. But for Roach, Mayweather is wise enough to know that the money he could earn in a rematch with his biggest rival is too costly to pass up.
"To be honest, I think they both come back because of the money issues," Roach continued. "Manny is too generous and he gives his money away and Mayweather seems to spend a lot of money - he just bought a house in LA."
Pacquiao, who was elected as senator in the Philippines, is scheduled to return on November 5 in Las Vegas. A fight against Mayweather is highly unlikely, especially after Roach turned down a possible fight with Terence Crawford. He admitted that Pacquiao is not ready for a fighter like Crawford until he gets one tune-up bout.
"I don't think I'm going to accept that fight or want that fight right away," Roach told BoxingScene, referring to the Pacquiao-Crawford match. "I mean give me one warm-up fight and give me a fight right after that and we can talk."
Watch the highlights of the record-setting fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather below.
