Freddie Roach watches Manny Pacquiao in training (Photo : Twitter)
Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao has been a picture of a model coach-trainer relationship.
However, a report alleges that Freddie Roach may drop Pacquiao like a hot potato.
From Boxing News 24, reporter Chris Williams wrote that the legendary trainer may "give the Filipino fighter the boot."
Williams quoted Freddie Roach's interview with ES News Reporting (link not provided).
"Speed is a great thing to have, but sometimes when you get a little older you slow down a bit," Roach allegedly told ES News. "Manny has to really show me something in his next fight for me to continue with him. Even though he got injured in that fight [against Floyd Mayweather Jr.], I don't think he fought his best fight. I'd like to see him fight a better fight than that. That's why I'd like to see a rematch, because I'd like to see one more time if he can do well in that fight. But for us to get a rematch, we'd have to beat someone with a name and be impressive in doing it."
In the absence of a link, this is simply an assumption of the interview he quoted.
If this was the interview, it was not clear whether Roach stated that he would "dump" Manny Pacquiao. Williams also commented on Pacquiao's opponents and how the "match-making" has been done by Bob Arum to protect his fighter.
"Pacquiao has fought only one good fighter in the last three years in Mayweather, and he easily beat him," Williams stated. "The rest of the guys that Pacquiao fought were beatable fighters like Tim Bradley, Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri. I rate those guys as the 2nd tier of the top fighters. I think Keith Thurman, Marcos Maidana, Shawn Porter, Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Errol Spence would all defeat those three guys. I think Pacquiao has really been surviving on the match-making that his promoter Bob Arum has been doing for him rather than on him beating good fighters."
In a separate interview with Fight Hype, Freddie Roach was asked on whether Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter now that Floyd Mayweather, Jr has retired. He had a straightforward answer:
"No, I think Triple G will be number one next,"Roach said. "He's the best fighter out there right now. He knocks everyone out. He's not fighting any big names like that, but there are no big names in the division right now. But whoever they put in front of him, he's knocking them out. He's looking pretty good to me. I like watching him."(h/t Boxing News 24, Allan Fox).
Roach is candid enough to admit that neither of his fighters (Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto) is the best. It speaks about his credibility and knowledge as a boxing coach.
