"I think that Mayweather is going to let the commission do their job, as they always do," stated world class trainer Freddie Roach as he shared his thoughts on whether or not a mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was ever going to happen. Appearing on the latest episode of The Jim Rome Show, Roach revealed that he believes the fight will indeed happen if both sides agree to a tradeoff. "Let the commission do their job because we're not going to let Mayweather run the show, for sure," he continued. "I'm sure there's going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and him dropping the drug test."
Before that can happen, however, Mayweather must first get by WBA welterweight champion and future Hall of Famer "Sugar" Shane Mosley, who he faces on May 1st. Roach strongly believes that, due to his retirement from the sport, Mayweather wanted to take another bout to fully prepare himself before stepping in the ring with Pacquiao. "Mayweather's a good fighter and I just believe that he came up with these excuses and so forth because he wasn't ready for Pacquiao yet," he continued. "He had two years off and he only had one fight in two years. I think he needed more time."
Indeed, it is a tough fight, perhaps Mayweather's most difficult challenge to date, but it's a fight that Roach believes the talented undefeated fighter will win due to his style. "He's in a tough fight though, but the thing is I think his style, Shane has a little bit of trouble with boxers. I think it's a good fight for Mayweather," Roach added. "I think he'll win on points, but the thing is then he'll be sharp and ready for a guy like Pacquiao."
Although host Jim Rome would question Pacquiao's unwillingness to agree to Olympic-style blood testing, Roach calmly and eloquently explained their stance on the situation. Check out a transcript of their conversation below:
Jim Rome: Pacquiao-Mayweather. Is the fight going to happen?
Freddie Roach: I believe so. You know, the thing is Mayweather's a good fighter and I just believe that he came up with these excuses and so forth because he wasn't ready for Pacquiao yet. He had two years off and he only had one fight in two years. I think he needed more time. He's got another fight coming up, of course, and after that all the rust will be gone if he beats Mosley. He's in a tough fight though, but the thing is I think his style, Shane has a little bit of trouble with boxers. I think it's a good fight for Mayweather. I think he'll win on points, but the thing is then he'll be sharp and ready for a guy like Pacquiao.
JR: Alright, so you think that the fight would have come too soon and that's why he made the demands that he made. Of course Freddie, he would argue that he thought that your guy may have used steroids and he wanted to know that he didn't use them.
FR: Um, you know the testing that they have, we've never flunked a test before. We've tested before and after every fight. Um...if we were on steroids, we wouldn't pass. I mean, it's not like there's no testing and it's not like they just test you sometimes. When you're in a title fight, they test you every time and the commission's been doing that for a long time...
JR: (Cutting in) Let me ask you this, why was that unreasonable, what he asked for? Why would Manny not consent to do what Mayweather himself was willing to do?
FR: The Olympic-style drug testing, they can not guarantee me that they wouldn't do it the day before the fight.
JR: Why was that an issue?
FR: Because Manny Pacquiao doesn't like giving blood. Um, he, I told them they could do, you know, urine, saliva, hair test, any other test in the world that shows exactly the same thing as blood, but I think Mayweather's camp found out that he...
JR: (Cutting in) What? Like he's afraid of needles you mean? He doesn't want to give blood? It's a blood sport, really.
FR: Yep. You know, some people pass out. You know what? You've seen when he gets cut though, he doesn't handle it well. He doesn't like the blood. It still bothers him.
JR: Freddie, none of us like needles, but for 40 million bucks, we'd probably let them put one in us.
FR: I would (laughing), but the thing is Pacquiao, you know, everyone knows that he blames, when he lost to Morales the first time, that's why. Because he had to give blood the day before the fight.
JR: What, it was in his head?
FR: Yep.
JR: He's really that freaked out by it?
FR: He is. I love him for about three days. He doesn't feel strong...
JR: (Cutting in) Does he go to the doctor? Does he not get vaccinated?
FR: Um....I'm not sure about that. He just feels like when he gives blood, it's in his head that it justs affects him for like three days and then he starts feeling better after that. He's like a little bit of a hypercondriac.
JR: Okay, so what happens Freddie this time? I mean, how does this thing reconcile itself?
FR: I think that Mayweather is going to let the commission do their job, as they always do. He's saying now that he wants to clean the sport up; I don't think steroids are that used in boxing to be honest with you. I'm sure they're out there because it's part of our life in the society we live in today...
JR: (Cutting in) So you think that Mayweather will come off that demand and blood testing's not going to be a part of this.
FR: Right. Again, let the commission do their job because we're not going to let Mayweather run the show, for sure, because that's like giving the first two rounds away. I mean, why would I give him that? I mean, next thing you know, he'll be saying we'll fight in 16 ounce gloves or two-minute rounds and he's just, you know, we're going to go with what the commission says. And the thing is I'm sure there's going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and him dropping the drug test.