Mayweather: 90 days for domestic violence
In an interview with USA Today, Roach talked about the domestic violence convictions in Mayweather’s past, coupling that subject with Pacquiao’s work as a congressman in the Philippines and how big an issue domestic violence is to his fighter.
The 38-year-old Mayweather has been charged and convicted of domestic violence and served 90 days in 2012 for misdemeanor battery. He has either been charged or convicted of seven assaults on five different women, including the mother of three of his four children. This lamentable record, according to Roach, is something that fuels Pacquiao, 36, even more than Mayweather’s unbeaten boxing record.
“Manny is really against domestic violence,” trainer Roach said. “It is a big issue maybe in the Philippines for him and being a congressman he can control some of that stuff. That is a big plus for me that Manny does not like the guy, I think the killer instinct is going to come back a lot faster.
“For the first time in my life with Manny Pacquiao, this is the first fighter he hasn’t liked. I can tell.”
Freddie Roach: Fight is ‘good vs. evil’
Roach added that he views the fight as “good against evil” and went even farther by detailing thoughts he said he had on Pacquiao’s dislike of Mayweather, and how he considered exploiting it.
“I have even thought about bringing a couple of the metro cops from Vegas in to tell Manny how many times (Mayweather) has been arrested,” Roach said. “And about how bad of a guy he is, but I decided I can’t go that far.”
Those clearly are fighting words and some might suggest bringing up an opponent’s personal life is hitting below the belt. Mayweather hasn’t responded to Roach’s comments as yet but if it bothers him the result will surely be an even more spirited and intense a fight than it already was certain to be.
The fight goes on May 2 in at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
