Roach takes shots at Mayweathers
While Roach remains in Macau, China to prepare another of his fighters, Zou Shiming, for his IBF flyweight title fight Saturday night with Amnat Ruenroeng, it hasn’t stopped him from hyping the May 2 Pacquiao – Mayweather fight in Las Vegas.
Yesterday he took a few shots at Mayweather’s trainer and father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., saying he is a lousy cornerman incapable of helping his fighter during the minute break between rounds. He said Mayweather Sr. “gets so excited and worked up and he starts to stutter so he can’t give his fighter any useful advice.”
Today it was Floyd Jr.’s turn to take a hit from Roach. “Floyd is so disrespectful,” Roach said from Macau. “Manny is the perfect role model for this fight and Mayweather is not. I told Manny we’ve got to beat him for the whole world. There’s no way we can’t win this fight.”
Roach is referring, of course, to his fighter having a squeaky clean image, a devout Christian, a politician in the Philippines, a singer, etc. etc., while Mayweather sometimes hangs out with the wrong crowd and spent time in jail for domestic abuse. Two months to go but the fight has already started.
Armed guards at Wildcard Gym
The other development from the Pacquiao camp are armed guards patrolling Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club where Pacquiao trains. Roach said they are armed so “people respect them.” He denied guards will be patrolling outside the gym, however.
With so much money and prestige on the line the trainer doesn’t want his fighter distracted. Roach returns to L.A. Sunday; Pacquiao is there working out now but has yet to begin his sparring regime.
As for the more formal fight hype, the pre-fight press conference, there will be just one and it comes Wednesday, March 11 in L.A. when the two fighters will meet for just the second time (they met last month in Miami at an NBA game). Mayweather will travel to the press conference from Las Vegas, where he has begun training.
The superfight is being touted as the richest in boxing history with a gross take expected to be in the $250 million – $350 million range.
