Manny Pacquiao Vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. Needs To Happen, Says Hall Of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach

Coming off a tough losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, veteran fighter Manny Pacquiao remains focused on getting back to winning ways. With an opportunity to avenge the loss to Bradley approaching, the Filipino boxer hopes to reclaim the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown with a victory over the American champion on April 12. Set to meet in Las Vegas, the 35-year-old knows getting back into the win column won’t be easy, especially since Bradley has a high level of confidence after previously defeating Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in June of 2012.

“We feel we got robbed in the last fight and we want to make it right, but I’m not thinking about the knockout,” Pacquiao said. “My focus is to throw more punches and to be more aggressive. If the knockout comes, it comes. Knockouts are a bonus from working hard. I still have the killer instinct and aggressiveness. I’m expecting a better Tim Bradley than I fought in the first fight. He proved in his last two fights with Marquez and Ruslan that he’s a better fighter now. He proved his toughness against Ruslan. I’m prepared for that kind of fight. If Bradley is more aggressive, it’s good for me.”

While focusing on the present time is certainly crucial in Pacquiao’s quest to reclaim his title, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach can’t help but entertain the thought of finally seeing his fighter go up against undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather Junior. In 2009 and 2010, Pacquiao and FMJ were considered the top two fighters in the world so many believed a showdown between the two would take place. Due to a strong and very public disagreement regarding pre-fright blood testing however, the bout that would draw millions of fans from across the globe did not and still has not taken place. Roach however, thinks the two will meet soon due to a lack of competition as the two fighters wind down their respective careers.

“I've thought about it so much, I've had dreams about that fight,” he said. “The pool's very small for both guys. Somewhere they're going to have to fight each other. Obviously, Mayweather is very good at what he does. I'm not saying that would be an easy fight. We'd have to come up with a great game plan. We'd have to really stick to it to win that fight. He has some flaws. Nobody is perfect out there. If we could draw those flaws out and take advantage of them, we'd be in a good spot. I still pick Manny to win that fight. Everybody here would like to see that happen sooner rather than later.”

For now, Manny Pacquiao will focus on adding another victory to his resume when he puts his 55-5-2 career record on the line against Timothy Bradley in 9 days.