MANILA, Philippines – The boxing world still laments the cancellation of the showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., but American trainer Freddie Roach said the show must go on.
“Life goes on without Mayweather... We did our best to appease him but he wouldn't go along with it,” Pacquiao’s trainer told ESPN as quoted by Agence France-Presse.
“I don't think he wants to fight (Manny). It was a smoke screen for him to say no.”
Roach said this after the press conference for “The Event,” which is headlined by Pacquiao and Ghanaian Joshua Clottey. Their welterweight title bout will take place on March 13.
The acclaimed trainer declared that the Pacquiao-Clottey clash “is going to be the Super Bowl of boxing,” reported Reuters.
The football reference is due to the fact that “The Event” will be held at the Cowboys Stadium of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Despite this declaration, Roach disclosed to ESPN that Pacquiao “is disappointed the fight is not here.”
The botched Pacquiao-Mayweather fight was scheduled on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Jones made a $25-million offer to host the bout at the Cowboys Stadium but fight negotiators chose Las Vegas.
“I want to beat this guy's ass, believe me, but he won't give us the opportunity... We will fight him any day of the week. But he doesn't make the rules,” continued Roach.
The blockbuster bout was called off because the fighters’ camps disagreed on the drug testing protocol. Mayweather and several members of his team alleged that the pound-for-pound king was taking performance-enhancing drugs.
“There are always doubters out there but Manny Pacquiao is clean… He has passed every drug test in the world,” Roach stated.
Pacquiao and Mayweather tested negative for steroids, according to drug testing results released by the Nevada Sports Athletic Commission (NSAC) this month.
The 7-division champion even sued Mayweather and some of his team members for their doping allegations. - With reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
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