Floyd Jr fight will happen – Roach

MANILA, Philippines – Freddie Roach isn’t closing the door on WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao staking his crown against Floyd Mayweather Jr., this year but the much-anticipated fight is dependent on what happens in the Filipino icon’s appointment with Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13.

Roach said Pacquiao isn’t taking Clottey lightly and called it a “difficult, action-packed fight.”

Writing a guest column in the weekly Boxing News of London, Roach said he’s carefully studying how Clottey beat Zab Judah, a southpaw like Pacquiao, in their bout for the vacant IBF welterweight crown in Las Vegas in 2008. Clottey was ahead on the three judges scorecards, 87-84, 86-85, 86-85, when the bout was stopped at 1:12 of the ninth round because of a huge cut over Judah’s eye. Referee Robert Byrd ruled that the cut was inflicted by an accidental headbutt and declared Clottey the winner by technical decision.

Some ringside reporters disagreed with Byrd and insisted the damage was caused by a left uppercut-right cross combination. Clottey, however, has a reputation of using his head in cutting up opponents like Carlos Baldomir and Miguel Cotto.

“We’ve got a gameplan in place having watched the tapes and right now, I’m noting little adjustments Clottey makes fighting southpaws as I just got the Judah tape and he does act a bit differently with the southpaw stance,” said Roach.

“I’m waiting on one more tape of another southpaw he faced to see if it was from what Judah was doing or a tendency he might have against southpaws.”

Roach is known to meticulously break down film of Pacquiao’s opponents in devising strategies and tactics to anticipate any eventuality in the ring. Assistant trainer and Pacquiao’s boyhood friend Buboy Fernandez usually takes the lead role in scouting opponents.

Roach said he’s not sure if Pacquiao can knock out Clottey who’s bigger and stronger.

“Can we knock him out? I don’t know about that so I’m planning to go 12 hard rounds,” continued Roach. “If the knockout comes, it’ll be a bonus.”

As for Mayweather, Roach said he suspects Pretty Boy is just out to hype up the inevitable showdown with Pacquiao.

“I honestly think Floyd does all this stuff just to make the fight bigger,” said Roach. “He’s a great salesman and I think it’s probably going to work. I think it will definitely happen because Manny’s going to retire this year, he told me.”

Although Mayweather recently announced he’s taking on Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1, Roach said he’s not convinced it will push through because of the risk involved. A Mayweather loss will seriously jeopardize a huge payday expected in fighting Pacquiao.

“I’ve heard about Floyd fighting Mosley,” said Roach. “I love that match but don’t believe it will happen because I feel that when Floyd finds out that with Mosley, he’ll only make possibly $6 to 8 million – because it’s not that big a draw – or he can make $40 million fighting Manny, I think he’ll wait for the big one.”

Mayweather Thursday signed the contract to fight Mosley.

Golden Boy Promotions chief executive officer Richard Schaefer refuted Roach’s contention, saying unless Pacquiao agrees to Olympic-style drug testing which means random blood examinations, Mayweather won’t come to terms.

“I am not as optimistic as Bob Arum stated his position very clearly that Pacquiao would not agree to random Olympic-style blood testing,” said Schaefer. “Unless Pacquiao changes his position, there is really no sense to discuss a potential fight any longer.”

Mayweather has waged a media campaign to discredit Pacquiao and goad him into agreeing to random blood-testing, even hours before a fight. Pacquiao has filed a damage suit against Mayweather for claiming the Filipino takes illegal performance-enhancement drugs to retain his speed and power while moving in and out of higher weight divisions.

Pacquiao has never tested positive for illegal drug use but will only agree to a blood examination 14 days before a fight and any time after. He is open to random urinalysis tests which will confirm usage of illegal performance-enhancement drugs.

US state athletic commissions supervising boxing matches do not require Olympic-style blood tests, raising speculation as to why Mayweather is insisting on a condition he is not qualified to impose.

In an on-line survey conducted by Boxing News, 65 percent of respondents blamed Mayweather for scuttling the Pacquiao bout. Others blamed for the fall-out were Pacquiao, Golden Boy, Arum and Mayweather’s father Floyd Sr. [source: Joaquin Henson | philstar.com]