by James Slater – Though he has suggested he feels the still very much sought after mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior will very possibly never happen because “Money” doesn’t and never has wanted to fight “Pac-Man,” promoter Bob Arum has gone on record as saying if the fight did happen it would be a huge mismatch – in favour of, you’ve guessed it, Pacquiao.
With “Mega-Manny” currently wrapping things up training-wise for his fast approaching bout with the teak-tough and not to be underestimated Joshua Clottey, Arum and Freddie Roach have both spoken about what would happen if the pound-for-pound number-one met the pound-for-pound-number-two. Both men agree Pacquiao would KO the 40-0 33-year-old!
Arum spoke firstly about why and how Mayweather “got out” of the fight with the 31-year-old southpaw who is an idol to millions in his homeland of The Philippines – by insisting on Olympic style, random drug testing when he knew how Manny has a phobia of having his blood taken..
“We don’t have to be geniuses to know what they [Team-Mayweather] were trying to do,” Arum told The Nevada Appeal. “They were trying to get into Manny’s head so he’d be discombobulated. Mayweather against Manny is a no-contest. Manny would wipe the ring with Floyd Mayweather.”
Big words, of course, but ace-trainer Roach concurs with the thought that Manny would knock out Floyd if the fight ever did happen – as we all hope it will of course.
“We’re not happy with his [Floyd’s] remarks,” Roach said. “Manny really wants to fight him in the future because of the remarks he’s made. Manny, sometimes when he’s shadowboxing, he shows me how Mayweather fights and how he’ll take care of the problem. He’s trying to ruin our reputations and so forth.
“But we want to fight him and we’ll knock him out.”
Though it is undeniably hard to imagine seeing anyone from 140 to even 154-pounds doing that to the defensive master that is “Money” Mayweather, it is well known how Roach has a knack for making seemingly outlandish predictions yet seeing them come true to life. Of course, Manny must first take care of former IBF welterweight king Clottey before he can even think about fighting Mayweather or anyone else. And, as fans know, Roach predicts a KO win for his fighter in the March 13th fight also.
Personally, I’ll be somewhat shocked if Pacquiao KO’s Clottey – and as to how shocked I’d be if Pac-Man KO’d Mayweather! Well, almost as shocked as I’ll be if the two greats ever actually get it on!