Roach: Mayweather adviser blocking our sparring partners

Boxing champion and Sarangani Rep.Manny Pacquiao trains with longtime coach Freddie Roach. AP

MANILA, Philippines—Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, accused Al Haymon of blocking their sparring partners who Pacquiao will train with for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Roach claimed that they are hiring sparring partners with a counterpunching style, similar to Mayweather’s, but Haymon and his staff members are offering the fighters more money to stay at home.

Haymon is Mayweather’s adviser.

“I’m hiring sparring partners, Al Haymon’s people calls them up and offers more money for them not to come. [But] I’m not worried about those guys,” Roach said in a story posted on  from Boxing Scene, citing a report from ABS-CBN. “We got four really good sparring partners for Manny for this fight, Mayweather look-alikes.”

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