No easy final fight for Pacquiao

The celebrated American boxing trainer Freddie Roach made a request for one final look at Manny Pacquiao’s right shoulder after it was announced that the Filipino boxing superhero would be having his final fight on April 9.

Roach wanted to make sure the shoulder would be in perfect shape.

Pacquiao was operated on in Los Angeles for a torn rotator cuff, an injury he preferred to conceal before his May 2 megabout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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On Sunday, Roach made one categorical stand regarding Pacquiao’s scheduled farewell bout.

Roach said he didn’t like Pacquiao to fight the sensational Terence Crawford, who on Sunday scored a 10th-round knockout of Dierry Jean, a former Pacquiao sparmate, in defending his WBO light welterwight crown in Omaha, Nebraska.

Frankly speaking, Roach said Crawford, 28, one of the good young fighters, may prove “too hungry for Pacquiao.”

Roach failed to elaborate.

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Not that Roach is doubting Pacquiao’s ability to hit peak form in time for his farewell bout.

Roach was quite sure Pacquiao would be in A-1 shape, one reason he earlier sneered at the idea of his prized pupil clashing with the flamboyant Amir Khan, a Pakistani-born English citizen with a suspect chin.

Roach wanted a memorable challenge to Pacquiao, not a tasteless mismatch, before the eight-division world title winner hangs up his gloves.

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Anyway, after Crawford, the 2014 Fighter of the Year, crushed Jean, he turned to Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum and requested the 83-year-old impresario to make “the fight happen.”

Arum himself lent the proposed Pacquiao-Crawford a mouth-watering twist when he said “it would be a hell of a fight.”

Arum, by the way, happens to promote both Pacquiao and Crawford.

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Together with Khan, Tim Bradley was listed as a possible final foe for Pacquiao, until Crawford came up with a flaming challenge following his dismantling of Pacquiao’s former sparmate.

“I’m ready anytime, all I need is a phone call,” said Crawford, 27-0, 19 KOs.

Meanwhile, Rick Staheli, who prepared and led Pacquiao to the first of his eight world titles, the flyweight crown, advised Pacquiao to avoid a fight with Crawford.

Staheli said Crawford is a very dangerous opponent for Pacquiao.