Canelo camp receptive to fight against Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao trains inside the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Timoty Bradley Jr. for the third time on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time). PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA
LAS VEGAS–If Manny Pacquiao beats Timothy Bradley and abandons his plans to retire, trainer Freddie Roach and promoter Bob Arum have two names playing on their mind as his next probable foes.
Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and American star Terence Crawford in that order.
According to Roach, a seven-time trainer of the year, he’s receptive to the idea of Pacquiao fighting Alvarez, the World Boxing Council middleweight champion.
“That’s been talked about, I know he’s big,” said Roach, claiming that his prized ward is willing to fight anybody, including the 5-foot-9 Alvarez, who beat Miguel Cotto by unanimous decision last November.
“I think Manny can outbox him a little bit but it’s a difficult fight right now,” said Roach. “We’ll see how the fight with Amir Khan (May 7) will go, to have a better idea because Amir is like Manny who is very athletic.”
Informed of the development, Jose Reynoso, Alvarez’s manager, gave a positive outlook.
“Obviously we would be interested in a big fight like that with Pacquiao. He’s been one of the best fighters of recent times, and it would be a big fight, but as always we will not disrespect Khan] by looking to the future with Pacquiao].
Our first priority is [Khan] and that’s the fighter we are preparing for.” Reynoso told ESPN Deportes.
While the fight with the 25-year-old Canelo hasn’t even reached first base, Roach insists they said yes to the Crawford fight, but things didn’t work out.
Top Rank honcho Bob Arum backed up Roach’s statement made during a press conference after the Grand Arrival staged by Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley Tuesday.
“That’s true. I’ve been saying the freaking thing over and over again. Crawford is an excellent fighter. A future star for Top Rank and for boxing, but Crawford wasn’t known to the people,” said Arum. “He’s been in a couple of fights on HBO and we’re afraid to put him as a major opponent on an MP card. ”
