Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach hinted that the long-proposed fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will happen in 2015 after the Filipino boxing icon scored an impressive victory on Saturday night.
Roach said in an interview that they expect the fight to happen next year after Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum revealed that he is in talks with Mayweather's camp about the possible fight.
Knowing that Mayweather will be Pacquiao's toughest opponent ever, Roach said that he is already starting to prepare for the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown.
"He will be the best opponent that we've ever faced," Roach said, BoxingScene reported. "I will really have to do my homework with Mayweather because he puts a lot of things together a lot better than most fighters. Put it this way, I'm starting to watch tapes of Mayweather."
Roach helped Pacquiao score a scintillating victory against Chris Algieri on Saturday night at Cotai Arena in Macau to keep his World Boxing Organization welterweight title.
While Pacquiao failed to score his first knockout win since stopping Miguel Cotto in 2009, the former pound-for-pound king knocked Algieri down six times, creating fears that Mayweather will be more hesitant to face Pacquiao.
Roach said that Mayweather, who has a perfect 47-0 record with 26 knockouts, should stop ducking Pacquiao because their respective legacies will be questioned if they decline to face each other before they retire.
"I think there will always be an asterisk on their records," Roach added. "Let's face it, the best should fight the best and they've been the best guys out there. This is something that will haunt them forever if it doesn't happen."
Pacquiao, who holds a 57-5-2 record with 38 knockouts, echoed his trainer's statement, saying that the super fight should happen to give the fight fans what they are asking for.
"The people deserve that fight. The fans deserve that fight," Pacquiao said of his showdown with Mayweather, ESPN reported. "It's time to make that fight happen. It's been a long time. I want that fight. They're always denying the fight. I think the fight has to happen."
