Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will have huge size advantage if ever he collides with Manny Pacquiao, but trainer Freddie Roach still thinks the Filipino boxing icon has all the tools to beat the reigning World Boxing Council middleweight champion.
Recent reports indicated that Pacquiao and Alvarez could face at a catchweight of 155 pounds if both fighters win against Timothy Bradley and Amir Khan, respectively. A fight at 155 favors Alvarez since he is very comfortable fighting as a 155-pounder, while Pacquiao has been fighting as a 147-pounder in recent years.
While Roach is not looking past the April 9 fight against Bradley at MGM Grand Arena, the Hall of Fame trainer said that Pacquiao is capable of beating Alvarez despite the Mexican boxing superstar's size advantage.
"Canelo, we will talk about it. I know he is big. Manny has always done good with big guys," Roach told reporters via BoxingScene. "I think Manny can outbox Canelo. It is a difficult fight I know."
Roach, who trained Miguel Cotto during his middleweight title fight against Alvarez in November last year, said that he will have a better look on Canelo's chances against fighters who are faster than him in May, when the reigning champion faces Khan. Alvarez and Khan will collide on May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"I think we get a look at Amir Khan and see how that goes a little bit and we will have maybe a better idea because Amir is like Manny, he is a good athlete," Roach continued. "He is very athletic and very fast. I don't know if those pictures were Photoshopped or what but it looks like put on a lot of muscle."
Meanwhile, Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum echoed Roach's assessment on the proposed bout between Pacquiao and Alvarez. Arum said that Canelo's size advantage will not be a big factor because Pacquiao is used to going up against bigger fighters.
In fact, Arum believes that Canelo will suffer the same fate as Oscar De La Hoya in 2008. The much-smaller Pacquiao gave De La Hoya a beating during their fight in 2008, forcing the boxing Hall of Famer to quit on his stool before the ninth round of the showdown.
"As far as Canelo is concerned, I think [Pacquiao] would accept the challenge," Arum said via Sports World News. "With Manny, the way he is now with both hands working the way they are now, Canelo is going to take the kind of beating from Manny that Oscar took."
