Roach gets surprise visit from Mayweather at Wild Card Gym

MANILA, Philippines – Despite having a demanding schedule, Floyd Mayweather Jr spared some time to give Freddie Roach a surprise visit at his own gym in Los Angeles, California.

In an interview with LA Times, the 7-time BWAA “Trainer of the Year” awardee revealed that the unbeaten American boxer paid a visit twice at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Stable, which became the second home of Mayweather’s rival Manny Pacquiao when he prepared for his first fight on American soil against Lehlo Ledwaba in June 2001.

“Very unusual now how Mayweather’s been here twice,” Roach tells The Los Angeles Times. “He wanted to watch sparring the other day. I wasn’t here. But the first time he came by, he came upstairs and saw me. Very nice talk, yes. Me and him are OK.” 

As a gift of gratitude for taking time to see him, Roach gave Mayweather a speed bag painted with his face that Pacquiao was supposed to punch during his training for their May 2015 blockbuster showdown that garnered 4.6 million in pay-per-view buys and more than $600 million in total revenue.

“I thought Mayweather would like it. He did, so I gave it to him,” the 56-year-old boxing coach shared. 

Although they saw eye-to-eye at the Wild Card Boxing Club, Roach and Mayweather never talked about the possibility of the sport’s former pound-for-pound king getting in the ring with boxing’s only 8-division world champion once more. 

“We talked a little bit — not about the fight. Not one word about fighting,” Roach stated. “But it’s interesting. I keep waiting for him to bring [a Pacquiao rematch] up, but he hasn’t, so I don’t.”

Mayweather decided to hang up the gloves for good in September 2015 when he scored a lopsided decision victory over Andre Berto, ending his 19-year professional run with an immaculate 49-0 record.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao called it a career after dominating Timothy Bradley Jr in their rubber match this past April. 

Roach confided that Pacquiao seeks a second shot at Mayweather, who is currently keener on luring UFC featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor for a boxing match on New Year’s Eve.

“Manny and [Pacquiao adviser Michael] Koncz both told me after the last fight that they do feel strongly about trying to get Mayweather one more time. I think that’s the only fight he’d come back for,” he bared. 

Roach believes that there is one more fight left in Pacquiao’s tank, citing the Filipino pugilist’s recent performance against Bradley.

“One more fight, I would like to see it, but does he have time to do it as a senator? I’m sure there’s a lot more work to do. But I know he has at least one more [fight] in him. He showed flashes of the old Manny last fight,” he stressed. – Rappler.com