Freddie Roach: Mayweather Is Slowing Down, Pacquiao and Khan Can Beat Him

In an interview with The Philippine Star, trainer Freddie Roach said that the September 17 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Victor Ortiz gave him some ideas of how to combat Mayweather if Manny Pacquiao ever does get to fight him, but he also thinks he has another fighter that can end Mayweather's undefeated streak.

"Floyd’s given me a good idea of how his mind works fighting a southpaw. A lot of people think the best punch against a southpaw is the lead right hand and that’s definitely Mayweather’s tactic and something we’d have to get ready for or something I hope we have to get ready for. ... I love [Mayweather vs Amir Khan]. I was hoping Manny would get there first but I know both my fighters can beat him so I have no worries."

Roach is currently getting Manny Pacquiao ready for his November 12 trilogy fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, and will soon start preparing Amir Khan for a December 10 date with Lamont Peterson. Both of his fighters are heavy favorites, but are also both facing quality opponents.

Freddie also said that he thinks Mayweather is slowing down, and that his last three fights have shown him slipping:

"He doesn’t move around the ring like he used to, you can see that," pointed out Roach. "There are definitely signs in the last three fights, that he’s not as mobile as he used to be. He’s more hittable but what the Ortiz fight showed me was, because Manny’s a nice guy also, that you can’t be nice to this son of a bitch because he will take advantage and land a cheap shot if you let him."

This is actually an angle that hadn't entered my mind until just now, that Manny is a nice guy who could, potentially, get suckered himself just because he doesn't expect someone to do that to him. Now of course there's also the fact that Pacquiao wouldn't throw a moronic headbutt like Ortiz did, and Mosley (who was also slapped by Mayweather for constantly trying to tap gloves and the like) was the one initiating all the lovefest antics with Manny (and Floyd). So I can't really see it happening to Pacquiao, who generally zeroes in pretty well and stays focused on the task at hand once the bell rings. Nice guy before and after the bell, your cliche eye of the tiger between the bells.

Do you think Floyd is slowing down? I have to agree with Freddie, honestly. Floyd is still a marvelous fighter and a tough matchup for Pacquiao (or anyone), but his mobility isn't what it used to be. He's not more hittable in the sense that he's really getting hit a lot more, he's more hittable in the sense that maybe someone like Pacquiao (or Khan), with top speed, could find him whereas a few years back, maybe not. That would remain to be seen in an actual fight.