Roach no good trainer, says Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather Sr. yesterday kept the fire burning by saying Manny Pacquiao would be better off under a trainer other than Freddie Roach.

Mayweather, who will train Ricky Hatton for the British superstar’s May 2 bout with the Filipino superstar, is running a word war with his counterpart.

“People talk all this and that about Freddie Roach, but Pacquiao could be a better fighter if he had a different trainer,” said the self-acclaimed best trainer in boxing.

“What has Freddie Roach done? You can’t say he trained James Toney and you damn sure can’t say he trained Mike Tyson. And I look at Pacquiao and he could be a lot better fighter than what he is right now if he didn’t have him.”

Mayweather, the most flamboyant trainer there is, issued the harsh comments in an interview with fighthype.com. He even went below-the-belt by saying why Roach has been elevated to the Hall of Fame.

Roach, gentle as he looks, has been taking the cudgels for Pacquiao when it comes to word war with opposing camps. Against Oscar dela Hoya, he triggered it all by saying the Golden Boy can no longer “pull the trigger.”

Mayweather said Pacquiao will be in for some beating at the MGM Grand in May.

“One thing about it, man, they can believe Pacquiao is as great as they want to, but he has to fight the fight on May second. I said it before and I ain’t gonna stop saying it. Hatton is going to kick his ass. They gonna see,” he said.

Hatton is now in training at Ashton Under Lyme, outside of Manchester, and intends to stay there for five weeks before doing six weeks in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, on his part, has been taking it easy, receiving this and that award, closing some business deals, playing golf, studying and filming shoots.

He leaves for Los Angeles next week and should be in London for a press tour and a date with the British/international press.

Pacquiao starts training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood on March 1. – Abac Cordero