Roach wants Manny to stay at welterweight

LOS ANGELES – As far as Freddie Roach is concerned, Manny Pacquiao won’t fight outside the welterweight division.

Although Pacquiao can still comfortably make 140 pounds (super lightweight) and will most likely be more devastating, Roach said that staying at welterweight (147 pounds) makes the most sense financially.

“All the big fights at are at 147,” Roach told Filipino scribes at the Wild Card Gym here Saturday after Pacquiao finished his workout, which included another six-round sparring session with super lightweight contender Raymundo Beltran.

The drawback, however, is that Pacquiao will have a harder time knocking out his welterweight foes. As a welterweight, he has only stopped two fighters – Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto – with the Cotto knockout occurring seven years ago.

But as long as Pacquiao is being paid more handsomely each fight even without a knockout win, everything is fine.

“I think we have to stay here, because there’s no money at 140 (junior welterweight),” added Roach.

Should Pacquiao get past WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas on Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila), he indeed has a number of lucrative options in the same weight class.

He could unify titles with other alphabet titlists and fellow welterweight stars such as Keith Thurman (WBA), Kell Brook (IBF) and the explosive Danny Garcia (WBC).

Then there’s still the prospect of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., who, if ever he decides to come back from retirement, will fight only at welterweight.

In contrast, only Terence Crawford – the rising star who holds the WBC and WBO super lightweight titles – is the viable option in the division.

Pacquiao, according to Roach, should just go where the money goes.