Roach: 'The world wants Pac-Man v Mayweather'

Sun Nov 15 2009 15:40:12

Freddie Roach has named Floyd Mayweather Jr as his favoured next opponent for Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) cemented his claim to be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet when he stopped WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in the 12th and final round of their Las Vegas showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

And having blown away box office blockbuster opponents Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and now Cotto in consecutive fights over the last 12 months, the stage has been set for a fight to top them all against the undefeated Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).

The American returned to the ring from a short-lived retirement following his December 2007 victory over Britain's Hatton with a clinical unanimous decision win over Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez.

Yet Mayweather's prior inactivity cost him his pound-for-pound top ranking status and all the talk has been of a mega-fight with the Filipino to settle the issue.

An exhausted Pacquiao refrained from revealing who he would choose to fight next, saying: "I'm just going to take a vacation first and spend time with my family and have fun."

But Roach was not so reluctant. He said: "The whole world wants to see him fight Mayweather and I want Mayweather."

Shane Mosley is another potential opponent for Pacquiao although he would first have to get past WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, their fight having been set for January 30 in Las Vegas.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.