Roach slams Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao's super fight with Floyd Mayweather looks to be off due to the saga surrounding drug-testing demands from the American, with trainer Freddie Roach telling Sky Sports News that the 'Pretty Boy' is looking for a way out.

Mayweather wants World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) drug-testing to be introduced for the proposed March 13 fight, as opposed to the normal procedure used in Las Vegas fights.

Pacquiao's camp have balked at that request as it calls for a blood test just before the fight, and the Filipino apparently does not react well after having blood taken.

A fight that would see who is the real pound-for-pound king could be the richest in boxing history now looks to be of unless Mayweather relents on his demands, which the Pac Man camp claim is merely a way to get out of the showdown.

"I'd love to see this fight happen but we're going to go by the commission rules and not Mayweather's rules, I refuse to work for Mayweather," Pacquiao's trainer Roach told Sky Sports News.

Absurd

"It's absurd that this is the first time in the history of boxing he wants to hire his own private company to do drug testing."

Roach added that they would take the fight in an instant and agree to any drug testing but not a blood test so close to the fight - as it would unsettle his man unfairly - and Mayweather is fully aware of this.

"He's (Mayweather) looking for a back door out, I never thought he wanted to fight Manny in the first place and now he's got his way out, but if he wants to fight us we're definitely ready and we'll go by any sanctioning body rule there is.

"We have no problem with any drug testing in the world but I'm not going to have my fighter give blood a week out, that's my decision because I know how it affects him mentally when he gives blood."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum also claimed that the fight was off as far as he was concerned due to Mayweather's demands, which he labelled as a cheap attempt to unsettle his man.

Different direction

"We're going in a different direction," Arum told the Grand Rapids Press. "What I believe is that Floyd never really wanted the fight and this is just harassment of Pacquiao.

"Floyd, to me, is a coward and he has always been a coward. Not a physical coward, but a coward because he's afraid to face somebody who could beat him. And believe me, Manny Pacquiao could beat him.

"So he will go his way, we will go our way and that will be fine.

"We appeased Mayweather by agreeing to a urine analysis at any time and blood testing before the press conference and after the fight.

"Mayweather pressed for blood testing even up to the weigh-in. He knew that Manny gets freaked out when his blood gets taken and feels that it weakens him. This is just harassment and to me just signalled that he didn't want the fight."