Coach Freddie Roach wants Pacquiao to face Vasyl Lomachenko.
Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is open to a fight between Pacquiao and WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko after November 6 fight against Jessie Vargas.
This, according to Roach, will happen if the 37-year-old Manny Pacquiao can get past World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) in their fight this Sunday (Manila Time).
Lomachenko has a ring record of 6-1, 4 KOs while Pacquiao has 58-6-2, 38 KOs record. Lomachenko is 28 years old.
Roach says Pacquiao can get down to 135 to fight, but he’d prefer the fight take place at 140.
“He can make 135. I’d rather have him fight at 140,” said Roach about Pacquiao. “I haven’t thought of that fight [Pacquiao vs. Lomachenko] yet, because the weights are so far apart. I’d love that fight. I’d accept that in a minute. Lomachenko, sure, I don’t think he’s that good. He’s a good fighter, yes, but I’ve seen him look terrible in fights when he first came over here. I’ve seen him training in my gym for his first two fights, and he played more with tennis balls than anything. He’s going to need more than tennis balls to beat Manny Pacquiao,” Roach said.
Roach added he wasn’t that impressed with Lomachenko, who he feels isn’t that good of a fighter.
In 2014, Lomachenko was already beaten by Orlando Salido. Lomachenko has since won his last four fights against Gary Russell Jr., Suriya Tatakhun, Gamalier Rodriguez, Romulo Koaisicha and Roman “Rocky” Martinez.
Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, who also promotes Lomachenko, says he would love to match Pacquiao against Lomachenko, as he sees that as a dream fight.
Pacquiao was asked about the Lomachenko fight, and his eyes lit up as he spoke. He seemed pretty obvious that this is a fight that motivates him. During the same interview, Pacquiao was asked about a fight against Terence Crawford, and he appeared less animated when speaking of that fight.
On November 26, Lomachenko will face former World Boxing Association featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
