Freddie Roach: Mayweather-Marquez 'stinks'

It seems everyone is calling out Floyd Mayweather these days.

Even before he emerged from a 16-month retirement recently, the former six-time world champion boxer and Grand Rapids native had been challenged to step into the ring against Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosely, Juan Manuel Marquez and other fighters.

Add Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, to the list of people publicly challenging Mayweather.

In comments posted at BoxingScene.com, Roach, three-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of Year, blasts Mayweather for agreeing to fight Marquez on July 18 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas instead of first taking on current pound-for-pound champ Pacquiao.

"So much for truth in advertising," Roach said of the Mayweather-Marquez matchup, being promoted as "Number 1/Numero Uno" in regard to Mayweather's prior status as pound-for-pound champ and Marquez's standing as undisputed lightweight champ. "We all know who the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter is and his name in Manny Pacquiao. They can call Mayweather-Marquez 'No. 1,' but it smells like No. 2.

"The fight stinks. Two counter-punchers waiting for the other one to make the first move is boring and proves nothing," he added. "If Mayweather wanted to prove he was the best, all he had to do was wait one day and see who won Pacquiao-Hatton before signing to fight Marquez."

Mayweather beat them to the punch, however, announcing May 2, just hours before Pacquiao's second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton, he was coming out of retirement and hand-picking Marquez as his initial opponent on the comeback trail.

To which Roach told BoxingScene.com: "You might as well rename him Fraud Mayweather, Jr."

Source: mlive.com