Coach Freddie Roach in an interview with Sports Chat mentioned a possible Pacquiao vs De La Hoya. Here's the transcript:


Dennis Principe: Mr. Ronnie Nathanielsz good morning.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: Good morning, I'm glad you are able to get Freddie on the line. That would be great.

Dennis Principe: On the other line, live, ladies and gentlemen live from Wild Card Gym. Freddie Roach welcome back.

Freddie Roach: Thank you...

Dennis Principe: Mr. Ronnie, if you don't mind, since we're talking to Freddie, people want want know more about Manny Pacquiao, I, I'll just throw the first question. If Soto who would be fighting Manny Pacquiao, if Bob Arum is concerned, would you accept that responsibility Freddie?

Freddie Roach: We haven't talk about that yet. We talk about Valero, but then he's so hard to get license in America. He's only licensed in Texas and nowhere else, so that would be a little difficult.

I guess, the next available guy here according to Bob is Soto. I don't really like the Soto fight so much because he doesn't do much business. He's coming off a disqualification. But he beat Bobby Pacquiao, okay, Bobby is my friend is my friend and a nice guy, but he's no Manny Pacquiao. I don't see that fight selling tickets.

Dennis Principe: So you think Valero would be more salable promotion for your team.

Freddie Roach: Yeah, he's a little bit salable because he's 24-0, 24 knockouts. So he does have that behind him. But still, he's fight in Japan for most of his fights lately, he's not too well known in America, you know, it's a bit of a tough sell also. I mean, there some fights out there that I would rather have but they're just not available right now.

Dennis Principe: And Mr. Ronnie?

Ronnie Nathanieslz: Marquez cannot fight, neither can Nate Campbell, they're all very busy. So I guess in this sense, Bob Arum is stuck in a rock and a hard place.

Freddie Roach: Well, yeah the thing is I'm sure Bob doing the best he can, is negotiating the best he can. But the thing is Soto-Pacquiao as a Pay Per View fight is it big enough? I just don't think so.

I think it will do less than Diaz, and even Valero because of his record, if he still comes to Nevada, maybe in Texas, it makes it a little bit difficult. I think Bob is a real smart guy, he may come up with something, I think so.

The thing is with Oscar De La Hoya is looking for a fight, and I would like to fight Oscar De La Hoya with Pacquiao at 147.

Dennis Principe: You mean straight on for his next fight?

Freddie Roach: No, Oscar is looking for a fight right now, he never stopped negotiating. I like Bob to negotiate with Oscar. I do feel that Manny Pacquiao at this point in his career can knock De La Hoya out.

Dennis Principe: Yeah, from what we know, Oscar is looking for a December fight date, he's still looking for an opponent. You're okay with that if say, Oscar is available for December? Are you fine with that.

Freddie Roach: I would be fine with that, yes. The thing is I think it's better days in November... We need to work on the fighting style on how to beat him, 'cause you know he is a bigger guy, he does have that advantage, 'cause you know I trained him a few fights before, but he's not the same Oscar as 10 years ago.

Dennis Principe: Mr. Ronnie?

Ronnie Nathanieslz: The question is will Oscar De La Hoya come down to 147 lbs?

Freddie Roach: I've talked to some people, and they say that he can make 147... It has to be at 147 to make that fight possible. I want Manny to weight 140 lbs. then by fight time he'll be 145, he'll have power and speed. I just hope that they meet, Manny and him, at this point of their careers.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: What does Manny himself... have you ever talk to Manny about this?

Freddie Roach: Well, Manny told me he'd love to fight Oscar, yes. I mean, Oscar has made it public that he would love to fight Manny. I think it's a big, big fight.

I mean, Oscar De La Hoya is probably upset because he has some issues with Manny,who he signed with, Golden Boy or Top Rank, and the poor settlements that happened, so Oscar seems to be a little bit bitter about that, you know, the thing is with Oscar he just has some problem pulling the trigger, he's a little slower than he used to be. If Steve Forbes can hit him as easily as he did, I know Pacquiao will knock him out.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: Of course the question is, you feel Manny will have the same power and speed at that weight?

Freddie Roach: Well, that is why I don't want him to come in too heavy. Manny weight at his last fight, is a 145 lbs. with Diaz in the ring. That's exactly what I want him for that fight, because we do need the speed, he has the power.

Dennis Principe: Since it's a 147 lbs. fight, doesn't necessarily mean that Manny has to make 147. He can actually come in between 140 and 147, right?

Freddie Roach: Right, Manny will come in at 140. I wouldn't want him to come in with too much more than that.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: Of course that's a big money fight, both ways. Will the boxing market be able to stand having to pay this two guys a lot of money?

Freddie Roach: Well, the thing is we can promote that fight well 24/7 again. Because every time we hit 24/7, it's been huge... the thing is I would never take a fight that I didn't know my guy could win. I would never do that.... The money is secondary the win is the most important thing. If he fought this year in December, it would be great, then next year we can fight Hatton, then he can be president of the Philippines after that.

Dennis Principe: (laughs)

Ronnie Nathanieslz: (laughs)

Dennis Principe: But Freddie, I remember before the Diaz fight, you really would like to talk about Diaz, and how he will fare in the lightweight division, but is it safe to say since you saw him winning against Diaz, after that you already know that he can take on Oscar?

Freddie Roach: Yes, that performance is what really led me to make that decision. I've been working on Manny's right hand for a long time, and sometimes it was there just a little bit, against Marquez it wasn't there for too much. Now he knows he can use both hands. Manny, he became a better fighter that night, I know that will carry over the next fight...

He's pound for pound the best fighter in the world and of course Oscar like challenges so I think this is the biggest one for him.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: That would be great. My feeling is Manny Pacquiao will have one more fight this year and fight Hatton and then kick boxing goodbye and concentrate on politics. That's my feeling.

Freddie Roach: That's my feeling also. He beat those two guys, one of the greatest fighters of all-time. Those are obviously big, big fights for us. Both Ricky Hatton and Oscar they draw big numbers as well as Manny, so it's really a fans against fans fight.

Dennis Principe: ...have you also consider other fighters?

Freddie Roach: They're not well-known enough to have a mega-fight. Time to go for a bigger fight with Manny, while he's there, 'cause you know Oscar is gonna fight one more fight, and I don't think we should miss the boat. We should take that fight. But obviously Bob has to work out the terms, money. I don't want to speculate on that but Bob has to negotiate that. That's what he does best.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: Yeah, he's a great negotiator. It seems to me, that it will be a little recurring differences between Arum and Golden Boy. But I think in the name of boxing, and the desire to get this fight under way. They can put that aside and get this going.

Freddie Roach: They need to put that aside. There's not doubt about that. Business is business.

Ronnie Nathanieslz: And Manny, I think, would love that fight.

Dennis Principe: Allright, gentlemen, it's been a great time really to have you.