Floyd Mayweather Jr. said during the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday that his long-proposed showdown against Manny Pacquiao is not yet finalized, but trainer Freddie Roach believes the super fight will happen in May.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are linked to a possible showdown on Cinco de Mayo weekend on May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas - a fight that is expected to set boxing records.
Roach is aware that Mayweather denied that the fight is a done deal, but the Hall of Fame trainer is not too worried about the unbeaten champion's statement in New York.
In fact, when asked where he thinks he will be on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Roach said: "I'll have a room at the Mandalay Bay with Manny downstairs and we're going to fight Floyd. I'm being very optimistic about that but when you see Floyd on TV talking about the fight that must mean something because he never goes on TV unless he's throwing money around and stuff like that."
The 54-year-old added that he might cancel his trip to China to train Zou Shiming because of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Zou is scheduled to face Amnat Ruenrong for the International Boxing Federation flyweight title on March 7 in Macau, China.
Roach also told AFP that he is convinced there will be no more hurdles for the fight because both Pacquiao and Mayweather have expressed desire to face each other unlike before. Both fighters are expected to get the biggest paycheck of their respective careers once the super fight is finalized.
MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren is also expecting that the fight will be made. Murren revealed that he has reserved the date of May 2 for the fight because he thinks the showdown will happen based on what he has been hearing and reading over the past several weeks.
"I'm only just reacting to what's in the paper," Murren said via BoxingScene. "We are going to have a fight. We hope it's a big, big fight. If it is the fight we hope it is, then it is the biggest fight."
Should the fight be finalized by the end of the month, Pacquiao and Mayweather will have enough time to train for the bout. But Roach said that the announcement should be made soon so both fighters can avoid rushing things up in training.
"I need eight weeks. That window is getting smaller and smaller," Roach said, referring to the time he needs to prepare Pacquiao against Mayweather. "The boxing would start six weeks out, because if you go more than six weeks with Manny you'll burn him out because of his work ethic."
