LAS VEGAS – Rival trainers Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. engaged in a verbal tussle on Thursday, providing the fireworks that the main event fighters declined to produce in the runup to Saturday’s big fight at the MGM Grand.
Roach, who trains Manny Pacquiao, ripped Floyd Sr., the father and trainer of Floyd Jr., after presiding over the Filipino’s last training session at the Top Rank Gym.
Floyd had struck hard during a Q&A with the media earlier in the day, criticizing Roach and Pacquiao and boasting that the scheduled 12rounder “wont be much of a fight.”
“This fight has already been won. We can beat Manny any day, any time, any year, any moment,” said the trash-talking Floyd, who spent time in jail for drugs but is best known for fighting Sugar Ray Leonard.
Despite Floyd Jr. admitting that Pacquiao is a force to be reckoned with, Floyd Sr. thinks he is not.
“Manny’s best performance was when he got knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez (in 2012),” he said although he was in the corner of Ricky Hatton, who Pacquiao flattened with one punch in the second round.
Roach, who has been calling the shots in Pacquiao’s corner the last 14 years, returned fire during an interview with Filipino scribes later in the day.
“He can’t speak English,” said Roach, obviously aware of the tendency of Floyd Sr. to mispronounce words and mince vowels.
Roach believes Floyd Sr. is just green with envy over his success that is why he keeps on ripping him in every interview.
A seven-time trainer of the year awardee, Roach, said Floyd Sr. is a terrible trainer and easily gets nervous.
“He stutters and his fighter can’t understand him during fights,” said Floyd Sr.
On fight night, the crowd will be glued on Pacquiao and Mayweather but another fight could erupt outside the ring.