Freddie Roach Says Manny Pacquiao Wants Floyd Mayweather Rematch

Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach hasn't given up on a rematch against Floyd Mayweather and has told reporters that's the bout the Filipino wants if he beats Jeff Horn.

World Boxing News shared the comments Roach made ahead of the upcoming bout:

"Manny is in a must-win situation. He wants a rematch with Mayweather. With Mayweather, you have to look good against an opponent, you have to be impressive. ... If he struggles in this fight, it could be over. Depending on how he lost, I would probably encourage him to retire."

John Locher/Associated Press

Mayweather and Pacquiao finally took their rivalry into the ring in 2015 after years of back-and-forth, with Money maintaining his perfect record over the course of 12 one-sided rounds. The 40-year-old retired soon after but is in the midst of a comeback, preparing to take on Conor McGregor in August.

As reported by ESPN.com, Pacquiao blamed his loss on an injured shoulder immediately after the fight, and he's been clamoring for a second bout ever since. The 38-year-old bounced back from the loss with wins over Timothy Bradley and Jessie Vargas and currently holds the WBO welterweight title belt.

Per Crystina Poncher of Top Rank, Roach said he would rather see Pacquiao fight unbeaten Mikey Garcia next:

Even if Mayweather was open to a second fight―which isn't out of the question, as the two made an enormous amount of money in the first bout, per Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes―the timeline would suggest Pac-Man needs another opponent first or has to sit idle until Mayweather faces McGregor.

He also can't afford to look past Horn, who isn't expected to challenge him much but does sport a 16-0-1 record going into Sunday's fight.