Freddie Roach Comments on Potential Amir Khan vs. Manny Pacquiao Fight

Famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach believes Amir Khan should be focused on making a complete recovery after his knockout loss to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez rather than trying to immediately push for a marquee matchup with Manny Pacquiao.

Roach worked with Khan from 2008 through 2012, and he currently trains Pac-Man. On Friday, Edward Chaykovsky of BoxingScene.com passed along comments from the trainer, who didn't completely rule out a future meeting between the duo, but thinks there's bigger issues for the British star right now:

"

That was a real bad knockout. After that kind of knockout.... honestly I don't know about that [when it comes to fighting Pacquiao]. That was a bad knockout. He's going to be under a medical suspension for a couple months, so I don't care what he says about Pacquiao right now. After that [knockout], I think he should take a break. Pacquiao is a senator now. I think he has one more fight in him, but I haven't spoken to him [about fighting one more time].

"

Khan suffered a crushing knockout at the hands of Alvarez last Saturday. After a fairly competitive start to the bout, the Mexican sensation started to wear him down with a series of heavy shots, eventually sending him to the canvas with a perfectly placed shot in the sixth round.

Nevertheless, Khan told BoxingScene.com he's ready for another high-profile battle despite the loss: "That fight [with Pacquiao] is definitely a possibility. ... These are the last few years of my career now. I want to maximize it and fight the biggest names in boxing and leave a great legacy behind."

Pacquiao is also a question mark, though. He won an election for a senate seat in his native Philippines this week, and as he's continued to climb the political ladder back home, it's raised questions about his ability to keep fighting.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told Dan Rafael of ESPN.com he expected Pac-Man to retire after his third meeting with Timothy Bradley in April: "There are hundreds of congressmen, but if he wins the senate seat he has to be there to do the work."

Pacquiao didn't totally close the door on his boxing career, however. He stated if the right situation arose, he'd "ask the people of the Philippines" whether he should fight or stay home and serve, as noted by George Willis of the New York Post.

So clearly there is no shortage of hurdles to jump before a bout between Khan and Pacquiao becomes reality. It's also fair to wonder exactly how much interest there would be given the lackluster outing by Khan against Alvarez.

That said, it's no surprise the British veteran is trying to push himself right back into the picture for a fight against one of boxing's top names. He needs a statement victory in order to keep himself in line for some top-tier bouts in the years ahead.