Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao could fight Mayweather, Marquez, then retire

New York City -- WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) champion, Juan Manuel Marquez, told FanHouse last month that he believes seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, to be afraid to face him a third time, owing to his belief that he, not the Filipino super star, was the winner of their disputed draw, and Pacquiao's subsequent, split-decision victory.

Unbeaten welterweight (147 pounds) Floyd Mayweather won't back off of his assertion that Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts), the WBO's current welterweight king, be subjected to Olympic style random drug testing of blood and urine as a condition of facing him.

Pacquiao insists that he believes that it would weaken him to have blood drawn too close to the bout.

But if it were up to Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, both fights would happen, with Pacquiao knocking off Mayweather, and, Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs), respectively, in that order.

"As soon as possible, I'd have Manny fight Mayweather and then the rematch with Marquez. I would love to see Manny knock them out and shut them up," said Roach. "I would love to see the Marquez fight happen one more time. I just want Manny to knock them out and be done with it, and then, he could retire."

The negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight reached an impasse over the issue of random drug testing the first time around, and the fight never came off.

As a result, Pacquiao decisioned Joshua Clottey at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium on March 13, and, Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) did the same to then-WBA welterweight king, Shane Mosley, on May 1`.

A gag order has been agreed upon by both fighters' sides, even as Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank's Bob Arum, and Mayweather's, Golden Boy Promotions, appear to be secretly trying to work out a deal to make the fight a reality.

"I hope the fight happens, because it's the fight that everyone wants to see," said Roach. "The thing is, whoever Manny fights, give me an opponent, and I'll get him ready. I don't really care who the opponent is."

Roach is in town with unbeaten junior middleweight (154 pounds) and former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan, of Glendale Calif., a 24-year-old who will pursue his 28th victory without a loss, and his 18th knockout on Saturday night at the new Yankee Stadium against 24-year-old southpaw, "Mean" Joe Greene (22-0, 14 KOs), of Jamaica, Queens, N.Y.

Martirosyan-Greene will take place on the undercard of the junior middleweight main event featuring WBA champion, Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs), of Brooklyn, against Puerto Rico's former three-time titlist, Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), in a clash of 29-year-olds that is being billed as "The Stadium Slugfest."

"Vanes is 100 percent ready," said Roach. "He's fighting a guy whose a tough guy, a real good puncher. He likes to load up a little bit on his punches. But we're prepared for him and we should do well."

On Friday night, Roach will receive his fourth straight Trainer of The Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Also, Pacquiao will receive his third straight Fighter of the Year Award, as well as his first Fighter of the Decade honors. Former world champion, Joe Frazier, is slated to give Pacquiao the Fighter of the Year award.