Pacquiao would kill Malignaggi, says a candid Roach

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    Manny Pacquiao - Paulie MalignaggiIs Manny Pacquiao coming back to the ring and for how long? Pacquiao is recovering from surgery from a torn rotator cuff and most likely will be out until 2016.

    The rumors are abound, ranging from a fight against Jessie Vargas in Dubai, and even a Floyd Mayweather rematch.

    But after likely making over 130 million dollars for the fight with Mayweather, is there a desire to come back?

    His trainer Freddie Roach thinks so.

    “He’s really a lot of fun with it; he loves his sport,” Roach said.” I think he has a couple fights left. Would we like a (Mayweather) rematch? Yes. But is that possible, I’m not sure.

    Roach feels in order to warrant a rematch; it has to be against a tough opponent.

    “It’s going to have to be a tough opponent,” explained Roach.

    One name that was brought to Roach’s attention was Paulie Malignaggi. Malignaggi has long had plenty to say about Manny Pacquiao when he was coming up in weight and stopping bigger guys like Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and Oscar De La Hoya.

    To be frank, Malignaggi accused Pacquiao of being on steroids. Malignaggi has stuck to the beat of that drum, and the media asked Roach if he felt Malignaggi was trying to land a Pacquiao fight.

    “He’s talking his way to a fight, but I don’t want to give it to him because Manny will kill him,” Roach said, “Gimme a break, it’s like taking candy from a baby.”

    Roach considered Malignaggi a friend as he used to train in the Wild Card Gym under the tutelage of Eric Brown. But that relationship is no more says Roach.

    “Thing is he used to be a member of my gym and my friend but the way he talks about my fighter, I don’t think he’s my friend anymore. I take it personally also. I told him don’t come into my gym last month. I told his trainer Eric Brown, ‘I don’t want to tell him face to face because I don’t want to get into a fight.’”