Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao used to train with each other at the Wild Card Boxing Club, under the tutelage of Freddie Roach. The relationship between Roach and Khan would eventually sour, and Khan would seek a trainer that would make him priority number one. Ever since Amir moved on to trainer Virgil Hunter, there has been talk of an eventual “reunion” in the ring between Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan.
Freddie Roach took a moment with FightHype.com to address the possibility of Amir Khan facing Manny Pacquiao some time down the road. He admitted that it was still a possibility and reiterated his respect for Khan’s athleticism.
“It’s definitely a possibility. I did pick Amir as one of the guys that could beat Mayweather because of his athleticism and his speed… umm…”
Freddie then paused for a second as if to second guess what he was going to say next before doing what he seems to best in interviews like these, he decided to speak his mind. Freddie then decided to address the way he and Khan parted ways and how he feels about the young fighter.
“I don’t like the way that he fired me a little bit, so I do hold that against him a little bit. I mean… “
Freddie then stated that after he was fired, Khan told him that if Roach dropped Manny Pacquiao and made Khan his number one guy, he would come back. Freddie then goes on:
“Then when I said no to that, all the Parkinsons and shit came out. It had nothing to do with that, that wasn’t an issue and then they made it a big issue. I think it was a cheap shot, so I don’t like him that much so… I wouldn’t do him any favors.”
For any of you that are clamouring for a Pacquiao/Khan fight down the road, you should be thankful that Freddie Roach is a trainer and not a promoter. It is clear that he still holds a great deal of animosity toward Khan for what he considers and unfair firing and cheap parting shots about his Parkinsons having a negative impact on his coaching. You can’t blame the guy. After the way Amir Khan handled things, I wouldn’t be looking to do him any favors either.
