(ThyBlackMan.com) Boxing Trainer Freddie Roach says he?s impressed with the sparring sessions between Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan, and feels that Khan is showing a lot of improvement. However, Manny Pacquiao is still getting the better of Khan after the initial stages of the sparring. Amir Khan starts off well, but Manny Pacquiao solves him and then takes charge. Roach sees that as a sign that Amir Khan is improving, but it could be just a case of Manny Pacquiao taking it easy on Khan and then getting serious when he gets hit too many times. Manny Pacquiao likely feels he has to put Amir Khan in his place and then puts it in overdrive to pull away during the sessions.
?When they spar, it?s always good but, while Amir Khan is more than able to hold his own, as it progresses Manny Pacquiao takes control,? Roach said to the dailystar.co.uk. ?Amir Khan has developed so much since I started working with him? Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter but Amir is certainly going in the right direction ? that?s a fact.?
Roach sees Amir Khan as a future Pacquiao type fighter for him, someone that can take over after Manny Pacquiao hangs up the gloves in the near future. However, I think Roach is going to be in for a big disappointment. While I do think Khan can be successful if he?s matched against the right kinds of opponents, because he does well against guys without much power. But when Khan faces Floyd Mayweather Jr, Khan will lose badly. And when he faces other guys like Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto and Mike Jones, he?ll lose again.
Not sure if Khan will face those guys, because they can punch. My guess is Khan won?t be put in with them. He?ll instead likely get the Mayweather fight, lose it badly, and then get matched against beatable paper champions at welterweight and get selectively matched for the remainder of his career. Will it be the greatness that Roach is dreaming of for Amir Khan? No. But perhaps Roach will be just happy with carefully managed success.
In that case, I see Amir Khan doing very well. He?s great against certain opponents and if you match carefully, he?s nearly unbeatable. Roach won?t have Khan fight Marcos Maidana again, because he almost plucked the golden goose, and he also won?t face Breidis Prescott. He already destroyed Khan. Guerrero is probably is a no as well.
