Manny Pacquiao wants only the best sparring partners when he begins preparations for his highly-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr on March 13, but the Filipino has been snubbed by possible sparring partner and light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach claimed Bradley would be top of his potential sparring list, which also included WBA champion Amir Khan and Andre Berto, but Bradley, who holds the WBO title, claimed he would only spar with Pac-Man if the 31-year-old was retiring.
Speaking to Max Boxing, Bradley said: “Personally, if Manny decides to retire or something, of course, but I don’t really want to give Manny [or Roach] a look at me if I’m going to end up fighting him one day.
“I don’t really want to give him a look. Ricky Hatton tried to get me over to his camp one time, and it just didn’t happen because I’m not sparring partner for anybody. I’m a world champion, I’m not a sparring partner.”
Unwilling to give anything away to a potential future opponent, Bradley may also be cautious of Roach’s motives for showing interest in such a proposition.
Bradley, 25-0 (11 KOs), has expressed interest in facing rising star Khan who also trains with Roach at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. It is likely the two will face each other in the not too distant future and an inside knowledge of Bradley would evidently provide an edge for Roach and Khan.
Pacquiao’s famed sparring sessions have saw Roach offer $1000 to any fighter who could knock down the seven-weight world champion and have included Edinburgh southpaw Gary McMillan who travelled to LA prior to Pacquiao’s 12th round victory over Miguel Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight crown.
Pacquiao will be facing the biggest fight of his career when he takes on unbeaten former pound-for-pound king Mayweather in the likely surroundings of the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas in what could very well be the biggest fight in boxing history.
