TOP TRAINER Freddie Roach yesterday said Marco Antonio Barrera is just green with envy with the recent success of Manny Pacquiao that he now expressed his readiness to face the Filipino icon once again.
But Roach downplayed Barrera’s wish to engage the Filipino in a rematch, telling the website boxingtalk.net that a tuneup fight and a rubber match with Erik Morales are foremost on Team Pacquiao’s mind right now.
“Yes, I heard it,” said Roach, refering to Barrera’s willingness to face Pacquiao. “The thing is we have a schedule right now. A fight before Erik, and then on to Morales. Before Manny was where he is right now, every time we tried to get a fight with Barrera, there was always a reason they didn’t want the fight.”
Roach believes Barrera is just jealous of Pacquiao, hence his sudden craving to fight the GenSan puncher.
“Right now Barrera wants to be where Manny is, and that’s on top. We have to give Erik Morales his opportunity as the contract states. If Erik chooses not to fight Manny then perhaps we look at Barrera,” said Roach, who has been Pacquiao’s cornerman since mid-2001.
Pacquiao had stopped Barrera in Nov. 2003 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, but has come back since then with a string of victories.
Roach said he no longer sees Barrera as a threat and the one-time featherweight contender thinks even Manny’s brother Bobby has what it takes to win against Barrera.
“You know what?” Roach told fight scribe Brad Cooney of boxingtalk.net. “Maybe we should counter offer with Bobby Pacquiao to fight Barrera. I think Bobby can beat Barrera.”
Pacquiao couldn’t be contacted as he is in Hong Kong since Monday morning with his family and several friends.
Barrera issued his challenge through the World Boxing Council (WBC), which relayed the information to Team Pacquiao and even to the Games and Amusements Board.
Over in Cebu, Wakee Salud said he has received reports from the Mexican media about the decision of Oscar Larios to pull out of a 10-rounder with Pacquiao at the Araneta Coliseum in late-June or early-July.
“I haven’t talked to Manny about Barrera’s challenge and even Larios’ decision to back out of the fight,” said Salud. “I can’t say anything definite without consulting with Manny first.”
ABS-CBN is the lead organization that will put up the Pacquiao fight in the country.
