MANILA, Philippines - Retired boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. has twice visited Manny Pacquiao’s place in Los Angeles – the Wild Card Gym.
Trainer and gym owner Freddie Roach told the Los Angeles Times that Mayweather came to visit the Hollywood gym twice. In the first visit, Mayweather and Roach got to talk.
Roach described the visits as “very unusual.”
Of course it was – even unthinkable. Roach said while he and Mayweather had ample time to talk, the conversation had nothing to do with a possible rematch with Pacquiao.
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Even Roach couldn’t tell what the visits were about.
Roach said he presented Mayweather a gift – a speed bag that has the image of the American boxer on it. It was supposed to be used when Pacquiao trained for the Mayweather fight.
But Roach said out of respect, Pacquiao chose not to use it.
“I thought Mayweather would like it. He did, so I gave it to him,” Roach told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times.
“We talked a little bit – not about the fight. Not one word about fighting. He has a home here now, and this might be the only gym he knows around here,” Roach added.
“But it’s interesting. I keep waiting for him to bring (a Pacquiao rematch) up, but he hasn’t, so I don’t,” he said.
Pacquiao was recently proclaimed a senator, and is being advised to focus on serving the people than returning to boxing, including a possible stint in the Rio Olympics in August.
Pacquiao has until tomorrow to decide whether or not he’d represent his country in this year’s Olympics.
Roach said only a Mayweather rematch could lure Pacquiao out of the Senate floor.
“I think that’s the only fight he’d come back for,” he said.