Boxing News: Pacquiao's Trainer Makes Bold Challenge Ahead Of Spence Fight

Freddie Roach is backing Manny Pacquiao to take on the best fighters in his division after Errol Spence Jr.

Pacquiao is stepping inside the ring once again after finally sealing a welterweight showdown against undefeated champion Spence in August.

Prior to being booked against Spence, Pacquiao’s future has often been a hot subject with some in his team concerned about when will the Filipino legend consider calling it a career.

Whatever the 42-year-old’s decision will be, his long-time coach will not hesitate to stay on his side.

In fact, the Hall of Fame trainer even challenged all the top guys in the 147-pound weight class to come and face the “Pac-Man.”

“If [Manny is] gonna continue in boxing, I want him to fight the best guys he can,” Roach told Boxing Scene. “We’re not looking for any stiffs or any easy fights or anything like that. We will fight anybody out there. If Floyd [Mayweather] doesn’t come, Errol Spence, all of them. Line them up.”

While Roach remains optimistic about Pacquiao continuing to fight, the world’s only eight-division titlist told The Athletic that Spence “might be” the final fight of his career.

Nevertheless, Pacquiao isn’t worried about his age and any ring rust heading into the title fight against “The Truth.”

"It's been two years since I've fought but I'm not worried about [ring rust] because a long layoff is good for me after being in boxing for 25 years before that, ” Pacquiao assured. “ It's good to rest. It's given my body a chance to recover."

Brimming with confidence, he added, "I love to challenge the top guy. I'm faster, stronger than him [Spence]. ”

Spence, who currently holds the WBC and IBF welterweight belts, is 11 years younger than Pacquiao and is coming off a unanimous decision win over another top welterweight contender Danny Garcia.

Despite acknowledging what the American is capable of doing inside the ring, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune is still convinced that his pupil is “a different animal.”

“It’s a good fight. Spence is a hell of a fighter, but [Manny] Pacquiao is on a different level,” Fortune told Ellie Seckbach of Esnews. “Pacquiao is a different animal.”

“I don’t think he [Spence] is as strong as Pacquiao. He’s strong, but he’s not Manny-strong. And I’m sure he ain’t Manny-fast. Manny is [42] but he is still incredibly fast.”