Freddie Roach Initially Wanted Mikey Garcia As Manny Pacquiao Opponent

The boxing world is excited for Errol Spence Jr. vs. Manny Pacquaio next month. However, Spence wasn’t even Freddie Roach‘s first choice.

Spence and Pacquiao will collide in a welterweight title unification clash on August 21 in Las Vegas in what is one of the most anticipated boxing matches in some time.

However, longtime trainer of Pacquaio, Roach initially wanted his student to fight Mikey Garcia instead.

“He wasn’t my first choice,” Roach said during an interview with Yahoo Sports. “I was leaning toward Mikey Garcia because he challenged us several times and so forth.”

Garcia was adamant he would fight Pacquiao in 2021 as well but that’s not the case for now.

Instead, Pacquiao — who holds the WBA welterweight title — now has a chance to capture the IBF and WBC belts against one of the best boxers in the world.

And while Spence wasn’t Roach’s first choice, the veteran trainer believes the American is the top dog at 147 pounds.

“When Manny picked Spence, I said, ‘Congratulations, you picked the best guy out there,'” Roach added.

Should Pacquiao upset the odds and come out on top, he would just need to challenge Terence Crawford for his WBO title to unify the division.

It would be some feat to do it at the age of 42.