Freddie Roach has entertained the idea of Manny Pacquiao facing Naoya Inoue.
The comments arrived in the aftermath of Inoue’s eighth-round stoppage over Stephen Fulton to become the new WBO and WBC super-bantamweight champion.
And in doing so, Inoue became a four-division champion. His speed, power and footwork drew comparisons with Manny himself. So much so that the latter praised his performance on social media.
Inoue has great speed and lots of power behind his punches. He’s a special fighter! #InoueFulton
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) July 25, 2023
Although Pacquiao is an eight-division champion with nothing else to prove, Roach’s comments suggested that the 44-year-old would be open to such a bout.
“I would like to see it. I think Pacquiao could still get ready for that. He’d have to move up a little bit, 135,” Roach
And yet, Manny’s last fight was a loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021 showing that he was not the fighter that he used to be. Therefore, having an exhibition would appear more likely than facing a younger, fresher fighter.
In addition, expecting Inoue to move up to 135 is arguably unrealistic. So for now, a fight is some way off.