And then there's Mayweather-Pacquiao gamesmanship.
According to Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, the ante is allegedly being upped behind the scenes by Mayweather adviser Al Haymon, whose staff Roach claims is paying potential Pacquiao sparring partners more to stay home than they'd make by participating in a Roach-led training camp with the Filipino superstar.
Roach told ABS-CBN -- a Philippines-based news organization -- that sparring partners he's approached who have styles similar to Mayweather's have told him they've subsequently been contacted by Haymon's staff. Haymon serves as an adviser to Mayweather and manages his own stable of fighters.
“I'm hiring sparring partners, Al Haymon's people call them up and offer more money for them not to come,” Roach said. “I'm not worried about those guys. We got four really good sparring partners for Manny for this fight. Mayweather look-alikes.”
A Haymon Boxing spokesman did not respond to a CBSSports.com request for comment.
But veteran matchmaker Rick Glaser, who's worked with, among others, Don King, Larry Holmes and Roy Jones Jr., suggests that Roach's claims -- if true -- go beyond the pale, even for boxing.
“When you are interfering with another fighter's training camp you are crossing the line, by leaps and bounds,” he said. “Al Haymon, no less than the Bill Belichick of boxing. And maybe worse. I think it's a very slimy move, but I expect no less from Haymon.”
Source:
www.cbssports.com
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