Mayweather Blocking Pacquiao Sparring Partners, By Paying Them More

Boxing’s biggest fight in history is already taking place, and it’s started outside the ring.

While both fighters prepare for their pending May 2 bout, Manny Pacquiao head coach, Freddie Roach says they’re having difficulty booking sparring partners.

CBS Sports has it:

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.”

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