Trainer Freddie Roach says avenging losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez are the top items on Manny Pacquiao’s to-do list, but believes the Filipino will one day face Floyd Mayweather.
But Hall of Fame trainer Roach said Pacquiao’s legacy depends more on turning the tables on the two opponents who beat him in 2012 than on a belated, late-career tilt at Mayweather.
“In the history books you have to avenge your losses, you have to avenge your losses in life,” Roach said Wednesday at his Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, where Pacquiao’s media workout drew a throng.
Read Part I of The National’s exclusive interview with Manny Pacquiao here
Pacquiao, the former world champion in eight weight divisions, will get his shot at retribution against Bradley in Las Vegas on April 12.
Both fighters are calling it a chance for redemption, after Bradley beat Pacquiao by a controversial split decision in June 2012 – a bout that many observers thought Pacquiao had dominated.
“We feel we got robbed in the last fight – now we need to be sure that we get the victory,” said Pacquiao, 35, who will be fighting to regain the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown he surrendered to Bradley.
Six months after losing to the American, Pacquiao was knocked out in the sixth round by Mexico’s Marquez in the fourth bout between the two.
If Pacquiao beats Bradley and Marquez beats American Mike Alvarado in May, a fifth Pacquiao-Marquez fight could be on the cards.
“I’m not thinking about the next fight,” Pacquiao said. “I’m thinking about this fight.”
However, Pacquiao can never escape speculation about a matchup with unbeaten Mayweather.
In late 2009 and early 2010, Pacquiao and Mayweather were considered the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters and record profits were expected from a showdown.
But a disagreement over pre-fight blood testing scuttled talks.
Mayweather vowed never again to do business with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, but the subject never goes away.
“I’ve thought about it so much, I’ve had dreams about that fight,” Roach said.
While he added that it seems to be “getting further away instead of closer” Roach added that he thought it would happen simply because there are so few big-draw opponents for Mayweather and Pacquiao as they seek to extend their careers and cement their legacies.
“The pool’s very small for both guys,” Roach said. “Somewhere they’re going to have to fight each other.”
Roach thinks meeting Pacquiao has become more important for Mayweather.
At 45-0 with 26 knockouts, the 37-year-old Mayweather is approaching the 46-0 career mark of retired Welsh star Joe Calzaghe and the iconic 49-0 mark of heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano.
But Roach said that unbeaten record loses some gloss without a Pacquiao fight on it.
“His record looks good, but if he’s so good, why didn’t he fight Pacquiao?” Roach asked.
In the meantime, Pacquiao is calmly getting on with the business of preparing for Bradley, who has twice defended the title he won from Pacquiao and taken his record to 31-0 with 12 knockouts.
In his only fight of 2013 Pacquiao defeated Brandon Rios to take his record to 55-5 with two draws and 38 knockouts.
Asked if there was anything he saw from Bradley in their first fight that concerned him, Pacquiao thought for a moment, and said: “No, nothing.”
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How to increase your savings
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- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
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8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
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8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
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10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
