Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally faced off in May 2015 after years of speculation. The match, one of the biggest in boxing history, ended with Mayweather winning by unanimous decision.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's long-time trainer, recently stirred the pot by claiming Mayweather's undefeated record isn't as pristine as it seems. Roach pointed to Mayweather's 2002 bout against Jose Luis Castillo, saying, "He lost that fight."
Before the Pacquiao match, Mayweather boasted a 47-0 record. He held the unified WBC and WBA welterweight titles and had won world titles from super-featherweight to super-welterweight. His list of victories included big names like Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao, for his part, was the reigning WBO welterweight champion and had claimed world titles in a record eight divisions. He'd also beaten some of boxing's best, including De La Hoya, Cotto, and Marquez.
Roach didn't pull any punches when discussing Mayweather's record. He said:
"Floyd can say what he wants, but I saw Floyd get almost beat by Oscar and when he fought [Jose Luis] Castillo for the first time."
Roach claimed Castillo won their first fight by putting pressure on Mayweather and breaking him down. The trainer also mentioned a conversation with De La Hoya:
"I talked to him about Floyd when we had him in camp with us and he told me Pacquiao is faster and hits way harder than Mayweather."
The Mayweather-Castillo fights took place in April 2002. Mayweather won the first bout by a close points decision, but some fans and Roach believed Castillo deserved the win. Mayweather won the immediate rematch, also by points decision.
Despite the outcome of their 2015 fight, Pacquiao still wants another shot at Mayweather. The Filipino star continues to express interest in a rematch to this day.
