Roach on Pacquiao's preparation

Published Feb. 22, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, will talk with FOXSports.com each week leading up to Pacquiao's March 13 welterweight title fight with Joshua Clottey (on HBO pay-per-view).

This is the first in a four-part series.

FOXSports.com: How tough is it to get up for this fight when you were so close to the mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

Roach: There is no problem getting up for this fight. It’s a good challenge. It’s a little disappointing. I was looking for the challenge of getting ready for Mayweather’s difficult style. But you know Clottey is a suitable opponent. He’s a dangerous guy. And so we have been pretty set. And it wasn’t a huge challenge getting up for him.

FOXSports.com: How furious are you guys about the steroid allegations thrown out by Team Mayweather and that you can't fight Floyd Jr. in the ring?

Roach: Pretty much the allegations are unproven and there’s a lawsuit pending and I think he’ll lose that lawsuit. You can’t go around saying stuff like that without evidence. You know, I hope we can fight him someday to shut him up. If that ever happens, so be it.

FOXSports.com: How have the allegations affected Manny?

Roach: He’s got a reputation, of course, and it’s the first time I’ve seen Manny angry at another fighter. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him like that.

FOXSports.com: How tough is it to switch from preparing for Mayweather to preparing for Clottey, who's a totally different fighter?

Roach: Well, we’ve given a chance to Clottey, and we stand by that. It’s really not that bad. He’s in the same condition as us. We know how tough the guy is, and he fights a certain style.

FOXSports.com: How do you keep Manny focused despite the increasing number of distractions?

Roach: We fight our fight. We try our best, but we have distractions. We’ve been able to step it in our training. But we’ve been able to say that’s it.

FOXSports.com: How do you feel about fighting in a building that's as palatial as Cowboys Stadium?

Roach: We’re really excited to fight in Cowboys Stadium. It’s a beautiful, beautiful place. Manny’s said it’s an honor to fight there. He loves it.