Pacquiao’s trainer issues new challenge to Mayweather

Freddie Roach threw down the gauntlet to Floyd Mayweather, saying the American boxer needs to stop talking about beating Manny Pacquiao and prove it in the ring.

“Mayweather has to put up or shut up now or move out of the country,” Pacquiao’s trainer Roach said.

“If he doesn’t fight Manny now, Mayweather should retire.”

Roach said Pacquiao stuck to the game plan at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday and it paid off in one of the most impressive victories of the Filipino fighter’s career as Pacquiao pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Margarito.

Pacquiao, who has won 13 consecutive fights since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005, was planning to face unbeaten Mayweather earlier this year before negotiations broke off over a drug-testing dispute.

Heading into Saturday’s fight some had speculated this might be the Filipino’s last but Pacquiao said two days ago that he wants to have three more fights. And after the way he bloodied, bruised and disfigured Margarito’s face it looks like the sport’s pound-for-pound champion is still at the top of his game.

Roach made good on his promise to personally go into Margarito’s dressing room before the fight to watch the taping of his hands. Margarito is coming off a one-year ban after getting caught using illegal wraps against Shane Mosley.

Now a new controversy has erupted as Roach said Margarito attempted to take ephedrine before the world title fight.

“He (Margarito) pulled a bottle of ephedrine out of his bag,” Roach said.

“My guy called him on it and he put the pill down and didn’t take it. Ephedrine is illegal.”