Pacquiao must beat Horn to have hope of Mayweather rematch – Roach

BRISBANE, Australia - Manny Pacquiao must beat Jeff Horn in style on Sunday if he is to have any hope of getting a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, according to his trainer Freddie Roach.

"No he (Jeff Horn) is not a bum in the road. I mean the thing is he could derail us really badly," explained Roach. "I mean, you know, Manny is like I think in a must-win situation. He wants a rematch with (Floyd) Mayweather. I mean to get Mayweather you have to look good against Jeff Horn, he has to look good, I mean he has to be impressive.

Pacquiao, 38, lost to Mayweather when the two met in May 2015 and he would like a second chance to fight the American who is coming out of retirement to face MMA star Conor McGregor in August.

Roach told reporters on Tuesday that Pacquiao was looking strong and in good shape after a training camp in the Philippines.

The WBO welterweight champion said he couldn't think about any possible rematch and was fully focused on his fight against 29-year-old Horn who is undefeated in his 17 professional bouts.

The fight will take place in Horn's home city of Brisbane at the Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. — Reuters