• Floyd Mayweather v Marcos Maidana

Mayweather's legs are shot, says Roach

Floyd Mayweather is not the fighter he once was, according to Freddie Roach © Getty Images

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Floyd Mayweather is a fighter whose legs are "shot" and would be vulnerable to the faster Amir Khan if a fight between them ever happened, according to Freddie Roach.

Roach, who was once Khan's coach and now trains Manny Pacquiao, has claimed that the 37-year-old Mayweather is not the fighter he once was ahead of his rematch with Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"I'm convinced his legs are shot," Roach told the Guardian. "Look at the first four rounds of the first [Maidana] fight.

"Great fighters in later years often go to the ropes as they slow down, but he got into trouble there. He was under a lot of pressure. Mayweather at his best would never fight like that."

Mayweather is billing his fight with Maidana as the only one that currently matters to him, but the Argentine is seen as a softer option compared to the younger Khan. Mayweather defeated Maidana on points in May, a feat Khan managed four years earlier.

Roach said that, if a Mayweather v Khan fight could be arranged, he would be tipping the British fighter for the win.

"It is his speed that would be the difference," Roach said. "He's just too fast for Mayweather."

Roach's statements might appear counter-intuitive, given his acrimonious split from Khan in 2012 and his interest in making Mayweather look good. The reason for that is a Mayweather v Pacquiao fight is one that boxing fans still want to see - even though the chances of the bout taking place have been seriously diminished after years of wrangling.

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