MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach has led many young upstarts to boxing glory. Could he do the same with pop star Justin Bieber? We'll never know.
Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and a number of other top boxers during his career, told TMZ that he wouldn't take on the pop star as a pupil, saying "I don't train girls."
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The jibe isn't entirely accurate, as the 7-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year has worked with female champions Ana Julaton and Lucia Rijker.
Roach's heat with Bieber likely stems from Bieber's BFF friendship wth Floyd Mayweather Jr, the long-time rival of Pacquiao. Bieber fired the first shot in 2012 when he uploaded an Instagram post mocking Pacquiao's knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao apparently didn't know what Bieber looked like, admitting in this interview with HBO's The Fight Game that he didn't recognize him when he walked on stage at the press conference to announce his 2015 fight against Mayweather.
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Bieber has posted several videos of himself training with Mayweather and has expressed interest in fighting pro. At least looks more competent in the ring than other rappers like Meek Mill.
Roach likely has no available time to take on new fighters as he's currently preparing Pacquiao for his April 9 bout against Timothy Bradley Jr. – Rappler.com