Mayweather (R) has received the backing of Uganda’s Juuko.
Boxing.
Ugandan boxer Juuko fought Mayweather as a late substitute in 1999 and worked with Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roch.
KAMPALA. The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight
has got everyone talking. Even those without a clue on boxing have
something to say about the fight due Sunday morning (Saturday night in
Las Vegas). It’s the talk of the town.
One Ugandan that deserves all
the attention while discussing Mayweather-Pacquiao is Justin Juuko. The
Ugandan Destroyer knows both boxers too well.
In 1999, while at the peak of his powers, Juuko
fought American Mayweather but lost in the ninth round. He also recently
posted pictures of himself posing with Pacauiao on Facebook.
“They are both my friends,” Juuko recently told
Daily Monitor. “It’s very hard for me to pick someone to support. I
want the best boxer on the night to win,” added the 42-year-old Juuko.
While he won’t be openly backing any camp on
Sunday morning, the 1990 Commonwealth gold medallist feels the unbeaten
Mayweather has a slight advantage.
“It’s an even fight,” Juuko said, “But Floyd has
an advantage because he is undefeated and knows how to control fights.
And for me, the person who controls the pace of the fight will win. It’s
that simple.”
Pacquiao is famed for his aggressive punching
style while Mayweather tends to be calm in the ring and score points
while defending smartly.
“Styles make fights. Manny’s style is very
problematic and awkward. This makes him a very dangerous opponent and
Floyd must be aware of that,” Juuko added before dismissing recent local
media reports that he is currently sparring with Pacquiao.
“I sparred with Pacquiao some years ago. I think I
had about 60 rounds with him. However, I still meet him because he at
times trains at Wilcard Gym in Hollywood. I work in the same gym,
training some boxers but Manny uses the private wing,” he revealed.
“Remember Freddie Roch (Pacquiao’s trainer) used to train me when I was
still competing.”
Born in Masaka, Juuko rose through the ranks to
become one of Uganda’s best boxers of his generation. He won a light
flyweight gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New
Zealand before clinching the World Boxing Council (WBC) international
super featherweight title.
He, however, still looks back at his Mayweather clash with some level of regret.
“You
know I only had four days to prepare for that fight. I had to lose
several kilos to make the weight and that affected my performance. After
losing, I asked for a rematch but never got it. If I had secured it, we
wouldn’t be talking about Mayweather-Pacquiao now.”
Juuko is now trying to make ends meet as a full time trainer.
