Manny Pacquiao meets with Freddie Roach face-to-face, both agree to reunite -- for real this time

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has agreed to reunite with Manny Pacquiao for the Filipino boxer's fight with Adrien Broner, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

The announcement comes following a confusing couple of days.

Pacquiao, (60-7-2, 39 KO's), who turns 40 on Dec. 17, boxing's only eight-division world champion, initially announced before a press conference Monday in Manhattan that both Buboy Fernandez and Roach would train him and work his corner for the fight against Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs, 1 NC).

However, Roach refused Pacquiao's remarks, expressing bewilderment at the announcement.

"I still have never directly spoken to Manny (since the 2017 loss to Jeff Horn)," Roach said on Tuesday.

"I'm not going to make a move until Manny calls me. I've been like a father to Manny for 15 years. If he can't call me, there will be no deal."

Things are all ironed out now, according to Roach, who told Sports Illustrated via text message that he had agreed to work with Pacquiao again after they met with one another.

"Manny reached out directly," Roach told SI. "We sat together one-on-one. I'll be in his corner Jan 19."

Roach and Pacquiao parted ways after a 16-year partnership following the Filipino's controversial unanimous decision defeat to former titleholder Jeff Horn in 2017.

Pacquiao then named his lifelong friend and assistant coach, Buboy Fernandez, to head trainer. In their first fight together on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pacquiao scored a seventh-round knockout of Lucas Matthysse to win a secondary 147-pound title. He will defend the WBA "Regular" welterweight title against Broner when the two square off at MGM Grand on Jan. 19.

If Pacquiao wins, he could get another shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr., who outpointed him in a much-hyped May 2015 fight.