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Philippines, 25 Jul 2025 |
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SPORTS SHORTS 74: FREDDIE ROACH HAS TRAINED 41 BOXING AND 11 MMA WORLD CHAMPIONS By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Mon, 08 Mar 2021  Former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao on Saturday greeted his longtime trainer Freddie Roach, whom he called as “the best trainer in the world” through his social media account. Pacquiao knows he could not be where he is now without his Hall of Fame trainer. * * * "Happy Birthday to the best trainer in the world, my mentor, my best friend, @freddieroach," was Pacquiao's message on Roach's birthday as posted. Roach turned 61 on Friday, March 5 (Saturday, Manila time). * * * Frederick Steven Roach was born on March 5, 1960 at Dedham, Massachusetts, U.S.A. He was a former professional boxer and is widely regarded as one of the best boxing trainers of all time. * * * Roach had a professional boxing record of 40 wins, 15 by KOs, 13 losses, and no draw. He had his pro debut on August 24, 1978 by outpointing Roberto Vasquez at the Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. * * * His last pro fight, his 53rd bout, was a majority decision loss to American David Rivello On October 24, 1986 at the Lowell Auditorium, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.A. * * * Roach fought in the featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight divisions. His nicknames were Master Roach, La Cucaracha, and The Choir Boy. He was an orthodox fighter. * * * Roach owns the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles and works with the assistance of his brother Pepper. His most prized trainee is eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. * * * Roach also trained Oscar De La Hoya for his May 5, 2007 multi-million dollar fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. His first world champion was Virgil Hill, former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion, whom he took over from his own former trainer, Eddie Futch. * * * Roach first trained Pacquiao in 2001 against South African champion Lehlo Ledwaba for the IBF super bantamweight title. Fighting on short notice in his US debut, the underdog Pacquiao stopped Ledwaba in the sixth round which made him an instant celebrity and catapulted his career to greater heights. * * * Twenty years later, the pair remains a potent force in boxing with Pacquiao still among the biggest blockbuster attraction in the sport. * * * Among the notable boxers Roach trained, including 41 past and present world champions, were: Vanes Martirosyan of Armenia Kahren Harutyunyan of Armenia Leonardo Zappavigna of Australia Jean Pascal of Canada, light heavyweight champion * * * Zou Shiming of China, flyweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba, bantamweight amd super bantamweight champion Johnny Bredahl of Denmark, bantamweight champion Bernard Dunne of Ireland, super bantamweight champion * * * Jamie Kavanagh of Ireland Steve Collins of Ireland, middleweight and super middleweight champion O'Neil Bell of Jamaica, cruiserweight champion Israel Vasquez of Mexico, super bantamweight champion Juan Lazcano of Mexico * * * Julio César Chávez Jr. of Mexico, middleweight champion Ray Beltrán of Mexico, lightweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. of Mexico, heavyweight champion Lucia Rijker of Netherlands, women's light welterweight champion * * * Kingsley Ikeke of Nigeria Lateef Kayode of Nigeria Wale Omotoso of Nigeria * * * Ana Julaton of Philippines, women's super bantamweight champion Bobby Pacquiao of Philippines Diosdado Gabi of Philippines Gerry Peñalosa of Philippines, super flyweight and bantamweight champion * * * Manny Pacquiao of Philippines, flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and super welterweight champion Michael Domingo of Philippines Michael Farenas of Philippines Rey Bautista of Philippines * * * Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, light welterweight, welterweight, and super welterweight champion Alberto Machado of Puerto Rico, super featherweight champion * * * Dimitri Kirilov of Russia, super flyweight champion Roman Karmazin of Russia, light heavyweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia, light welterweight champion Denis Lebedev of Russia, cruiserweight champion * * * Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine, heavyweight champion, Roach was his former assistant trainer Viktor Postol of Ukraine, light welterweight champion Amir Khan of United Kingdom, light welterweight champion * * * Wayne McCullough of United Kingdom, bantamweight champion Craig McEwan of United Kingdom Gary Stretch of United Kingdom Scott Quigg of United Kingdom, super bantamweight champion * * * Bernard Hopkins of United States, middleweight and light heavyweight champion Brian Minto of United States Cruiserweight Brian Viloria of United States and Philippines, light flyweight and flyweight champion Daniel Jacobs of United States, middleweight champion David Rodela of United States * * * Efrain Esquivias Jr. of United States Frankie Liles of United States, super middleweight champion James Toney of United States, middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight champion Johnny Tapia of United States, super flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight champion José Benavidez of United States * * * Marlon Starling of United States, welterweight champion Michael Moorer of United States, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion José Ramírez of United States, light welterweight champion Mickey Rourke of United States Light heavyweight * * * Mike Tyson of United States, heavyweight champion Oscar De La Hoya of United States, super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, super welterweight and middleweight champion, he was trained only for his fight with Mayweather in 2007 Peter Manfredo Jr. of United States Peter Quillin of United States, middleweight champion * * * Frankie Gómez of United States Virgil Hill of United States, light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Willie Jorrin of United States Jorge Linares of Venezuela, featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight champion * * * Roach also has trained 11 mixed martial arts (MMA) world champions and they were: Anderson Silva of Brazil Andrei Arlovski of Belarus B.J. Penn of United States Caol Uno of Japan Frank Mir of United States * * * Gegard Mousasi of Armenia José Aldo of Brazil K.J. Noons of United States Maurício Rua of Brazil Tito Ortiz of United States Georges St-Pierre of Canada Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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