Needing absolutely no introduction, we’ll just let Freddie Roach, star of the formal March 11th press conference between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, speak his mind. Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
When it comes to Mayweather, he is to Roach like a gigantic Twinkie for a fat man in the mood to snack. Consider any reporter from the Philippines approaching Roach the most cheerful Hostess truck you’ve ever seen in your life.
Yesterday, speaking to Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN News, Roach crawled all over Mayweather before devouring him.
“I think Manny is the much better boxer, because he’s had someone to teach him along the way,” delighted Roach. “Mayweather, I think he trains himself.”
Wow. He wasn’t done.
“He grew up in the ring. He grew up with his uncle (Roger Mayweather) and his dad fighting, but he just became a fighter naturally. He is self-made. But the thing is, he’s never really had anyone teach him how to really box. So (Mayweather) does set traps, but if you’re smart enough, you will see it. And Manny’s smart enough to see it.”
I’m gonna go out on a limb and suggest Floyd Sr. and uncle Roger think this is perhaps the craziest thing ever to come out of the mouth of any trainer in boxing history.
Floyd Sr., who Roach ridiculed last week by saying he’s basically a total liability in the corner because of his anxiety issues, sprayed a little verbal “Raid” on Roach (who suffers from Parkinson’s as we all know) in response.
“We were enjoying a beautiful day until we heard what Freddie ‘The Joke Coach’ Roach had to say. He had the nerve and the audacity to say some shit like that?” dropped Mayweather Sr., in an exclusive with go-to guy Ben Thompson of FightHype. “Freddie, you have the problem, not me. Why are you not training all of your fighters anymore? Why do other people have to hold the mitts and speak for you?”
Sr. went on to chase Roach all around the article, which was a pretty fun read from Thompson.
Sr.’s younger brother Jeff seems to think that all of this talk has made Floyd open up cans of equal opportunity whoop-ass, the latest being southpaw veteran Zab Judah.
“Just beat the (bleep) out of him,” Jeff Mayweather said. “He beat Judah so bad, Judah was scared to let his hands go.”
Then again, Paulie Malignaggi, who probably hits no harder than a flyweight, beat the same thing out of him over a year ago, so we don’t know how much stock to put into a beating of Judah. Apparently, Floyd is getting his $4000 a-day meal plan worth by pounding calories out of hapless sparring partners, spurred on by the additional motivation from Pacquiao’s trainer.
Roach isn’t impressed and doesn’t give a damn.
“That’s how worried they are. They talk a lot, and we already know that. But we’re gonna hit a lot,” Roach revealed, while mentioning Pacquiao sparring partners Kenneth Sims of Chicago and Dierry Jean from Haiti, not only mimic Mayweather in style- but in personality.
“Stylewise its important but I get a couple of guys that talk a lot, they fight like Mayweather because they kind of idolise him as a fighter and most of these guys want to be like him, or want to be him. I know them. They?re talking to Manny, giving him some s***. I?m happy about that. Manny?s going to have to get used to that. Mayweather, on the inside, he talks a lot,? Roach explained.
Alright fine.
But let’s get back to this “better boxer” thingy in what I feel is just an absolute bombshell. That statement, when coupled with Roach’s assertion that Mayweather’s legs are “shot” and that (to Mayweather’s face at the press event) their going to “kick his ass”, will be “thee” story line to fall back on May 3rd if Pacquiao wins this fight decisively.
Having already destroyed a Floyd Sr. trained Ricky Hatton on another (eh-mmm) May 2nd, this would just take the cake. He would effectively shatter a myth bigger than what Antonio Tarver did against Roy Jones (Buddy McGirt was never this vocal), and eclipse what his legendary mentor Eddie Futch was able to achieve with Joe Frazier or Ken Norton combined (Futch never had anywhere close to a rivalry with Angelo Dundee like Roach has with Floyd Sr.).
Given all the reports coming out of Las Vegas about Floyd looking better than he ever has in his illustrious career, if Pacquiao actually destroys “TBE” while assisted by Alex Ariza…
I mean, if that happens (and is it me, or was Bob Arum absolutely licking his chops at the press event?), with Roach sounding as confident as he ever has (let’s not forget Pacquiao’s now famous “I’m more worried about Cotto and De La Hoya than Mayweather”), he’d have to be considered one of the greatest trainers of all-time.
And just think, the fun hasn’t even really started yet.
