The bonding didn’t begin in the gym. It was on the road.
Oscar De La Hoya and trainer Freddie Roach began connecting while traveling together on a nationwide press tour to promote tonight’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Roach started working the mitts with his new pupil, and that’s when Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer noticed something.
“They immediately clicked,” Schaefer said.
Roach and De La Hoya, two people with impressive credentials, learned each other’s likes and dislikes and have developed a cohesiveness that will finally be put to the test after months of training.
De La Hoya hired Roach, 47, after refusing to pay former trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. more money. In Roach, he got a former Trainer of the Year who is a disciple of Hall of Famer Eddie Futch, who was Joe Frazier’s trainer.
Roach, who compiled a 39-13 record as a fighter against the likes of Hector Camacho and Bobby Chacon, has trained 18 world champions, most notably super featherweight Manny Pacquiao.
“Freddie pushes me hard every single day,” De La Hoya said. “When it comes to my conditioning, I’ll be able to do everything I want to do inside that ring. I didn’t think I could get in better shape at this point of my career, but Freddie has really taken it up a notch when it comes to being in good shape for a fight.”
The 5-foot-5 Roach, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, stands out with his crew cut and black-rimmed glasses. In the HBO documentary series 24/7, he is spotted sitting by himself in a small cafe in Puerto Rico, a man who doesn’t enjoy glitz or glamour.
He doesn’t get rattled easily but isn’t timid either. When asked about Mayweather’s incessant trash-talking during a press tour stop in Dallas, Roach laughed it off. He’s used to working with heavyweight James Toney, a consummate trash-talker.
When he began working with De La Hoya, Roach admits he was leery. Here’s an aging legend, in the latter part of his career, but questions about De La Hoya’s dedication were quickly answered.
“No matter what task we had for him, he did it,” Roach said.
The two began working at 5:30 each morning, when De La Hoya would jog, and continue throughout the day. De La Hoya’s favorite thing, Roach said, is when they work the mitts.
Unlike Mayweather Sr., whose strength was defense, Roach specializes in aggressiveness and offense. As he worked on combinations with De La Hoya, Roach broke down each sequence. There’s a purpose behind every punch, Roach would tell him.
“It’s nonstop with Freddie Roach,” De La Hoya said. “It’s combination after combination, it’s ducking under punches, it’s constant pressure.”
Sugar Shane Mosley, De La Hoya’s business partner, has sparred with him and noticed a difference from working with Roach. De La Hoya has gone from having short, choppier punches to extending more shots.
“They have a great understanding with each other,” Mosley said. “They’re working as a team together, and it looks good.”
Roach is confident but even-keeled about tonight’s fight. They’re coming to win, he said, but he isn’t getting excited. You can’t get excited, Futch used to say, because that will get a fighter excited.
“We’ve just improved on some moves and worked on strategy and how to handle a fighter like Mayweather,” Roach said. “Oscar’s been a great fighter way before me.”
What to watch for
The “World” won’t have to wait any longer. It’s here.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya meet tonight for the WBC 154-pound championship.
The fight, with its promotion moniker “The World Waits,” is one of the most anticipated boxing events in years.
Tickets for the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas sold out in three hours to set a live-gate record of $19 million.
Here are some storylines to tonight’s fight:
The spotlight: Sure, Floyd Mayweather’s been in title fights, but not at this level. This is Oscar De La Hoya’s stage, and it will be interesting to see if the glare of the spotlight carries even more pressure for Mayweather.
Three in a row? A De La Hoya win would be amazing, but consider that the past two foes who talked trash to him (Ricardo Mayorga and Fernando Vargas) lost by technical knockout.
Experience: They’ve been in the Olympics. They’ve been in world title fights. They’ve fought for a combined 24 years. Two talented, savvy veterans won’t waste a punch, and both will have to earn every point they get from the judges.
The trainers: Mayweather complains that his uncle, Roger Mayweather, doesn’t get enough credit. Freddie Roach, De La Hoya’s trainer, is already considered one of boxing’s best. It’s a great matchup in the corners, and the winning trainer is assured of going down as a legend.
The sport’s health: Boxing fans better hope and pray for a high-quality fight. If that happens, this sport could be resurrected and get a boost back to prominence. A lackluster, or lopsided, fight would be disastrous.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
8 tonight, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
12 rounds, 154 pounds
TV: HBO Pay-per-view
Records: De La Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs); Mayweather Jr. (37-0, 24 KOs)
Weigh-in: De La Hoya, 154 pounds; Mayweather Jr., 150
At stake: De La Hoya’s WBC super welterweight title
[email protected] Trae Thompson, 817-685-3866
