GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Although he refuses to comment on the controversial separation between Freddie Roach and his long-time Australian strength coach Justin Fortune, Manny Pacquiao appears inclined to stick it out with his long-time American mentor.
“I haven’t given it much thought,” said Pacquiao over the weekend when asked to comment on the decision of Fortune to pack his bags and go on his own after he and Roach disagreed over money matters.
“I have been so consumed by the elections that I haven’t thought much about boxing,” said Pacquiao, who scored an eighth-round knockout win over Jorge Solis of Mexico last April 14 in Texas with Fortune calling the shots.
Top Rank is likely to side with the renegade cornerman after Roach went to the camp of Oscar Dela Hoya.
Fortune and Roach ended their relationship that stretches back to the early 1990s after Fortune did not agree that the 47-year-old Roach doesn’t deserve a single cent on the 0,000 check as the trainer’s share on Pacquiao’s million paycheck from the Solis showdown.
Roach said Fortune, a former heavyweight who once fought Lennox Lewis, ran away with the check and is not keen in giving the 47-year-old Roach his cut as Pacquiao’s chief trainer.
Fortune spent three weeks training Pacquiao at the Wild Card Boxing Club which Roach owns and Roach only showed up on the day Pacquiao faced Solis although he had set the stage for Pacquiao’s training there.
Roach said he had assured Fortune that he would call the shots in the corner of Pacquiao, who had also been well informed about his arrival from San Juan, Perto Rico, where Roach has been busy working with De La Hoya.
It was Top Rank that gave out the check bearing Fortune’s name, a clear sign that the Las Vegas-based promotional outfit is not comfortable with somebody who is identified with Golden Boy Promotions (which De La Hoya owns).
Pacquiao and Roach’s partnership began when a still-unknown Pacquiao, accompanied by then-business manager Rod Nazario, showed up at the Wild Card in Hollywood looking for someone to train him in May, 2001.
After just a few punches thrown on the mitts by Pacquiao, Roach said he and the walk-in boxer never missed a beat.
Pacquiao’s Filipino training assistant, Buboy Fernandez, also declined to make a comment on the still-burning issue although it is obvious that his heart goes for Roach, whose gym Fernandez uses to make some extra dollars and other walk-ins like Hollywood television actor Mario Lopez after Pacquiao’s training.
