Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao speaks on KLAC Sports radio.
Seven hours after Oscar De La Hoya and Co. announced his mega bout with Manny Pacquiao to the media via teleconference, Pacquiao’s trainer, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, went on the AM 570 KLAC Sports radio show to discuss the now signed fight.
Roach, never one to hold his tongue, reiterated his comments on De La Hoya’s failure to “pull the trigger” at this point in his career, along with his belief that Pacquiao will knock out De La Hoya come December 6.
To know Freddie Roach, or be close enough to see how he conducts himself, is something special. This isn’t a trash talking trainer who blindly throws out insults and proclaims his fighter is the best thing since Muhammad Ali. Freddie Roach is a straight talking, good natured boxing head.
A former fighter himself, Roach fought his first professional fight at the Boston Garden in 1978. Although his only success as a boxer was a New England state featherweight championship en route to a 39-13 record, he stuck with boxing after his last fight in 1986 and went on to become one of the most revered trainers in the boxing game.
The list of his fighters is impressive.
Among the boxers he trained are as follows: James Toney, Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, Michael Moorer, Peter Manfredo Jr., Israel Vasquez, Oscar De La Hoya, and now, Manny Pacquiao.
In 2006, he was named the BWAA trainer of the year and was inducted into Boxing’s Hall of Fame. Roach is a solid veteran of the game, booking 30 years involved in the sport of boxing. He is a very soft talking, serene type of guy. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Roach doesn’t let his impairment affect him whatsoever.
As caught on De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7, the HBO documentary that covered both fighters training camps, Roach exercised daily and, as his fighter De La Hoya said to cameras, “we have a hard time keeping up with Freddie!”
When asked during the radio interview if he likes the hoopla that documentary’s like that bring, he simply said, “I just want to go to the gym and work.”
Roach was further asked on how he felt training De La Hoya for only one fight, then getting dumped for trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., who trained De La Hoya in 1999 and into the 2000’s.
Being the straight shooter that he is, Roach agreed to some animosity towards the Golden Boy. DLH apparently told him he’d never fight with anyone else in his corner. On December 6, De La Hoya is expected to enlist Floyd Mayweather Sr. for training duties.
“I’m just an honest guy,” the soft spoken but heavy content laden trainer said.
And therein lie’s the testament of Freddie Roach.
He is not demeaning in his dialogue, but spits out the truth, no matter if he’s talking about boxing’s biggest figure in DLH, or talking about any one of his many fighters.
To end the interview, Roach proclaimed DLH picked the wrong opponent this time around.
He probably picked the wrong trainer, too.
