The two trainers ? and surprisingly not the fighters themselves ? are the ones making a lot of noise the past week as the entourage for the Dec. 6 Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao bout took them to key US cities.
In San Francisco, Freddie Roach, brandishing a toy gun, walked to the dais and rekindled the Oscar-can?t-pull-the-trigger remarks, while Ignacio Beristain, undoubtedly Mexico?s finest corner man, lashed out at accusations that his presence in the Golden Boy?s corner will not make a difference.
After poking fun of De La Hoya, Roach told the press and the public that Pacquiao has told him “that Manny is going to host your (De La Hoya?s) retirement party.”
Before returning to his seat, Roach tapped De La Hoya, who he once trained for eight weeks last year in Puerto Rico, probably telling him that it was all for show.
Beristain, stung by Roach?s display of audacity, was not amused.
“I was told that Freddie said that I won?t alter De La Hoya?s style and that I will only give him water and wash his mouth guard,” Beristain told La Opinion, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the US.
“I am disappointed with Freddie Roach since I consider him a very good trainer but he lost his ethics (etiquette),” Beristain said, this time with long-time compadre Jaime Quintana doing the translation.
Beristain is the trainer of the crafty Juan Manuel Marquez, who is regarded as Pacquiao?s nemesis.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum also joined the fray.
“He?s going to get Oscar dizzy. I really believe that Manny?s going to win by knockout,” said Arum, who promotes the Filipino southpaw.
“Beristain is a great trainer but he?s going to make it worse by trying to change Oscar. That?s how I see it. It?s too late.”
The press tour that kicked in New York last Oct. 1 also brought the major players to Chicago, Houston, San Antonio and San Francisco.
The promotional gimmick winds up Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) in Los Angeles and De La Hoya and Pacquiao will go separate ways shortly after.
Pacquiao will train exclusively at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, while De La Hoya will troop to the mountains of Big Bear.
