As we all very well know by now, 2008 was a triple crown type of year for Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao dominated 2008 by beating Juan Manuel Marquez, then by destroying David Diaz, and finally by dominating Oscar De La Hoya. A very important reason for Pacquiao’s great improvements through the years has been the coaching of the often overlooked Freddie Roach.
Well in this year of 2009 Roach has the chance of putting together his very own triple crown kind of year. Last week Amir Khan cut up and battered Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in a bloody affair. Many observers questioned if that was the very same Khan that had gotten flattened by Breidis Prescott just 2 fights ago. Well it was the same Khan only this time he was the new and improved Amir Khan.
After Prescott blasted Khan, Khan then began to work with Roach, now under Roach’s watchful eye, Amir Khan can now begin to become a real live threat in the loaded 135 pound division. Aside from transforming Khan into a future world champion, Roach will not only have his hands full in training Pacquiao in what is to be the sports biggest event against the tough as nails Ricky Hatton on May 2nd, but Roach is also busy training the tough Bernabe Concepcion against the feisty Steve Luevano on the Pacquiao/Hatton undercard for Luevano’s WBO featherweight title.
Khan’s latest showing may just very well be a sign of great things to come for the man that coached the one time swing for the fences wild child into the controlled poised viper we now see today in Manny Pacquiao. No doubt about it that 2008 belonged to the fighter, 3 months into the year and 2009 has the early makings of belonging to the teacher, Freddie Roach the coach of the ever so dangerous triple threat.
