For Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao, success is the ultimate revenge to those who doubted their dynamic duo. Both Roach and Pacquiao won the prestigious and coveted Trainer and Fighter of the Year at the 84th BWAA awards dinner held last night in New York City. Chalk that up as 3 for Roach and 2 for Pacquiao.
?Fast? Eddie Chambers asked Freddie Roach if he was disappointed that Floyd Mayweather Sr. wasn?t the one who presented him his trainer of the year award.
Roach replied, (laughing) No. I took it from his palms.
When asked about his reaction on receiving another Trainer of the Year award from the BWAA, Roach readily gave praise back to his star pupil.
?Well you know? Manny Pacquiao, he wants to learn. He wants to get better all the time. He?s very teachable so he?s a great student and we just really have fun together. We?re not inventing a wheel or anything like that, we?re just coming up with different combinations using both hands and he?s becoming a more complete fighter and the thing is about it, we study the opponents and he knows how to take advantage of their mistakes at this point of his life.?
Gorgeous bantamweight boxer Noriko Kariya who was part of the video coverage of the dinner ceremony asked further asked Roach some questions about his successful professional relationship with Manny Pacquiao and their future.
Noriko – Freddie, watching the 24/7 and really seeing you interact with Manny, you get to see that you really have such an amazing rapport with him and a great understanding amongst the two of you. As Manny?s career sort of winds down, where does that take you? Not that he?s your only fighter but he?s a big part of your stable.
Roach – He is you know, and people think I?m going crazy because I want Manny to fight two more big fights then retire because I want him to go out on top. People say ?that?s the guy you?re making money from and that?s how you make a living? you know, but I say I?m happy with Manny?s career, he?s done everything he needs to achieve. With Mayweather coming up I think will be the icing on the cake and of course Cotto-Mosley if they fight each other we?ll fight the winner of that and then I?d like to see Manny retire and he?ll become the president of the Philippines.
Noriko – Who would you prefer to see between Cotto and Mosley?
Roach – I don?t care. Either one of them, no problem whatsoever, but right now I think Mayweather is the best fight for Manny and that?s the fight that I want.
Chambers – You know what I saw that quote before. You said that would be the easiest fight for Manny.
Roach – That?s very easy. He?s not as strong as Cotto or Shane, he?s not a big puncher, he?s been out a long time now. He struggled with Hatton, he was behind after six rounds, and Manny just destroyed Hatton. He struggled with Oscar De la Hoya, Manny destroyed Oscar? Who?s the better fighter?
Chambers – I can?t argue, I mean Manny has proven himself. I?m usually not caught up in the fights, I try to keep neutral but after that knockout with Hatton it?s just.. Does he stop to amaze you?
Roach – (laughing) Sure you know.. but his work ethic is just amazing and I?m just really happy he walked in my door one day.
Chambers – Real quickly, you just signed two Cuban fighters. This fellow Rigeondeux (Guillermo Rigondeaux), people are saying, may be the next coming of the next coming? I know you worked with him briefly, just a quick scouting report on him.
Roach – I tell you what, he reminded me of the first day Manny Pacquiao walked in to my gym, very talented guy. He said to his trainer, his trainer told me he?s going to Vegas to try a couple of other trainers out, but he says I want to stay here. And we hit it off right away so when I get back from Amir Khan?s title fight, I will start working with him. Looks like he?s next fight will be July 17.
Other quotes from the event:
Promoter Lou Di Bella said:
?Pacquiao is more important than the president of the Philippines?
BWAA President Jack Hirsch said
?The winner of the 2008 BWAA Fighter of the Year award is Manny Pacquiao. To give you an idea of how hard it is to win a BWAA Fighter of the year award, consider this. The great Willie Pep, one of the best pure boxers in the history of the sport never won the BWAA Fighter of the Year award, not even Roy Jones. The incomparable Frankie Ray Robinson considered by yours to be the best five all time pound-for-pound, won the BWAA Fighter of the Year award one time in his 25 year career. And Manny Pacquiao has now won it twice and judging by the start he got off in 2009 defeating Ricky Hatton in such sensational manner, he?s well on his way to win his Fighter of the Year award number 3.?
Here?s the list of the all-time BWAA Edward J. Neil Fighter of Year award winners
1938 — Jack Dempsey 1939 — Billy Conn 1940 — Henry Armstrong 1941 — Joe Louis 1942 — Barney Ross 1943 — Boxers of the armed forces 1944 — Benny Leonard 1945 — James J. Walker 1946 — Tony Zale 1947 — Gus Lesnevich 1948 — Ike Williams 1949 — Ezzard Charles 1950 — Sugar Ray Robinson 1951 — Jersey Joe Walcott 1952 — Rocky Marciano 1953 — Kid Gavilan 1954 — Carl “Bobo” Olson 1955 — Carmen Basilio 1956 — Floyd Patterson 1957 — Carmen Basilio 1958 — Archie Moore 1959 — Ingemar Johansson 1960 — Floyd Patterson 1961 — Gene Fullmer 1962 — Dick Tiger 1963 — Emile Griffith 1964 — Willie Pastrano 1965 — Muhammad Ali 1966 — Dick Tiger 1967 — Carlos Ortiz 1968 — Bob Foster 1969 — Joe Frazier 1970 — Ken Buchanan 1971 — Joe Frazier 1972 — Carlos Monzon 1973 — George Foreman 1974 — Muhammad Ali 1975 — Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier 1976 — Howard Davis, Leo Randolph, Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks 1977 — Ken Norton 1978 — Larry Holmes 1979 — Sugar Ray Leonard 1980 — Thomas Hearns 1981 — Sugar Ray Leonard 1982 — Aaron Pryor 1983 — Marvin Hagler 1984 — Thomas Hearns 1985 — Marvin Hagler 1986 — Mike Tyson 1987 — Julio Cesar Chavez 1988 — Mike Tyson 1989 — Pernell Whitaker 1990 — Evander Holyfield 1991 — James Toney 1992 — Riddick Bowe 1993 — Pernell Whitaker 1994 — George Foreman 1995 — Oscar De La Hoya 1996 — Evander Holyfield 1997 — Evander Holyfield 1998 — Shane Mosley 1999 — Lennox Lewis 2000 — Felix Trinidad 2001 — Bernard Hopkins 2002 — Vernon Forrest 2003 — James Toney 2004 — Glen Johnson 2005 — Ricky Hatton 2006 — Manny Pacquiao 2007 — Floyd Mayweather
