A couple of weeks ago I sat down for a talk with one of the most dedicated people I have ever met. Freddie Roach as most of you know is beyond a definition of a boxing trainer. Not only has he been successfully training some of the most influential boxers in recent history, he has been doing so while actively battling his own body. Freddie has been ill with Parkinson?s disease for many years now, and while it has been progressing, he gives it no opportunity to show itself. Roach is in the gym six days a week, holding pads, giving advice, and soaking up what he loves more than anything else in this life: Boxing. To him its not a sport, it?s an art. He studies boxers: their movements, their thoughts, and their repetitions in the ring. He deducts, predicts, and he acts. Analyzing his pupil?s opponents to the bone, he creates a strategy that is shockingly accurate. When speaking with Freddie, I didn?t feel like I was interviewing one of the greats. It simply felt like I was having a lunch chat with a buddy. He was open, polite, and enthusiastic. He answered anything I asked without hesitation. Honesty was pouring out of his mouth when he spoke, and while listening to him, my respect for him grew every second. After leaving the gym, I formed a new opinion about Freddie Roach. I knew what he was like as a trainer, but this time I learned about what kind of a person this man was. I will never forget sitting next to Freddie Roach in the ring at the Wildcard boxing gym, and having an hour long conversation with a man who changed the face of boxing, and showed that Parkinson?s disease is only a scary word if you aggressively believe and actively fight.
Following is the transcript of my interview with Freddie Roach, where you will find out answers to some of the questions that are expected, and some that are unconventional. I asked many questions not pertaining to boxing, so that we can all learn about Freddie Roach the person, and not Freddie Roach the trainer.
VS: Is Paulie Amir?s toughest opponent so far?
FR: I don?t think so. We have been studying tapes of him. For visibility he has gone a long way, he has won a world title, not everyone can do that. His boxing ability is not that great though. He is a world champion and I can respect that. I think Kotelnik was a much harder fight than this one, but we will see on the 15th.
VS: How difficult is it to find a sparring partner to replicate Paulie?s fighting style?
FR: I got a kid coming from Detroit, name is Perez. He is 20-0 he is a pro, fights just like Paulie, sticks his tongue out and does all the bullshit.
VS: Do you think that Amir has the skills and the persona to potentially become as big as Manny Pacquiao?
FR: With Pacquiao it took us eight years to get to this level. Amir is a 22 year old young man and we are just entering out second year. That is a really tough question. I think he has the skills and the potential to become a superstar in this sport, but he is in a very tough division right now, there are a lot of great fighters there. I am looking forward to the challenge.
VS: What is your favorite part about Amir as a boxer?
FR: His work ethic. He trains really hard and runs very hard. He is the only guy who could keep up with Pacquiao as far as work ethic goes. I don?t like lazy people in boxing.
VS: What are your thoughts on James Toney in the UFC? Do you think he will succeed?
FR: No. James is a good friend of mine, but he doesn?t have the ground game, and is not that big a puncher. I think the UFC is using him just to show that he can be beat by one of their guys, and that they have a better sport than we do. They are just using him as a stepping stone. I wish James wouldn?t do it. But boxing is a very important part of UFC. Nobody likes the ground game; everyone wants to see a fight. I do understand that there is a lot to the ground fight, but I am just not a big fan. I think their sport is gearing more toward stand-up rather than ground game. I have worked with most of the greats in UFC, and more are calling me for help. Best part of UFC is when they are striking.
VS: Do you think that you will ever have the same kind of bond with another fighter as you do with Pacquiao?
FR: No, I think Manny is once in a lifetime kind of deal. We have a great relationship inside and outside of the ring. I am pretty close to most of my fighters, but Pacquiao probably a little bit extra.
VS: Can you see yourself quit boxing for good?
FR: When I can?t be functional and I can?t catch on the mitts anymore, I will probably quit. I am nowhere close to that yet.
VS: Having trained under the great Eddie Futch, what fundamentals that you have learned from him are you using in your current stable of fighters?
FR: He trained me as a fighter, so I know a lot of his technique. The main rule of Eddie Futch is ?don?t change a fighter? because once they get hit in the ring they will always go back to who they really are. You have to be honest with yourself and know who you are working with and what you can improve. Eddie was very good at that. He passed it along to me and I hope to pass it to someone else. I don?t believe in yelling in the corner to go get him etc, instead giving the fighter direction.
VS: How much of Pacquiao?s success is due to his raw talent vs. learned skill?
FR: About 50/50. Raw talent has taken his along way. Refining helps with fighting the bigger guys at a heavier weight. He can?t fight recklessly with the big guys as he did at 122 lbs; he was getting hit too much. We are still trying to improve and haven?t peaked yet.
VS: Tell me about how you are dealing with Parkinson?s as well as you do?
FR: I chose this sport and I deal with what I have. I don?t want anyone to feel sorry for me because I have the greatest life in the world. I have the best job; make a lot of money etc.
VS: You have said before that you never thought you would ever become a boxing trainer, why not?
FR: Well you go through boxing, and at 27 years of age you are all done, and everyone says when you retire come and I will give you a job. Once that happens, they start making excuses that they are slow right now and don?t have any openings. So you find out who your real friends are. So I got a little bitter at the sport for a little while. I put everything into it and didn?t get much out of it. I had to get a job as a telemarketer selling pens and key chains on the telephone. My name was Joe Davis on the phone. It was Virgil Hill who asked me to help him, because Eddie was a little busy at the time. That was my push towards training fighters. But over the years I have had talented guy believe me. If I didn?t have something to work with, I wouldn?t be that good.
VS: What was the first boxing fight that you have seen on TV?
FR: Back in Boston they used to have Gillette Friday night fights oh UHF station. I believe the first fight was this guy Indian Manuel Lopez. He came out with the Indian gown all the way down to the floor, and he was one of my favorite fighters. Then Bobby Chacon beat him and he became my idle. Later in life I actually fought him, it was a great moment for me.
VS: What was the first live fight you have ever seen?
FR: I saw a lot of live amateur shows of course. Professionally-wise, I think it was a Waltham fight. I don?t remember the names. My mother liked him because he has ?mom? on the back of his shirt. I was about 8 years old. I like it. I always thought ?how do they go ten rounds?? and my dad used to tell me that it will come with experience.
VS: Do you have any other hobbies besides boxing?
FR: No. I am here form 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturday. The only thing I like to do is go to the movies on Sunday.
VS: What was the last movie that you have seen, and what did you think about it?
FR: Crazyheart. It was a great movie. Better than Avatar. Avatar is very scenic and beautiful.
VS: What?s your favorite food? And are there any local spots for that?
FR: Steak! I eat too much meat. I go down to Palm on Hollywood blvd. They put my picture on the wall over there and I don?t have to make reservations. I don?t really like to make plans, just pick up and go. I probably eat too much red meat, but real food for real people!
VS: Do you think that Muhammad Ali was indeed the greatest of all time?
FR: No. Joe Louis was. Ali would have probably have beaten him though. If you take a textbook fighter, Joe Louis was that. He did everything right: combinations, short punches, he was a complete fighter. Ali had natural ability. Technique wise Louis is my favorite.
VS: Prime Ali vs. prime Tyson, who wins?
FR: Ali would have won the fight before it started. Ali would have melted Mike down. Mike looks tough, but Ali would have gotten inside his head. He was great at that. Could have been a great fight though. Mike is a good friend, but I am just being honest.
VS: Do you work out as well?
FR: Well I don?t run because of my knee anymore. I do sprints with the boy sometimes, I race them. With Amir and Manny, they will run 400s, and the last 100 ill sprint with them. So I cheat a little bit but I beat them a couple of times too! I got pictures I can show you! I am fresh at the 100 and they have already done 300.
VS: As far as your job goes, what do you think is the most important aspect of preparing for the fight, not including the physical aspect of it?
FR: Watching the tapes. You have to know how to watch the tapes and take advantage of it. You have to notice habits. I am still studying Mayweather Jr. because I know that fight is going to happen. I know the things we need to work on to win that fight. He has habits. Its like reading the book more than once, you catch something new every time you watch it. And it?s important to study him with different opponents.
VS: Some trainers say that boxing is about hitting and not getting hit, while others disagree promoting being stronger in an exchange. Your thoughts?
FR: Ideally hit and not get hit is a great concept. Impossible though. It?s part of the sport. You want to limit it but not take it out of the equation. If you go into a defensive shell, you will not win any decision. Defense does not win fights. You also need to consider personalities. For example, Manny and Amir are both aggressive, so I am not going to take that away from them because that?s what they do best. But to fight Mayweather, we are going to have to fight a really smart fight, because he is very clever and he has a lot of natural ability. The problem is that they don?t study tapes; they don?t take advantage of what?s out there. They think that he is good enough to just adapt, but that?s why he is such a slow starter. I think that Shane is a lot more interesting than Mayweather for Manny.
VS: What are your thoughts on the Jones vs. Hopkins II that recently happened?
FR: It is the worst boxing event that I have ever seen. I like Bernard he is a friend, but the theatrics are too much. The low blow was on the belt, and the rabbit punches were not at all hard.
VS: You sound like a commentator, and I think you would be good at it. Were you ever considering trying it?
FR: We were actually playing with that a little bit, so we?ll see what happens. They are worried about me because sometimes I get real tired. I think I can do it. I would tell the truth, and that?s what people want to see. Like I would have something to say about Hopkins calling out David Haye. I would say ?Bernard I know you are a good fighter, but that?s too big of a fight for you.?
VS: What are your thoughts on the Klitschko brothers?
FR: I tried them both before. I had Wladimir for 5 fights, and he won all of them. Then Emanuel Stewart told them that he would do a better job than I do because he had Lennox Lewis, and I lost my job. I like Wladimir a lot. If Haye tried to box him, he will get knocked out. Wladimir is a great athlete but a little weak minded. We need David to be aggressive in that fight to have a chance.
VS: Do you think that a third Marquez vs. Manny fight is possible?
FR: If Floyd doesn?t come to the table, I have two people in mind: Marquez, and Margarito. Any one of those guys. We will sell out the Texas stadium with any of those guys. The venue is great. I would like to see that fight one more time. I wasn?t satisfied with that fight. I didn?t like the way Manny fought. Honestly I thought we won the first one. There was a mistake on the scorecards made by one of the judges; he scored it a 10-7 round instead of a 10-6. I protested it but it never went anywhere. I am a little worried about Marquez, because some people just have your number figured out. I would like the challenge.
VS: what do you think will happen to Pacquiao if he wins his political race?
FR: The only difference is that he will be introduced as Congressman Manny Pacquiao, that?s it. The country closes down when he fights, so think they will be ok with that. They will give him 8 weeks to get ready.
I will try to follow up with Freddie sometime in July. I hope to learn more about him and have him answer more fan questions. Please email me any questions that you might have for Freddie and I will attempt to get as many of them answered as possible. Thank you for reading.
Please submit any questions you might have for David Tua and Nikolai Valuev.? to [email protected]
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