FREDDIE STUDIED THE GREAT EDDIE FUTCH
Millbrae, CA-It’s not hard to see that Manny Pacquiao’s ascension in boxing coincided with Freddie Roach’s rise to the top of the training world. Roach, whose first world champion was Virgil Hill, worked in obscurity. After Hill unexpectedly lost to Tommy Hearns in 1992, suffering his first professional defeat, Roach was the first to be let go. Freddie, who was mentored by one of the greatest trainers of all time, Eddie Futch (who also trained Hill and others like Joe Frazier and Alexis Arguello), went on to train other world champions like former bantamweight champion, Johnny Tapia.
ROACH CREDITED WITH MANNY’S METEORIC RISE
When Manny Pacquiao first hooked up with Roach, he had already achieved some boxing success by winning the WBC flyweight championship. However, when Pacquiao got the last minute opportunity to fight for a world title on a PPV show, it was Freddie Roach’s job to prepare Pacquiao to not only win the title, but to do so in a performance do dominant, that it would capture the boxing world’s attention; all that in a span of two weeks.
HUNRGY FIGHTER & A WORLD CLASS TRAINER
During the week leading up to the fight, Manny Pacquiao was for the most part ignored by the boxing press and fans. Roach, who trains many fighters, did not even arrive in Las Vegas until the weigh-in. He made his presence known, claiming that his fighter will upset the long reigning champion. Most people ignored the fact that Pacquiao had won a world title before. Some fighters are brought into last minute fights to lose and that’s how Pacquiao was looked at.
ROACH AT THE TOP OF TRAINNING WORLD
Today, Roach is amongst a short list of world class trainers, who are sometimes more recognizable that the fighter themselves. When future prospects are discussed around the water cooler, trainers certainly become part of the conversation. In the Philippines, Roach has become an Icon of some sorts as well as Pacquiao. He’s worked in the corner of the top Filipino fighters today: Gerry Penalosa, Diosada Gabi, Bobby Pacquiao, and Rey Bautista. He also trains Filipino-American WBC 108 lb. titlist, Brian Viloria, who is set to fight on August 10th along with Gabi in Las Vegas.
NOT ENOUGH OF RAOCH TO GO AROUND
Since Pacquiao has become a pound for pound star, Philippine boxing has received more praise and respect worldwide. Along with the Pac-Man craze, Pinoys and Pinays have learned about other great Filipino fighters from the past and today. Many believe that Filipinos will someday reach the elite status as an entire nation, much like Mexico currently is in boxing. The dream for Filipino boxing is to have four or more world champions like Mexico has had at many points in history. However, the last two fighters to fight for a world title, Rodel Mayol and Randy Suico, both lost their bids against tough world champions. Mayol and Suico, they were not trained by Freddie Roach, and thus many fans are starting to believe that only Roach can turn Filipino fighters into world champions. Desperate for another world champion, fans are demanding that both Suico and Mayol train under Roach. However, Roach can’t train all the Filipino boxers and for the dream to come true, to become a dominant boxing nation, Filipino fighters must be able to win without Freddie Roach.
2006 PACQUIAO CALENDAR UP FOR GRABS
Here’s your chance to win a real collector’s item. I’m talking about a Manny Pacquiao autographed ‘Mano y Mano’ calendar from his July fight with Oscar Larios. Enter once, and once only by leaving your name below. If you’ve already entered, a second entry will disqualify you from the contest as we are checking the entrants for their IP addresses.
