INDIO ? Joel Diaz, the trainer for Cathedral City boxer Timothy Bradley, respects what future Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has done in his career, but thinks he’s more lucky than good.
A five-time trainer of the year, Roach has become a crossover star as a trainer as HBO profiled him in the six-episode documentary ?On Freddie Roach.?
Roach has gained renown for training Manny Pacquiao, the fighter of the decade, as well as some of the other biggest stars in boxing and mixed martial arts.
But Diaz said that if you take Pacquiao away from Roach’s stable, he’s not that good of a trainer.
?He’s just another trainer, like there are hundreds of them and thousands of them,? Diaz said. ?The only difference is, God blessed him by putting him on the same path with Manny Pacquiao. There are a lot of trainers who are a lot better who don’t get that credibility.?
Diaz will get a chance to see how he stacks up against the respected Roach on Saturday when Bradley faces Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title in Las Vegas.
While each has a fighter that is recognized as one of the 10 best in the world regardless of weight class, Diaz said there’s a big difference in the kind of impact each trainer has had with their fighter.
?Timothy came to me before and I started teaching him the basics of professional boxing. We started together in the professional business and won three world titles,? Diaz said. ?Freddie Roach started with Manny Pacquiao when he, what, had 22 or 23 fights? That’s a made fighter already, when you grab a professional fighter with 20 fights. He’s already made. All you have to do is keep him in good condition.?
Roach sees his career with Pacquiao differently than Diaz.
?If you bring out the best in someone, that’s my job,? Roach said. ?I have that capability. Manny Pacquiao, even though he was a one-time world champion, now he’s an eight-time world champion. I’m very happy about that. But the thing is I have a talented guy who listens to me very well and follows my guidelines and he makes me look good.?
