With the not so surprising news that Freddie Roach will be training Oscar De La Hoya for his May 5 showdown, I definitely expect a huge flood of money coming in on the “Golden Boy”. Roach is seen by most as being one of the best, if not the best in the business. He’s worked with fighters of all styles and has enhanced their technique and ability over the course of their careers. He has an eye for talent and has the ability to put the finishing touches on his already polished fighters.
The one thing that stands out among Freddie’s attributes is his ability to keep his composure in the heat of battle. While some trainers get too excited or emotional in between rounds, Freddie has seemingly been able to maintain a cool head and explain clear and precise instructions without flooding his fighter with a bunch of nonsense. I expect Freddie to bring out the best in Oscar while only adding to his already polished boxer/puncher style. There is no “secret” punch that Oscar needs to know about in order to beat the “Pretty Boy.”
In addition to his level head, Mr. Roach has had the experience in training one of the best defensive fighters of all-time in James “Lights Out” Toney. That patented shoulder roll/counter-punching style that has made James so effective over the course of his career is also a style adopted by Lil’ Floyd. Freddie understands the angles, styles, and punches that give Toney problems within the ropes and should be able to translate these things into his strategy come May 5.
While folks are quick to question Freddie’s loyalty to the Pacman, they should look no further than Pacquiao himself as a poster boy for ship jumping. In my opinion, Freddie seems frustrated by the lack of communication and indecisiveness within Manny’s squad. It’s probably better for Arum, Koncz, and company if Pacquiao was trained by somebody other than Roach. It’s a definite for Oscar that being trained by a straight shooter in Freddie will give him the edge and confidence he needs to dethrone the pound-4-pound king.
I got my money on Oscar in a major way after hearing this news.
PS. I’d like to see Freddie bring in Contender fighter Steve Forbes as a sparring partner for Oscar. I feel he’s one of the few fighters out there that can actually mimic the “Pretty Boy’s” style, speed, and slickness.
