One of boxing’s best one-two combos may be no more. Manny Pacquiao could part ways with Freddie Roach after the Wildcard Gym trainer was confirmed as Oscar De La Hoya’s coach for his May super-fight with Floyd Mayweather Junior.
Roach has worked wonders with the Philippine hero over the last few years, augmenting the power-puncher from merely a fast champion with a big left cross to a two-fisted threshing machine who switches murderously from body to head.
However, as good as he is, Roach can’t be in two continents at once just as he cannot give two of boxing’s biggest stars his full attention at the exact same time.
The Pac-Man fights the always dangerous Injin Chi on April 28 in Macau, China, just one week before Oscar takes on Mayweather in what is almost certain to be the biggest grossing pay-per-view event in the sport’s history
But two-time WBC featherweight champion Chi is no ‘gimmie’ for Manny and it is difficult to see how Roach can train Pac-Man and Oscar concurrently.
Roach and his fighter are close friends but Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum wouldn’t lose too much sleep if Roach suddenly found himself on the outside of Team Pac-Man.
It was Roach, if you recall, who helped set up a meeting between the Pacquiao and De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions last fall. Pacquiao had already signed with Arum but, in a meeting attended by Roach, was convinced to sign with Oscar’s group and the lawsuits have been flying since.
Arum, no doubt, will be having word’s with his star about the situation right about now…
