Freddie Roach is mad as hell at Bob Arum and the celebrated trainer is not going to take it anymore. You can bet that Arum is stewing as well. All the infighting makes me, a veteran of 40 plus years around boxing, wonder if the infighting could lead to Pacman’s downfall, to a defeat at the hands of Mexico’s Jorge Solis come April 14 in San Antonio.
Caveat: It’s fine and dandy to say Manny loves chaos and disorganization swirling all around him
Reporter Lisa Scott, writing on Fightnews quotes the Boston Irishman as saying that the Top Rank titan is full of blarney and that Arum is trying to get him removed as Filpino idol Manny Pacquaio’s trainer. I’ve no ddoubt Scott’s story is dead on accurate, knowing her reportorial rep and having known Roach since he was a pugilistic pipsqueak out of the Fighting Roach Clan from the Boston suburb of Dedham.
Even as a young boxer fighting in the great club shows at the old lamented Silver Slipper, Freddie’s temper was below the surface. His temper burns slow but he definitely has one when he feels demeaned. Right now, he believes Brothher Arum is pushing the Pacman to give the trainer the axe.
Roach told Scott he is furious about not being consulted regarding Manny’s April 14 San Antonio opponent, the Mexican Jorge Solis.
“I have no idea who he is! You know, they accepted him as an opponent without seeing a tape on the guy. No one knows who he is! They saw his record of 32-0 and said: ‘He’s o.k.’ And that’s unethical on Bob Arum’s part! Bob should have sent me a tape because he knows I’m the trainer and I usually decide who we accept or don’t accept. I’ve always gotten a tape before. But of course, Bob Arum doesn’t like me anymore and he won’t talk to me. So he bypassed me and went straight to Manny and told him it was an easy fight. There’s no such thing as an easy fight! Roach told Ms. Scott.
But Roach was just getting his Arum verbal blast warmed up!
“Manny looks bad against this guy, I’m the one who will get blamed! With Manny’s previous management, I always had the final word on the opponent. So I guess Arum is going directly to the source, and all of the sudden he’s the trainer now. Unfortunately, Arum – who was once my good friend and whom I fought for for 10 years – is trying to make me look like an idiot. But I’m not the idiot. Bob promised Manny the world and he hasn’t delivered anything yet! Manny went from the biggest fight of his life (Erik Morales 3) to fighting and unknown opponent on a small PPV show in Texas. And, Manny is the co-main event with Jorge Arce. Arce is a hugely popular Mexican fighter and there’s a tremendous Mexican community in Texas. Arce will be the draw. Not Manny. It’s like Manny is taking a back seat to Arce! In my opinion, Manny is the best pound for pound fighter in the world today, and this is a big step DOWN for him. I don’t know who is advising Manny right now, but whoever it is… they’re not doing their job,” Roach said.
How’s that for some hot molten lava? The shot at the adviser to Manny is criticism of the mysterious Canadian agent, Michael Koncz, who played the biggest part in convicing the Pacman to sign a promotional deal with Arum even after Manny had inked one with Oscar DeLaHoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Adding more petrol to the fistic fire is that Roach has now accepted a $1.3 million fire
