ROACH, FORTUNE VICTIMS OF INTRIGUE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 Apr 2007
The reported split between celebrated, two-time “Trainer of the Year” Freddie Roach and his assistant - conditioning expert Justin Fortune - was allegedly caused by intrigues sown by Canadian Michael Koncz.
Efforts to contact Roach in Puerto Rico where he is training Oscar De La Hoya for his massive showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr as well as emerging ring sensations Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal proved futile since there was only an answering machine on his mobile phone. The Standard missed Fortune who had left the Wild Card Gym early.
A Pacquiao insider told Viva Sports that Koncz who was protecting Top Rank promoter Bob Arum’s interests by sticking close to Pacquiao and reporting what was going on to Arum was the culprit. The Top Rank promoter has long wanted Roach out after the trainer had taken Pacquiao to Golden Boy Promotions with whom he signed a seven-fight contract in mid-September last year . Koncz himself was upset at Roach who banned him from his Wild Card Gym allegedly due to non-payment of a debt among other things.
Pacquiao’s close friend and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud informed us that Koncz who stayed behind to attend to Bobby Pacquiao who left for the US on Tuesday to step up training for his June 9 clash with WBC No.2 super featherweight Humberto Soto wanted the younger brother of Manny Pacquiao to “train in Las Vegas and not at the Wild Card Gym.” Salud said he couldn’t understand the move since Pacquiao has a plush apartment in Los Angeles and had “ paid one year’s rent in advance and Bobby can stay there while training at Wild Card.”
The breaking point between Roach and Fortune, according to one of the original members of Team Pacquiao who called Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today from the US to inform us of the dispute, was that Pacquiao was asked “issue a check for the trainer and training expenses at the Wild Card Gym to Justin Fortune and not to Freddie Roach.”
The informant said Bulletin reporter Nick Giongco who was accused of fabricating a story that Fortune didn’t want Roach in Pacquiao’s corner during the fight against previously undefeated but unknown Mexican Jorge Solis “was right because there was a conflict at that time and Giongco heard something about it” and filed a story. However, the Team Pacquiao member said “that was the tip of the iceberg but that was the start of their parting ways even though Fortune denied it. They were not even talking at that point.”
The Team Pacquiao member requested that his name be withheld but said that “its about the money and who trained Manny and who handled his career.” He said in truth it was Fortune who trained Pacquiao and was with him all the time and Roach “showed up one day before the fight and he worked the corner and wanted to get the credit.”
At the same time the Team Pacquiao member stressed “it has nothing to do with Manny (Pacquiao)” and we don’t want to create any distractions for him or get him involved in any controversy but added “this is the truth and the public should know.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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