IS IT THE END OF PACQUIAO-ROACH PARTNERSHIP?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 18 Mar 2018
Manny Pacquiao may possibly leave his longtime trainer Freddie Roach, his coach for almost two decades. The eight-division world champion has started training for his fight against Lucas Matthysse but has not made yet to a final decision on the composition of his coaching team. He did not validate if Roach would be part of his team for the WBA world title fight.
"Not yet final, It's a decision (for the future)," Pacquiao told GMA News. "Right now, I'm fixing the promotion. I'm working as a promoter before starting the training."
Pacquiao?s team has sent out press releases about a June 24 fight with Matthysse, and it specifically mentioned that ?Restituto ?Buboy? Fernandez, Nonoy Neri and Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez will take charge once the training camp starts."
The statement also said that ?Pacquiao will start his training in the middle of April in his own Wild Card Boxing Gym in General Santos City. Training will transfer to Manila from May 14 to June 1 then back to Gensan from June 2 until the second week of June.?
The Hall of Fame trainer had earlier reveale to the Los Angeles Times that he had tried several times to call Pacquiao but each time he was unable to contact him.
One of boxing's most successful boxer-trainer partnerships began in June 2001 when Pacquiao, then an unknown fighter, entered Roach's Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles as he was searching for a trainer to prepare him for his match with IBF superbantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba.
Pacquiao was called to challenge the South African on just two weeks' notice, and he was a stranger in L.A. Ledwaba was scheduled to fight Mexican Enrique Sanchez who got injured leading up to the fight, giving Pacquiao the chance to fight on American soil for the first time.
Roach trained the rising Filipino boxer, and helped him to a surprising sixth-round knockout win over the heavily-favored Ledwaba. It was the first world title for Pacquiao under Roach and the pair would later win other titles in six more weight divisions.
Their last bout together in July ended with Pacquiao losing his title to Jeff Horn, who wrested the WBO welterweight belt by a controversial unanimous decision in a bloody fight in Brisbane. Most boxing analysts felt Pacquiao won, and the CompuBox punch statistics had him leading Horn 182-92 in punches landed.
The fight though was not one of his best performances and Roach was quoted as advising Pacquiao to retire after the loss to the undefeated Australian.
?I think it?s a good time for him to retire right now,? said Roach to Fighthype. ?I kind of wish Manny Pacquiao would follow his lead and retire also. Being a professional boxer and a senator at the same time is very difficult. He still wants a couple of more fights. He?s doing a good job as a senator right now, but not as a boxer,? said Roach.
Chris Williams of boxingnews24.com commented: "Roach always said he would let Pacquiao know when he thought he no longer had enough left for him to continue fighting. Unfortunately, this is kind of an unprofessional way for a trainer to let their fighter know that he wants them to hang up the gloves.
"Roach is letting Pacquiao know in an impersonal way by telling the boxing media rather than having a closed door meeting with his long time fighter."
We hope that all's well that ends well with the father-and-son-like relation between Manny and Freddie and all differences would be ironed out.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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