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“A great trainer without a great fighter is nothing,” noted Roach to Bleacher Report, who has worked with 27 world champions to date. “Pacquiao made me,” he added, speaking of the current WBO welterweight champion who, under the guidance of Roach, has won major honours including four defences of the IBF version of the super bantamweight championship, The Ring ****zine’s featherweight belt, the WBC and The Ring ****zine’s super featherweight title, the WBC lightweight strap, The Ring ****zine’s super lightweight championship, the WBO welterweight title and the WBC super welterweight belt.
Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38ko), who has an upcoming fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in November, currently divides his time between fighting, being a musician and actor, as well as working as congressman for the Sarangani province in his native Philippines. It is his political obligations, though, together with his generosity that have contributed to a decline in the Filipino’s financial situation.
Roach (pictured above) tellingly explained to Brin-Jonathan Butler: “He’s broke because of that and all the people he flies around to his fights. He goes through money like you wouldn’t believe. He can’t say no. Of course he’ll have to keep fighting. He does now. He won’t be able to stop – it’s his life.”
One of Pacquiao’s stablemates at Roach’s Wildcard Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California, is Amir Khan – the WBA/IBF unified super lightweight world champion and number nine pound-for-pound fighter according to On The Beak‘s rankings.
Khan (26-1-0, 18ko) was widely – and prematurely – written off following a 54 second knockout loss to Colombian ****er Breidis Prescott but has since became a champion of the world in his division, making five defences of the WBA belt, adding the IBF trinket to his honours roll and is to fight once, maybe twice more in the 140lb weight class before moving up to welterweight, 147lbs, in order to challenge the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“He has the talent and the determination to rise as far as he wants,” said Roach of Khan. “After a weakness was exposed in his loss, he worked harder than ever. We’ve made adjustments. You’re seeing the results of those adjustments. Just watch where we can go…”
Roach has also worked with Guillermo Rigondeaux, a relative novice in the professional ranks having fought for pay just eight times and is already an interim world champion. Cuban sensation Rigondeaux (pictured below) fought over 300 times as an amateur, scooped a clutch of gold medals – including two at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004 and is regarded as one of the best amateur champions throughout history.
Picture: Stacey Verbeek
“Guillermo is the most talented fighter I’ve ever worked with,” said Roach, lavishing more praise on the undefeated 30-year-old southpaw. “More talent than anyone.
“However, there are issues with him given his situation leaving behind his country, his family, the Miami people trying to get a hold of him – there’s a minefield out there for him. Do I think he can make it? Sure. He could fight for two titles on the same night and I’m pretty sure win with no problem. But he has it much harder than most on the personal side.”
Changing the subject matter from one of the brightest prospects to a boxing badass, Mike Tyson, Roach said that he would welcome the introduction of the former undisputed heavyweight champion to any broadcasting platform as he would be an outstanding shot-caller on fight nights.
“Mike Tyson is not one of [but] the greatest boxing historian who ever lived,” said Roach, who spends most of his time in his Wildcard Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California. “Back to the bare knuckle days, Tyson knows more about this sport than anyone on the planet but I don’t think he feels boxing has treated him too good. I think Mike Tyson could be the greatest boxing announcer we’ve ever had. We’ll have to see if he can come back to boxing.
“He’s moody – we all are. It’s sad what happened to him with his career but if anyone can turn it around, it’s him.”
“A great trainer without a great fighter is nothing,” noted Roach to Bleacher Report, who has worked with 27 world champions to date. “Pacquiao made me,” he added, speaking of the current WBO welterweight champion who, under the guidance of Roach, has won major honours including four defences of the IBF version of the super bantamweight championship, The Ring ****zine’s featherweight belt, the WBC and The Ring ****zine’s super featherweight title, the WBC lightweight strap, The Ring ****zine’s super lightweight championship, the WBO welterweight title and the WBC super welterweight belt.
Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38ko), who has an upcoming fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in November, currently divides his time between fighting, being a musician and actor, as well as working as congressman for the Sarangani province in his native Philippines. It is his political obligations, though, together with his generosity that have contributed to a decline in the Filipino’s financial situation.
Roach (pictured above) tellingly explained to Brin-Jonathan Butler: “He’s broke because of that and all the people he flies around to his fights. He goes through money like you wouldn’t believe. He can’t say no. Of course he’ll have to keep fighting. He does now. He won’t be able to stop – it’s his life.”
One of Pacquiao’s stablemates at Roach’s Wildcard Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California, is Amir Khan – the WBA/IBF unified super lightweight world champion and number nine pound-for-pound fighter according to On The Beak‘s rankings.
Khan (26-1-0, 18ko) was widely – and prematurely – written off following a 54 second knockout loss to Colombian ****er Breidis Prescott but has since became a champion of the world in his division, making five defences of the WBA belt, adding the IBF trinket to his honours roll and is to fight once, maybe twice more in the 140lb weight class before moving up to welterweight, 147lbs, in order to challenge the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“He has the talent and the determination to rise as far as he wants,” said Roach of Khan. “After a weakness was exposed in his loss, he worked harder than ever. We’ve made adjustments. You’re seeing the results of those adjustments. Just watch where we can go…”
Roach has also worked with Guillermo Rigondeaux, a relative novice in the professional ranks having fought for pay just eight times and is already an interim world champion. Cuban sensation Rigondeaux (pictured below) fought over 300 times as an amateur, scooped a clutch of gold medals – including two at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004 and is regarded as one of the best amateur champions throughout history.
Picture: Stacey Verbeek
“Guillermo is the most talented fighter I’ve ever worked with,” said Roach, lavishing more praise on the undefeated 30-year-old southpaw. “More talent than anyone.
“However, there are issues with him given his situation leaving behind his country, his family, the Miami people trying to get a hold of him – there’s a minefield out there for him. Do I think he can make it? Sure. He could fight for two titles on the same night and I’m pretty sure win with no problem. But he has it much harder than most on the personal side.”
Changing the subject matter from one of the brightest prospects to a boxing badass, Mike Tyson, Roach said that he would welcome the introduction of the former undisputed heavyweight champion to any broadcasting platform as he would be an outstanding shot-caller on fight nights.
“Mike Tyson is not one of [but] the greatest boxing historian who ever lived,” said Roach, who spends most of his time in his Wildcard Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California. “Back to the bare knuckle days, Tyson knows more about this sport than anyone on the planet but I don’t think he feels boxing has treated him too good. I think Mike Tyson could be the greatest boxing announcer we’ve ever had. We’ll have to see if he can come back to boxing.
“He’s moody – we all are. It’s sad what happened to him with his career but if anyone can turn it around, it’s him.”
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