Philippine Showbiz Today
November 22 - December 7, 2018
During the trip to New York
City, Senator Manny Pacquiao
revealed that former seven-time
trainer of the year Freddie Ro-
ach is once again going to be
in Pacquiao’s camp for his up-
coming fight on January 19th
against Adrien “The Problem”
Broner.
Roach, while not fired, was
not contacted in the run-up of
the Pacquiao vs. Matthysse and
Roach rejoins Team Pacquiao
had expressed both his disappo-
intment and continual support of
the eight-division champion.
Pacquiao and Roach had
been a partnership since 2001
in a bout against Lehlohonolo
Ledwaba. This fight was not only
Pacquiao’s first fight in the United
States; it was also his first outsi-
de of Asia. While Roach will rejoin
the team, his role will be lessened
due to Pacquiao’s concern about
Together Again
All’s well that ends well.
The16-month drama sta-
rring Filipino eight-division world
champion Manny Pacquiao and
his American Hall of Fame trainer
of16-year Freddie Roach is belie-
ved to have been resolved with
finality.
Hours after the last and se-
cond leg of the two-city press tour
in Los Angeles Wednesday (Mani-
la time) aimed at hyping the de-
fending World Boxing Association
welterweight titlist and challenger
Adrien Broner, the two met for the
first time since their last in 2017
following the Pacquiao-Jeff Horn
fight in Australia where the Filipi-
no lost his World Boxing Organi-
zation 147-pound plum.
“Yup, MP (Manny Pacquiao)
met Freddie,” the now Philippi-
ne Senator’s chief legal Counsel,
Tom Falgui, told this writer via text
message right after the meeting.
“Freddie is now part of Team
Pacquiao. Manny will train in he
Wild Card Gym and Freddie will
help strategize in the overall plan
for the January 19 fight,” Atty.
Falgui assured.
The meeting, held at the
Senator’s suite at Waldorf Astoria
in Beverly Hills, was set at 9:30
pm but Roach arrived a few mi-
nutes before the scheduled time
accompanied by his executive as-
sistant Marie Spivey.
Present during the short
meeting were Pacquiao’s new
take-charge guy Joe Ramos and
Canadian adviser Mike Koncz.
Asked how the meeting to-
ok place, Falgui said: “Pinapunta
ni Manny si Freddie sa hotel para
mag-usap sila.”
Two days before the Wal-
dorf Astoria meeting, Roach, in
a report by the Sport llustrated.
com received a call from Ra-
mos, the COO of Manny Pacquiao
Promotions at present, who bro-
ached the idea of his return to
23
Pacquiao’s team.
Roach, a Hall of Fame trai-
ner and a seven-time Trainer of
the Year honoree of the
Boxing Writers Associa-
tion of America, who
charted the Philippine
pride’s
prizefighting
career since 2001, in-
sisted that he first talk
to Pacquiao before ma-
king decision.
It was during the
New York leg of the
promotional tour that
Pacquiao told the me-
dia that Roach will be
tapped as a training su-
pervisor or consultant
withn Fernandez taking
over the overall prepa-
rations.
“I don’t have any
problem with Freddie
Roach,” Pacquiao was
quoted as telling said
reporters at a media
roundtable. “All I say
is that I think the other
work in training should
be assigned or desig-
nated to Buboy.
“Freddie can su-
pervise or instruct Bu-
boy, this is what we’re
going to do.”
Pacquiao said he
plans to divide his tra-
ining camp into two
parts, with the first half
taking place in the Phi-
lippines and the final
part in the United Sta-
tes.
He said Roach
would play no part in
the Philippines leg of
his training camp.
“He can just wait
here,” he said. “I’ll be
here next month in De-
cember.”
Despite the father-
Roach’s health.
Roach was diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease after his ca-
reer as a professional boxer. Se-
nator Pacquiao stated that “Bu-
boy is always there. He has expe-
rience, many fights with Freddie.
So I think Freddie can instruct
Buboy...” Buboy Fernandez will
be Pacquiao’s principal mittwork
partner as Roach advises in a su-
pervisorial role.
Manny Pacquiao has also
worked with Marvin Simodio, an
assistant to Roach as well but his
role now that Roach and Buboy
combine for a head coaching 1-
2, Simodo’s role is unclear, as he
may continue working with other
fighters at Roach’s legendary Wild
Card Gym.●
- Julian Ray Fortaleza
son like bond they had shared for
over a decade, Pacquiao said he
could not remember the last time
he spoke to Roach, blaming de-
mands of his role as a Senator in
the Philippines for the rupture.
“It’s been a long time ago,”
Pacquiao said. “A long time ago
that I didn’t speak to Freddie. I
was busy in the Philippines.
“I don’t even have time to
come to United States for a vaca-
tion for relaxation. It’s really busy
being a Senator.”
Pacquiao, who turns 40 next
month, has not fought in the Uni-
ted States for two years.●
- Eddie Alinea
Photos by Wendell Alinea/MP Promo.