Freddie Roach
Freddie Roach
Frederick Steven "Freddie" Roachis an American boxing trainer and former boxer. He is the enduring boxing coach of the eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, five-time and four-division World Champion Miguel Cotto, former WBC Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr., former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre, as well as top prospects Jose Benavidez, Peter Quillin, and Vanes Martirosyan. Roach was the trainer of former two-time world champion and notable women's champion Lucia Rijker. He has also trained former junior welterweight champion...
ProfessionBoxer
Date of Birth5 March 1960
CityDedham, MA
We love the Filipino crowds and it was great to have them there, but it got too much in the end. You couldn't breath in the gym, as more and more came each day.
Manny's Filipino audience loves to watch him, but I wanted it to be more private so we could better work on going to the body and the other things we need to work on. Velazquez is somebody we definitely can't take lightly. Everybody's talking about Morales and the rematch, but there won't be a rematch without winning this fight. We've been working on a little bit of everything to make Manny more of a complete fighter.
After this fight we'll take a week off and then we'll be straight back into Morales mode,
It was nice having them in the gym, but ... Manny was performing for them more than for me. I wanted him working on technique and so forth. ... They've respected it. They realize it's for his benefit and they want Manny to win.
It was a close fight with a lot of close rounds, ... Morales landed the bigger punches but Manny landed more combinations.
I want him working more on his technique and not just going out there and putting a show on for the fans that come and watch him train.
We chose this opponent because he has a style similar to Morales', ... I think this fight will definitely help prepare him for the next fight.
Erik has a propensity to hold his hands way up. That leaves his body wide open. We saw that, and we broke him down.
The one fight (in between) is good for us. Right after this fight, we'll take a week off and then go into Morales mode.
Z has the potential to be a world champion. He's a very good prospect. He's a solid boxer, but he's not a huge puncher. He's probably a better boxer than Manny and he has good fundamentals, but Manny just has such power and speed. But Z is quick and technically very sound.
The tide turned in the sixth round. I could see Morales was fading from the body punches. Manny's right hook was beautiful. We still have to work on Manny's defense a bit.
If we don't win this fight, it's just because we can't.
My fighter is 100 percent ready and he is just two pounds over the limit yesterday.
One play was the difference in the game, ... That shows you. We were 10-3 and whipped alot of people that year. That just goes to show you can't take anybody lightly.