JOURNEYMAN FIGHTER FREDDIE ROACH

Journeyman Fighter Freddie Roach now Sits Atop The Boxing World

Life is not easy for the journeyman boxer, especially one that decides to hang up the gloves at the age of 26. Freddie Roach boxed 20 times on ES PN in the 1980’s and amassed a professional record of 39-13 (15 KO’s). Roach shared a ring with the likes of Darryl Tyson, Hector Camacho, Greg Haugen and Bobby Chacon, but never was able to land a world title shot. After a KO loss to Haugen when he was 25, his legendary trainer Eddie Futch saw the signs and told him the straight truth. Roach was slowing and it was time to quit the sport before he got hurt.

Roach refused to accept the wisdom of the man guided Joe Frazier and Ken Norton to wins over Ali, and resumed his pro career. But five more defeats including a final loss to David Rivello in October of 1986 convinced Roach it was time to end the dream. The native New Englander, Roach stayed in Las Vegas and worked menial jobs in telemarketing, selling coffee mugs and key rings by Journeyman Fighter Freddie Roach now Sits Atop The Boxing World WORDS BY SCOOP MALINOWSKI day. He eventually settled differences with the man he respected so much—Futch—and began to hang around the octegenarian’s gym.

Roach’s strategic eye detected some technical points he could fine tune in a boxer who was training there—the former Olympic gold medalist Virgil Hill – and Roach communicated his ideas. Hill bonded with Roach and a new career path beckoned. Within a year, Roach would become the right hand man of Futch and the trainer of Hill, who won his WBA Light Heavyweight championship by KO on national TV on September 5, 1987 in Atlantic City.

Roach continued to work with various boxers in Las Vegas until he decided to branch off on his own in 1991 to work with the actor Mickey Rourke, who was serious about initiating a professional boxing career at the age of 39. (Rourke boxed as a pro form 1991-1994 as a super middleweight and light heavyweight, compiling a record of 6-0-2 with 4 KO’s.) Rourke was so determined to master the art of pugilism that he built his own training facility, which was called The Outlaw Gym. Roach lived at The Outlaw before later taking over and renovating the little-known Wildcard gym which was also housed at Hollywood and Vine with a night club on the same property.

Roach devoted all his energies to cultivating The Wildcard, working 12 hour days, even living on the premises. The wellliked trainer’s work ethic and business acumen paid off and his gym became the place to train in Los Angeles. Eventually, Mike Tyson, James Toney, Michael Moorer, Oscar De La Hoya, Frankie Liles, Wladimir Klitschko and Manny Pacquiao—33 world champions in total—would find their way to train there. Celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Mario Lopez, Danny Bonaduce, Aimee Mann and Buck Cherry would become regulars.

Today, The Wildcard is the most famous boxing gym in the world. And Roach may be the premier boxing trainer in the sport. He’s earned the prestigious “Trainer of the Year Award” three times from the Boxing Writer’s Association of America. The World Boxing Council bestowed a “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Roach in 2008. The high point of his career has been the extraordinary success of the amazing Manny Pacquiao, a champion in seven different weight classes and the pound for pound best fighter in the world today.

Now 49 and a millionaire, Roach must pay some price now for the lessons learned during the lean years. Roach has Parkinson’s Disease, and suffers from body tremors, elbow arthritis and neck muscle contractions. He must take three kinds of medication. But, still, Roach doesn’t complain. “I’ve got the best life in the world. I love my job,” he told Sports Illustrated last year. “I have a house, a car. I don’t want sympathy.”

Of his crowning success, Roach says, “Manny’s my best work I feel. I’ve had Manny from where he was kind of a raw, fast, hardpunching kid when he came in. Now he’s a much better fighter and more technical and we’ve spent a lot of time – we’ve gotten very close to each other. Manny’s my favorite figure for sure. I’ve worked with a lot of great guys. I’ve been fortunate to work with guys like James Toney and Mike Tyson. But Manny definitely is the hardest worker I’ve ever worked with and that shows.”

Manny Pacquiao, the world’s welterweight champion, has mutual high respect for Roach. “Freddie’s not my trainer anymore,” he said last year. “I call him ‘The Master.’”