A former professional boxer, Freddie Roach has not fought competitively since retiring in October 1986.But during an exclusive interview with FanHouse from Los Angeles on Tuesday, the 2009 Trainer of The Year seemed as if he was ready to lace up the gloves and go after rival trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Hearing for the first time that Mayweather Sr. has implied that steroid use had contributed to the rise in weight of Manny Pacquiao, his No. 1 fighter and boxing's 2009 Fighter of the Year, Roach fired back, among other things, "Where in the hell did that come from?"
Check out the full interview below.
Manny's Counter-Punch: 'Maybe They're Using Steroids'
Lem Satterfield: What were the reasons you and Manny fell out of touch recently?
Freddie Roach: We had a little trouble getting in touch with him a couple of weeks ago because he was in the Philippines and before he came to America, so we didn't really communicate that much. But I was trying to find out where and when he wanted to begin training. When he came to New York, we worked it out in five minutes and it was fine. We're going to do four weeks in Baguio [Philippines] and the last four weeks at the Wild Card Gym and then we'll be fine.
Satterfield: Where is Baguio in relation to Manila, and why train there?
Roach: Baguio is about five hours above Manila -- at the highest point of the Philippines -- at 5,000 feet above sea level. The Olympic training center for the Philippines -- that's where it is. We've never trained there before. It's a little bit cooler, it's more of a tourist type of place, and it's not overcrowded like Manila. It will be a lot quieter than the normal camp.
Satterfield: Does Manny deserve to be the pound-for-pound best?
Roach: Yeah, I think that Manny is the pound-for-pound best. He's really demolished his last three opponents. I think that he deserves to be pound-for-pound. I don't think that anyone really comes close to their domination of Oscar De La Hoya.
Everyone says that Oscar is old now, but before the fight, they said that Pacquiao was going to lose. They said that Ricky Hatton was stronger than him. Ricky Hatton was dead even after six rounds with Floyd and Manny got him out of there in two. So I don't believe that there is any other choice out there other than Manny for pound-for-pound best.
Satterfield: Do you believe that Oscar De La Hoya was physically drained for his fight with Manny?
Roach: Oscar was drained by the guy who was supposed to teach him how to fight. All of those excuses don't mean [expletive] at the end of the day. It's the bottom line, which is that it's either a 'W' or a loss. The record books are going to say that for life. All of those excuses aren't going to cut it -- Oscar was old, Oscar was this, Oscar was that. But before the fight, Oscar was great.
Satterfield: Does it validate you, personally, as a trainer, that Floyd Sr. was in the corner for Hatton fight when Pacquiao -- your guy -- won?
Roach: It means that I have a better fighter. I hate to lose, and I love to win. I do everything possible to get my guys prepared to win. It was very satisfying to win. But comparing trainers, I don't know. I think that Manny Pacquiao is the better fighter, and that's why we won.
Satterfield: Did you hear that Floyd Sr. implied to Michigan's Grand Rapids Press -- Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s home newspaper -- that Manny Pacquiao has been on steroids?
Roach: Well [chuckles], we have taken him a couple of times to be tested, and we haven't tested positive yet. I think he's wrong, but all Manny's on is white rice."Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from? You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lost. They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."
Satterfield: Why do you believe that Floyd Sr. would say something like that?
Roach: Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from? You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lost. They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter.
Satterfield: How are you preparing for Miguel Cotto -- a big, strong guy whose punch output was incredible against Joshua Clottey?
Roach: Miguel Cotto had a good fight against Joshua Clottey. He's obviously better. That was a great win over Clottey, who is a tough guy. He showed some signs of wear and tear from the Margarito fight, but I look at it more like it's as if he got himself back into the groove of things, which is why he is in training camp early. He's gotten his confidence back and he's taking this fight against Manny very seriously.
Satterfield: Will any part of your strategy be to make Miguel Cotto remember what it was like to be in those wars with Antonio Margarito and Clottey, as if he's in the 13th round, or even the 25th round?
Roach: Of course. We're definitely going to try to do that. The thing is, though, I'm expecting Miguel Cotto to be better in this fight. So I'm watching more tapes of the old Cotto, when he beat Zab Judah, the southpaw, and when he beat Shane Mosley.
I'm watching the Clottey fight a little bit, but I expect Miguel Cotto to be back to his best because I believe that the Clottey fight gave him a lot more confidence. Is Cotto totally back yet? Is his confidence 100 percent back yet? That's hard to say.
But I know that beating Clottey had to help him. I think that he's definitely heading in the right direction. So we're preparing as if he'll be back to the way that he was against Judah and Mosley.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
take this one, Filipinos especially those who are born and raise in the islands are God fearing people. taking steroids is definitely not in our system. maybe Floyd was wondering how the hell a small asian could do that feat, well, why don't you observe the following known Filipino celebrities: Charice - a minute and petite girl but can sing song as big as Aretha Franklin, howabout, Arnel Pineda - 40 year old front man of Journey, he can jump all over the place while blowing the roof with this voice. Are they on steroids too.
We are just blessed, maybe because we are God fearing individuals. :)
Mayweather's camp just jealous on manny's talent and they'r making accusations for publicity.....
im gonna miss mark wahlberg not showed in 24/7 coz he's to far from philippines, i wish he can still visit manny paquiao in his training....
it's the WHITE RICE!!!! hahahaha!!
mayweather should start getting a nice rice cooker!!
I believed that Sr. Mayweather is the one that needs to be checked up thoroughly with steroids, because he sounds like most of his brain cells are dead.
Floyd SR has been brain dead since the Marlon Starling fight back in 85 !!!!
he is just jeralouse his chickrn didnt win
The only thing that seperates Floyd SR from every other crackhead on the corner is his six pack and fake teeth. The whole family is a joke...
As Pres. Obama said, "JACKASS!"
Manny started fighting at 106 now he is fighting at 145. It is possible.
i started at 108 and i am now at 153...
Pacman doesn't take Steroid. He only takes VITWATER, you know.
GO GO PACMAN......HERE IN CHINA..WE LOVE PACQUIAO..GO GO WHITE RICE
Floyd Sr, must prove his accusations.. Freddie and Manny its time now to use your legal council to proved to public and the filipino people that the legitimate titles he get was not because of that substance...
I THINK ITS ABOUT GETTING SCARED TO BE BEATEN UP BY THE PAC MAN, WE FILPINOS ARE VERY GOOD PEOPLE NOT LIKE YOU AMERICAN FULL OF CHEATERS WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS THEY WILL ALWAYS USED STEROIDS IN BASEBALL, BOXING, FOOTBALL ECT... BUT THE ONLY STEROID WE KNOW IN FILIPINOS IS; YOU BETTER BE EATING DOGS SO YOU BE STRONGER LIKE US. I, AS A FILPINO IS NOT A HYPOCRITES HONESTLY I HAVE EATEN DOG MAYBE PACQUIAO HAS EATEN A LOT TOO THATS WHY HES STRONG, NEXT TIME HE WILL EAT YOU ALIVE TOO; DONT YOU MESS UP WITH US FILIPINOS WE WILL DOMINATE BOXING AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE ONLY BOXER THAT CAN ONLY BEAT PACQUIAO IS THE YOUNG FILPINO CHAMPION NAME "DONAIRE" EVER HEARD OF THAT?
I am a pac-fan but I hate to see when filipinos are so proud of him. As I read many threads posted by filipinos, they regard him to be a hero of some sort. Is it because the Philippines has nothing else to be proud of in the international scene? WOW, if you really think filipinos are good people why is your country so corrupt?
THE KEY WORDS BETTER EAT SOME DOGS ITS JUST LIKE GETIING STEROID YOUR SYSTEM.LOL
it's funny how they suddenly came up with this. i think it's out of fear that they might get owned. that mayweather punk reminds me of clubber lang, and not in a good way. if you wanna dis on someone, do it after you've proven your point. spewing out negativity from that orifice you dare call a mouth before something even happens is a bad move, plain and simple.
ayt, if you're so hungry for publicity, then go for it. talk smack. just make sure you have the gonads to stand by your decision when you're soon to be proven wrong. you WILL be torn down after this.
burn it all down and piss on the ashes.
peace.
It comes down to racial bias in America! Asian males are perceived as weak in America. Many Americans can't comprehend that an asian male would have the physical prowess to knock people out!
When an asian male comes along like PacMan who destroys the American myth that asian males are weak, they can't believe it and have to resort to defamatory remarks such as Pacman taking steroids.
Too bad Manny ain't got an American lawyer who'd jump at the chance to make money with all the billable hours present with a defamation suit against Mayweather Sr. All the evidence is there for a cause of action for all the slanderous and libelous statements made. Mucho money to make. But, Manny ain't American and ain't got the litigious nature in him to follow up on it. Where are the ambulance chasers when you need them! Manny, go hire an American lawyer!
Anyhow, these steroid allegations against Manny, an asian male, are just like the same myths that African-American quarterbacks couldn't play in the NFL a decade ago.
That myth has now been expunged.
But asian males in America are still perceived as weak. From Long Duk Dong to William Hung, asian males are still perceived as weak. And that explains why Americans in general cannot comprehend the fact when they see an asian male like PacMan with such physical prowess, they just can't believe it!
It starts and ends with racial bias against asian males in America.
I don't think it is a matter of racial bias concerning his weight gain. As a fan, I believe he is a god fearing individual who does not take steroids. However, it is hard to comprehend the weight gain he achieved without a weightlifting regiment. He gained practically 30 lbs of lean body mass by cardiovascular workouts and training? It is a fact that one cannot gain more than 8 lbs of skeletal muscle per year. Look it up. Steroids, on the other hand, is a different story