Freddie Roach Still Going After Big Win

Two days after guiding Manny Pacquiao to Saturday night's historic victory over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, trainer Freddie Roach was back in Los Angeles, where he runs the famous Wild Card Boxing Club.

And even as he worked with another world champion, Amir Khan, as well as other prospects, the Hall of Fame trainer and three-time Trainer Of The Year took the time, on Tuesday, to answer the gym's telephone.

"I'm a little bit tired, and a little bit drained right now, but I can't show that to the fighters," said Roach, speaking against the gym's background noise of the bustling boxers pounding on the heavy-, and speed-bags, as well as the ringing bells of those who were sparring. "Once I get into the gym, I work through it."

A former trainer for Bernard Hopkins, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Virgil Hill and James Toney, among others, Roach took a break long enough to share Q&A time with FanHouse.

The 49-year-old boxing guru shared his views on Pacquiao's overall talents, Cotto's future, his intense relationship with Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, and how he would like his pound-for-pound best fighter to close out his illustrious career.

FanHouse: How does this past fight rank as far as your experiences in the sport?

Freddie Roach: It's one of the best and most rewarding fights I've ever been involved in with Pacquiao. Miguel Cotto was very competitive early in the fight. There was action.

Even when Manny started to dominate the fight, Cotto still had a lot of heart and tried really hard. It's was just an excellent fight for the fans.

FH: Does your chemistry with Manny Pacquiao, your tape-study, explain your ability to be so spot-on with your predictions for Manny's last three knockouts against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto?

Roach: I think that I'm getting better at watching tapes and seeings flaws as they happen. People can't change. I don't learn from mistakes so much anymore, because everyone makes mistakes.

But it's reviewing the habits that they have over and over again, and taking advantage of their good habits and bad habits of course.

Manny and I have such a close rapport now, since we've been together for years. We just work together on the gameplan, and we do it together.

We make adjustments with each other. It's like, 'let's do it this way a little bit, and that way a little bit,' so that it works out perfectly.

FH: What skills of other fighters does Manny Pacquiao's style conjure in your mind?

Roach: He has the tenacity and the intensity of a Roberto Duran as a lightweight. He has the right uppercut of a Salvador Sanchez, just right off of the jab through the middle -- beautiful shot.

If he hurts you, he can be a vicious finisher, like a Reuben Olivares. Once he gets you hurt, it's just a matter of time.

Manny has a lot of the ingredients of a lot of great fighters, and to win seven titles in seven different weight divisions -- we're not going to see that in a long time.

FH: How dangerous is Manny Pacquiao as a southpaw?

Roach: The key is that he uses it in a perfect way. He can switch to the right-handed stance, but why take his advantage away?

FH: Punching power?

Roach: He can punch as hard as any welterweight in the world.

FH: General defensive skills?

Roach: Still drops his hands a little bit too much when he's exchanging, but we're working on that. His head movement is 100 percent better than before, but I want more.

He sees punches very well. Blocking punches is no problem. Sometimes, he ignores them. He has good vision, which is one of his best assets.

FH: How is Manny's right jab?

Roach: His right jab, he should use it more. He has a great right jab, but just doesn't use it enough. Against Miguel, he used it okay, but he's got a tremendously hard, hard right jab.

I want him to use that a little more to set up his power shots, but he was letting Cotto get his jab off a little bit too much. I think he could have used his right jab a lot more.

FH: Right hand in general?

Roach: The right hand -- the right hook is as good as his left hand at this point. It's got knockout power in it and it's very accurate.

His right hook is new and improved, but I told him that I'm not going to be satisifed until it's as good as the left, and I think that we're almost there.

FH: Left hand?

Roach: Deadly.

FH: In what ways?

Roach: He sets you up with the right hand for the power in the left hand, and he can knock out anyone in the world with that shot.

FH: Left hook?

Roach: It's the same as the right hand. It's deadly. He either hooks it over or can throw it over and over again as kind of a half-hook, half-straight, half-overhand left.

That's why we took Cotto to the ropes, where we tried to slide off to the left and land that shot. We had a couple of good body shots. Cotto was smart enough to get away from that on the ropes.

FH: What were your least enjoyable moments during the promotional buildup for the fight?

Roach: The three days in Manila. There were really a lot of distractions and too many people pulling at Manny Pacquiao.

FH: Most enjoyable moments?

Roach: You know, the 24/7 series was a fun show. They did a great job. We had a good time in training camp. There was a lot of chaos around us, but we never missed a day of training.

Some of my favorite moments were in the gym. My favorite moment for this camp was when we got back to the Wild Card Gym in L.A.

FH: Can you talk about that obsenity-laced argument with Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, at the weigh-in?

Roach: You know, if someone is calling me an a******, I'm going to have to say something back to them.

He said, '145 pounds a******.' I said, '145 is the contracted weight, and he's supposed to be there. And if you call me an a****** again, you call me an a****** one more time, I'll [expletive] knock you out.'

FH: If you could have a man-to-man talk with Joe Santiago about what it takes to be a trainer and what sort of things he should take away from this past experience, what would you tell him?

Roach: I'd teach him how to catch punches on the mits and make it real. Don't make it slow motion -- like you're going to a dance. It's not a dance.

The things that I do on the mits, that's what happens in fights. The things that he does on the mits, that does not happen in fights.

FH: What about working the corner during this particular fight?

Roach: I would tell him that he should have protected his fighter a little bit more. When a fighter of Cotto's quality and magnitude switches into survival mode, it's time to get him out of there and save him.

The fighter will just go, go, go. Fighters don't quit. But you know what? Somebody needed to step up and have the balls to stop the fight and to save Cotto for another day.

Miguel Cotto did not need to take that beating at the end.



FH: What would you tell Miguel Cotto about his future?

Roach: I think that Miguel Cotto has a good future, but he needs a good trainer. More experienced. The Santiago kid, he's just doing what Miguel tells him to do.

FH: Who are the guys working in your corner?

Roach: My cut man is Miguel Diaz, Buboy Fernandez, Manny's friend -- who is also my translator -- and Alex Ariza, my strength coach.

FH: What's next on your immediate schedule of fighters?

Roach: I have Amir Khan [21-1, 15 KOs] coming up for a defense on Dec. 5, and I've got Vanes Martirosyan [25-0, 16 KOs] fighting in Youngstown, Ohio, on Dec. 19. I've got Gerry Penalosa [54-7-2, 36 KOs] fighting a title eliminator in February.

That's all I have right now. I hope that I get a break for Christmas. I'm a little bit tired, but once I get into the gym, I don't show it to the fighters. I work through it.

I'm a litte bit drained right now, but I'll make sure that I'm 100 percent when they're in the gym. I just work my [butt] off.

FH: If you could select Manny Pacquiao's next opponent, and the scenario with which he could close out his magical career, how would that go?

Roach: I can't wait to get Manny ready for Floyd Mayweather. We're going to work on that because his style poses some problems, with him being more of a counter-puncher.

But Manny's at the point where he can deal with that. We'll break him down and beat him up. We'll knock Floyd Mayweather out, shut him up, and call it a day.