As most every boxing fan knows, Freddie Roach has parkinsons disease. Fans will also be quick to point out it hasn't affected his status as one of the top trainers in boxing. Roach has a staple of top fighters inlcuding Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and until this past week Amir Khan. Roach also has a nice group of top prospects including Peter Quillan, Jose Benavidez, and Vanes Martirosyan. But could other fighters soon be taking a cue from Amir Khan and dumping Roach as a trainer?
One can't argue that Roach isn't a mastermind in the corner and a prolific game planner. The problem is that Roach's body might not be keeping up with his mind. Just look at the results from a few of his top fighters last bouts: Amir Khan 0-2. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 0-1. Manny Pacquiao 0-1, maybe 0-2 if you feel as though he lost his 3rd fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, as I do. So if Roach is such a mastermind why have his top fighters been loosing so often? One can easily answer: age for Pacquiao, chin for Khan, and inexperience or lack of discipline for Chavez Jr. but I think the answer is a different one. The answer is Freddie Roaches deteriorating health.
While watching the Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight this past Saturday, I couldn't help but notice the lack of instruction coming from Roach in the corner between rounds. Usually Roach is telling his fighters exactly what they need to do if they want to win. He starts talking in the 1st round and doesn't stop until the final bell rings. That wasn't the case in the Chavez Jr. fight. In fact until around the 8th round Roach was mostly silent. Then I thought back to the last few Pacquiao fights where Roach also hasn't been as vocal, instead letting Pacquiao's longtime friend and suedo trainer Buboy Fernandez do most of the instruction. Roach seems to be on a downward trend, but no one said it was easy for the king to stay on top.
Not only did Roach remain silent for most of the fight but when asked about the fight during an in-fight interview Roach said he didn't think Chavez Jr. would be able to KO Martinez and that Martinez was way to fast for him. Roach has always been very honest during interviews but it seems odd to show such a lack of confidence in a fighter during the biggest bout if his career. Is Roach just too tired to care? Does he lack respect towards Chavez Jr. for his halfhearted training tendencies? We can't know any of that for sure but parkinsons disease can't be ruled out.
It is also hard not to wonder how the disease has effected Roach during training camps. A former boxer himself Roach has always been very good with the mitts, but is he still as quick as he used to be? I doubt it. How could he be? On HBO's 24/7 series Roach can always be seen doing mitt work with a huge pad strung over his shoulders, hanging across his chest and stomach for body punches. Those punches have to be taking a toll on such an already weakend body. Although everyone hates to think it, it's a thought we have all probably had...is Roach done? If I were a fighter I'd be very aware of how things were going, given his long track record of great fight game planning I would definatley keep Roach in my corner. However during training camps I would have a younger, healthier man to do my mitt work and ring training with. The lack of speed from Roach has to effect his boxers, and the thought of hitting an already fragile man has to weigh on the minds of his fighters as they do their body work on him.
I have tremendous respect for what Roach has been able to do in the face of such a harrowing disease and it's a sad thought to think parkinsons may now be dominating the fight as Martinez did against Chavez Jr. for 11 rounds. Lets all hope Roach has a 12th round like Chavez Jr., maybe he can't win the fight but he can bring the disease to it's knees before he goes out, swinging as always.
One can't argue that Roach isn't a mastermind in the corner and a prolific game planner. The problem is that Roach's body might not be keeping up with his mind. Just look at the results from a few of his top fighters last bouts: Amir Khan 0-2. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 0-1. Manny Pacquiao 0-1, maybe 0-2 if you feel as though he lost his 3rd fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, as I do. So if Roach is such a mastermind why have his top fighters been loosing so often? One can easily answer: age for Pacquiao, chin for Khan, and inexperience or lack of discipline for Chavez Jr. but I think the answer is a different one. The answer is Freddie Roaches deteriorating health.
While watching the Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight this past Saturday, I couldn't help but notice the lack of instruction coming from Roach in the corner between rounds. Usually Roach is telling his fighters exactly what they need to do if they want to win. He starts talking in the 1st round and doesn't stop until the final bell rings. That wasn't the case in the Chavez Jr. fight. In fact until around the 8th round Roach was mostly silent. Then I thought back to the last few Pacquiao fights where Roach also hasn't been as vocal, instead letting Pacquiao's longtime friend and suedo trainer Buboy Fernandez do most of the instruction. Roach seems to be on a downward trend, but no one said it was easy for the king to stay on top.
Not only did Roach remain silent for most of the fight but when asked about the fight during an in-fight interview Roach said he didn't think Chavez Jr. would be able to KO Martinez and that Martinez was way to fast for him. Roach has always been very honest during interviews but it seems odd to show such a lack of confidence in a fighter during the biggest bout if his career. Is Roach just too tired to care? Does he lack respect towards Chavez Jr. for his halfhearted training tendencies? We can't know any of that for sure but parkinsons disease can't be ruled out.
It is also hard not to wonder how the disease has effected Roach during training camps. A former boxer himself Roach has always been very good with the mitts, but is he still as quick as he used to be? I doubt it. How could he be? On HBO's 24/7 series Roach can always be seen doing mitt work with a huge pad strung over his shoulders, hanging across his chest and stomach for body punches. Those punches have to be taking a toll on such an already weakend body. Although everyone hates to think it, it's a thought we have all probably had...is Roach done? If I were a fighter I'd be very aware of how things were going, given his long track record of great fight game planning I would definatley keep Roach in my corner. However during training camps I would have a younger, healthier man to do my mitt work and ring training with. The lack of speed from Roach has to effect his boxers, and the thought of hitting an already fragile man has to weigh on the minds of his fighters as they do their body work on him.
I have tremendous respect for what Roach has been able to do in the face of such a harrowing disease and it's a sad thought to think parkinsons may now be dominating the fight as Martinez did against Chavez Jr. for 11 rounds. Lets all hope Roach has a 12th round like Chavez Jr., maybe he can't win the fight but he can bring the disease to it's knees before he goes out, swinging as always.
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