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Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao
Christian Post Report – The world’s most anticipated boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is just two months away, and Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, has started preparing the Filipino boxer in his quest to end Mayweather’s winning streak.
In an interview with AFP, Roach said that training Pacquiao to face the American boxer is the biggest challenge of his career so far.
“Floyd’s undefeated. He’s talented. He’s unique. Here’s a guy I first saw when he was five years old in the gym. And he was a good fighter then,” said Roach.
Mayweather, who’s had 47 wins and zero losses in his career, will face eight-division champion Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2. The match is touted to be the biggest fight of all time.
“He’s trained himself his whole life,” said Roach of Mayweather. “He’s a natural fighter and he makes the moves himself, I mean Floyd is a self-made fighter. He was born into this sport. He just grew with it.”
“I’m happy this fight is here. Yes, it’s the biggest challenge of my life, but I think it’s going to be the greatest moment of my life also,” he added.
Roach has trained boxing champions Bernard Hopkins, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya. He has been training Pacquiao for 15 years. Roach has been voted US trainer of the year seven times, and endures a battle against Parkinson’s disease.
The trainer, who sees Pacquiao as his family, told AFP that he just got off the phone with the boxer and received a birthday greeting from him.
“I just talked to Manny,” said Roach. “He wanted to call me. He sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and he had the whole gym singing to me.”
The 55-year old is confident that Pacquiao can beat Mayweather.
“Manny has to make the right moves at the right time to win the fight and this time there is no room for error,” he said.
Though Roach acknowledges Mayweather’s skill in the ring, he said that the boxer, nicknamed “Money,” is not someone that could be called a good role model.
“I think Manny will do the world a public service to beat this guy, because [Mayweather] is not a good role model,” said Roach. “Manny’s a really good role model—he’s someone I would want my kids to look up to.”
Source : Christian Post