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SaddoBoxing had the opportunity to speak with legendary trainer Freddie Roach in an exclusive interview during the Cotto – Judah final press conference in New York City .
Roach will be working the corner of Bobby Pacquiao this weekend as well as receiving the 2006 trainer of the year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America on Friday night at their 82nd annual awards dinner.
SaddoBoxing: How have you been spending your time since ending your training with De La Hoya?
Freddie Roach: “I drove home Sunday after the fight and went back to work on Monday with Bobby Pacquiao getting ready for his fight with Soto.”
SB: How did you feel everything went with De La Hoya, even though he came out with a loss?
FR: “It was a close fight. I thought he could have fought a better fight, I don’t think he fought his best fight. That’s how things go sometimes. I think the fight should have been a draw, I don’t think that Mayweather took the title. If Oscar could have used his jab a little more in the fight it would have been an easy night for him, but it just wasn’t there at the time.”
SB: Did anything happen in the fight that you hadn’t anticipated or did it go pretty much how you felt it would?
FR: “Pretty much just how I felt it would go. Mayweather would just jump in with one punch and hold, grab and move a lot. He is a very fast guy, very difficult guy to fight because he doesn’t want to engage too much. I thought we were more offensive and pushed the issue. If nothing is happening in the fight I think the aggressor should get the round but that didn’t happen.”
SB: There has been some talk of a possible rematch; is that something you would want?
FR: “I’d like to see a rematch because I know Oscar can fight a better fight if I can just get him to do that. This was our first time together and I think we did pretty well but I know we can fight a better fight.
“I would like to see a rematch, if Oscar told me he wants to keep fighting there is a couple fights out there, a Trinidad rematch would be interesting to people also. I’m not sure which way he is going to go right now but I think he will fight again.”
SB: When you decided to work with De La Hoya exclusively you gave up having to work with some of your fighters such as Peter Manfredo and Manny Pacquiao who were getting ready for fights; are you disappointed on how some of those things turned out?
FR: “No, Manfredo’s fight was controversial they stopped that fight way too soon. When you are fighting for a world title fight, let me get knocked out or something, don’t stop a fight that quickly. I talked to Peter and he is going to be back out in LA next month. I lost Israel Vazquez because he felt I didn’t have enough time for him and unfortunately I like Israel a lot and I like working with him.
“As far as Pacquiao he is the one that encouraged me to take the job because he saw an opportunity for me and he said he would be fine. Me and Manny have no problem whatsoever. When you take a big fight like that you have to sacrifice some things and that’s just the way boxing goes.”
SB: What is the current situation with Justin Fortune who you left in charge to train Pacquiao while you were with De La Hoya?
FR: “He’s no longer a part of Wild Card, no one ever heard of him before me and they won’t hear of him after me either. If it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t have those jobs, I created those jobs for him. He is one of my ex-fighters and he got a little greedy. Money does funny things to people; there is no loyalty in the world.”
SB: How long have you been working with Bobby for his fight?
FR: “I have been with him for the last month. He’s focused and training real hard. We have a real hard fight in front of us, I know we are probably a huge under dog but we are coming here to win.”
SB: Soto is a tough fighter, he has had some great fights, he upset Rocky Juarez; what have you done to prepare Pacquiao for his style of fighting?
FR: “Just his conditioning and his focus is what we have been working on. He lacks that sometimes. The last fight he lost due to disqualification for low blows and he was overweight for the fight. A lot of things went wrong with that fight. Manny was fighting the same week in Vegas and Manny was getting all the attention.
“Bobby kind of suffered from that because all the attention was on his brother and no one really thought about his fight. I think this is a much better scenario here that we are focused on his fight and not his brothers’; hopefully there will be a different outcome this time.”
SB: One last question, I believe Manny Pacquiao was coming into town [New York] to make arrangements for his next fight, has there been any progress made yet?
FR: “They are working on it but no progress yet that I know of.”
SB: Thank you very much for your time, and good luck against Soto on Saturday.
FR: “Thank you.”
