What a ride it's been for two different men from two different parts of the world. The kid from General Santos City, Philippines and the kid from Dedham, Massachusetts would meet, and together they would rise from boxing names to international boxing stars. When Manny Pacquiao first walked into the Wild Card Gym, in Hollywood, California, nobody, including Freddie Roach would know what would happen next. Together these two men would clean out 7 different divisions, an leave a path of destruction in doing so. Victims such as Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto would all fall short, and would all feel the reprecussions of what happens when you mix it up against Manny Pacquiao.
Both men have reaped the benefits of success. Pacquiao has international star power now, appearing on national American televisions shows such as The Jimmy Kimmel show, and having been blessed with huge sponsorships such as Nike proves that. Roach is the most famous trainer in the world now, his face is everywhere, including boxing magazines, his own suppliments, his own boxing training videos, and he's the most in demand trainer in the world. This all as a result of the success that both men have done together. Both men have made a lot of money, and both men have kick started boxing as a whole.
Roach and Pacquiao brought us the Morales trilogy, the Barrera wars, the De La Hoya show, the Hatton beat down with the Mayweather/Roach sideshow. The two men are like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together. With the success comes the hate. Success breeds hate, so their success hasn't come without some of it. Pacquiao has been accused of taking steroids. An allegation that has no basis or merit I might add. Roach has been called overrated, and has been accused of riding Pacquiao's wave of success. These sorts of accusations and hateful comments are common when someone achieves such success. When you're on top of the hill, someone always tries to knock you off.
There is no taking away from what these two men have accomplished in boxing. People can try all day, but at the end of the day the historians will all write similar things about them. Together they have conquered 7 different weight divisions and have defeated legends in the process. The closing chapter on such a great story would be of course to take down the one and only Floyd Mayweather Jr. This fight is currently being negotiated, and hopefully will come to fruition in the near future. A victory over Mayweather for Pacquiao would put the icing on the cake for a history making career. A career that will no doubt place him among the elite all time greats in boxing.
When the closing chapter of this story is finsihed, people will look back and appreciate what these two men have accomplished. Right now it is still an unfinished story, the pages are still turning. One day it will be over with, and it is then when people will most appreciate it. This writer is very thankful for the opportunity that I have had to cover it.
Source: 8countnews.com
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