Freddie Roach: 'It Has Nothing to do With [Skin] Color' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Four-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach took time from his busy schedule to speak with FanHouse concerning recent comments by Bernard Hopkins that Manny Pacquiao has not faced a top African American fighter, his busy schedule and other things.

From his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., Roach also discussed Pacquiao's prospects of facing WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) king Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 knockouts), WBC welterweight (147 pounds) belt-holder Andre Berto (26-0, 20 KOs), six-time titlist Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs), five-time champion Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), or the winner of a Jan. 29 junior welterweight (140 pounds) clash between southpaw WBC champ Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) and WBO counter part Tim Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs).

On Nov. 13, Roach was at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in the corner of WBO welterweight and WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) for his HBO pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions unanimous decision victory over ex-titlist Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs). Pacquiao earned the vacant junior middleweight belt, his eighth title over as many different weight classes, and his 13th straight win with eight knockouts during that time.

On Dec. 3, Roach will work with NABF and NABO cruiserweight (200 pounds) titlist Lateef Kayode (14-0, 13 KOs) against Ed Perry (18-4-2, 11 KOs), in Santa Yunez, Calif. On Dec. 4, Roach will be in Anaheim, Calif., working the corner of junior middleweight and middleweight (160 pounds) prospect Julio Cesar Chavez (40-0-1, 30 KOs) opposite Alfonso Gomez (22-4-2, 11 KOs).

Roach had to pull out of the corner of Ukrainian WBA bantamweight champion Voldymyr Sydorenko (22-2-2, seven KOs), who is on the Chavez-Gomez under card against WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist Nonito Donaire (24-1, 16 KOs). On Dec. 11, Roach will be in Las Vegas working with junior welterweight (140 pounds) king Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) against WBA interim belt-holder Marcos Rene Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs) that is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.


FanHouse: What are your thoughts concerning Bernard Hopkins' assertions?

Freddie Roach: We've fought everyone out there. We've ducked nobody. Shane Mosley [who is African American] is another guy out there right now. I know that he hasn't looked that good in his last couple of fights, but he's still a very good fighter.

He's a very good possibility to be Manny's next opponent. I don't think that Bernard Hopkins has beaten any Canadians lately [reference to Hopkins' upcoming bout with WBC light heavyweight (175 pounds) champ Jean Pascal on Dec. 18.] And Bernard's never beaten an English guy [lost to Joe Calzaghe] because he's only fought one.

But Bernard, you know, he's my friend, and so forth, because I've worked with him in the past. But I don't know why people make racist statements like that. We don't need that stuff in the world of boxing. I think Bernard knows that it's all about business and that it has nothing to do with color.

It's all about the best deals, the best fight that makes the most economic sense. It has nothing to do with [skin] color. We won the title from [Lehlohonolo] Ledwaba, a South African, and we beat Joshua Clottey, who, I'm not sure what Clottey is. He came from England by way of Ghana, I think.

So, with those two, we've beaten two black guys. But this is a sport, so lets get on with the sport.


Would you see a potential fight with an Andre Berto, Devon Alexander, Tim Bradley or even his stablemate, Amir Khan, for Manny Pacquiao?

Of course. All of those guys. Especially Andre Berto. Bob recently asked me who I wanted to fight next and I said [Juan Manuel] Marquez, Berto or Mosley. I said 'we would fight any of them, no problem.'


Why Andre Berto all of a sudden?

Because some of the other guys are 140-pounders who already have fights scheduled. After this weekend, I don't think that Andre Berto has anything scheduled right now. And he's not a 140-pounder, he's a 147-pounder.


Given that Manny Pacquiao has not faced a youthful fighter in quite a while, would Andre Berto's youth be more of a challenge?

Yes. He's youthful, he's fast, and he's strong. He's not a big puncher I don't think, but he's definitely a challenge. Bradley looked terrible when he fought at 147 [unanimous decision over Carlos Luis Abregu,] but he's a much better fighter at 140 of course.

There's Amir, and Amir and Manny have sparred quite a bit. There have been days where he's gotten the best of Manny, and days where Manny has gotten the best of Amir. There's Devon Alexander, who is another southpaw like Manny. Manny loves fighting southpaws.

So they're all credible opponents, of course. We just want to make the fight that makes the most business sense, and that's what Bob will find out. We have to make the fights that bring the most dollars to Manny's pocket, and so we're looking at the business side of this.


How big would a fight be between Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao?

I think that actually, Marquez brings more money to the table. Amir is a good draw. Bradley's coming on a little bit. He's had some good fights. Alexander's not that well-known yet. But we definitely could fight the winner of Alexander-Bradley, and, Amir's got a big fight coming up with Marcos Maidana.

We're in great shape for the fight with Maidana. I believe that we'll knock Maidana out somewhere along the line. But Maidana is a big puncher and a dangerous guy. The winners of those fights could definitely be Manny's next opponent.


Andre Berto, notwithstanding, would you fight any of the other guys that you mentioned at a catch weight?

Nope. We would have to fight at 147, or else, those fights won't happen. I'm not going to let Manny fight below welterweight. It's 147, we found that when Manny can eat, he's comfortable and doesn't have to worry about making weight. Manny weighed in at [144.6] for his fight with Margarito, and I know that.

But I'm not going to have him struggle to make any weight. So he's going to fight at 147, that's now his natural weight, and that's where we're going to campaign at.


So you wouldn't entertain a catch weight for any of the lower weight guys coming up to face Manny?

Nope.


Why do you believe that a third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez would be the most marketable?

Because they have history between them. You know, they've fought twice, and they were close fights. They were very good fights for boxing and very competitive. Manny beat him and fought him to a draw, and Marquez knows Manny and knows what gives Manny trouble.

Marquez has proven that in two fights. Both fights went the distance. Marquez has been down four times in the two fights, but he's gotten up and made the fight. Marquez is a very durable guy and he's got an audience and a fan base behind him. So he's marketable.


Are you still working the corners of both Voldymyr Sydorenko and Julio Cesar Chavez?

No, I'm no longer working the corner of Sydorenko, no. I had to turn that down because of the Chavez fight being on the same night. Sydorenko knew that this was going to happen two months ago. But Sydorenko still comes in three times a week for sparring.

Right now, I'm still training Chavez and Amir Khan. I train Khan at 1 in the afternoon and Chavez comes in at 3 p.m. That's back-to-back, yep, 100 percent.

I had also been doing Manny as well as those two. So I was doing all three of them until Manny's fight with Margarto. I'm in the gym 12 hours a day, so it's been no problem.


Dare I ask which corner you would be in if Manny Pacquiao fought Amir Khan?

Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao's my guy.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com