By Jorge Conejo
First, I would like to say that I have Manny Pacquiao as the top pound for pound boxer and best of this decade. He is my favorite fighter to watch and has helped the sport gain mainstream exposure once again.
I remember the days when Freddie Roach used to be the quiet man in the corner. You would rarely hear a peep out of him during post fight interviews. That all changed when he appeared on HBO 24/7.
With Roach’s new found fame he has become very vocal and outspoken. He said Hatton was overrated and one dimensional, he said Oscar was shot and couldn’t pull the trigger, and Cotto was not the same after the Margarito beating.
Without even knowing it, Freddie has been giving the Manny Pacquiao detractors fuel to discredit his victories.
Honesty is the best policy, but sometimes, if you don’t have anything good to say don’t say anything at all. Admitting you chose certain opponents for Manny because they were not the same or overrated can do more harm than good for your fighter’s legacy.
Every time Roach admits the guy Manny beat was shot or he wants to do a catch-weight to drain the guy, it discredits Pacman’s accomplishments. It allows those Manny doubters or haters to focus on the negative comments made by Roach. In return they use what Roach has said to prove why they believe Manny is overrated.
The truth is many trainers of the past and present have hand picked their opposition. They look for the things they can exploit in a fighter and negotiate a contract that helps get advantages in their favor, such as; glove size, ring size, weight division, money percentage, etc., it’s all strategic.
How many other trainers have you heard say “Yes, we chose that guy because he was over the hill or not the same”?
Look at other trainers, even though they negotiate advantages for their fighter they don’t brag about it. They know people will discredit their wins if they admit to that. Roach should do the same.
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