Freddie Roach trainer of many boxing stars Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao is being sued by Filipino boxing writer Alex Vidal for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.
The altercation happened over an article titled ‘SICK’ ROACH MISSES CONCEPCION’S FINAL WORKOUT IN WILD CARD GYM, The event of the altercation occurred on July, 2008 at the MGM grand elevators.
here is an excerpt from a Jan. 22, 2009 article from philboxing.com describing the situation “FILIPINO JOURNALIST FILES DAMAGE SUIT VS PACQUIAO’S TRAINER”
‘WHO WROTE THAT STORY?’
Vidal, who also writes a boxing story for Philboxing, said he was with Texas-based doctor Allan Recto talking to a female boxer Chika Nakamura and another male trainer when “Freddie Roach approached us and inquired, ‘who wrote that story that I was sick?’” “Dr. Recto then pointed to me,” said Vidal. “In a hostile and intimidating manner Fred yelled at me that his mother got worried when she learned he was ‘sick’ and called him up. He stated to me that he was not sick and that he only went to a clinic.”
Vidal explained: “I apologized and explained to him that I did not intend to twist anything when I wrote the story, titled “‘Sick’ Roach misses Concepcion’s final workout in Wild Card gym.” I told him I merely quoted Aljoe Jaro, manager of boxer Bernabe Concepcion, and that I used a single quotation in the word ‘sick’ to mean that somebody had said it, not the writer who merely quoted Jaro.”
Vidal said “Dr. Recto also helped explain to Fred that the article did not mean any harm.”Fred ignored Dr. Recto’s statement and turned his attention back to me and started yelling at me. I apologized some more, but Fred suddenly pushed me hard in the left shoulder and hollered, “the next time you write about it I will kill you,” the journalist added.
Vidal said the incident had been captured by the hotel surveillance video since it happened inside the hotel, near the elevators.
SHOCKED AND EMBARRASSED
Vidal said: “The incident gave me tremendous fear I was trembling in fear and was emotionally distressed. I was also shocked and embarrassed. I continued to apologize to Fred.”
“Several days prior to the incident, Dr. Recto joked with me that “Fred is looking for you because of what you wrote about him.” Dr. Recto was joking when he made that statement and I had no reason to believe that anything I had written about Fred would actually upset him. In fact, in the past I had written several articles praising Fred.”
Vidal said when Roach approached him from behind, “I did not expect him to act in such a violent hostile manner towards me.”
Because of his “depression” and “fear”, he said, “I never went back to Fred’s gym in Hollywood.”
“I arrived again in the United States on Nov. 20, 2008 to cover the fight of Manny Pacquiao versus Oscar De La Hoya on December 6, 2008 in Las Vegas. I was supposed to conduct interview with Pacquiao, among other personalities at Fred’s gym as part of my job obligation, but out of my fear and concern for my safety, I opted to stay away,” confessed Vidal who made a “declaration” on January 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.
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