Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Sayson: The great Freddie Roach is in town By Homer Sayson Secondovertime
CHICAGO - He is a mere 5-foot-5, but after having hatched 18 world champions from his universally known Wild Card Gym in LA, his stature, recognition and success, is arguably the tallest among today's colorful list of pro boxing trainers.
He is 45 years young, ruggedly handsome and dons a bushel of wavy red hair. He is friendly and smiles a lot, but often, his is a face of quiet contemplation, hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses.
But do not be deceived by his school-boy charm. Freddie, a tree surgeon's son from Dedham, Massachusetts, is tough as cheap leather, strong as Irish beer. He has tamed lions the likes of Mike Tyson and James Toney, shed their irresponsible ways and guided them to world titles.
A former featherweight contender in the 80s, he parlayed his knowledge and fighting experience into a legendary trainer's career.
He transformed Manny Pacquiao, once a one-armed banger, into a defense-oriented, multi-faceted fighting machine.
And most importantly, this genius of few words helped orchestrate Pacquiao's deliverance from the greedy clutches of deposed promoter Murad Muhammad, who was eventually sued by Manny and was forced to settle out of court for reportedly $800,000.
His name is Freddie Roach. And if you haven't thanked him personally yet, today is your rare chance. Freddie is presently in our gorgeous paradise of Cebu City, a guest of Mr. Antonio L. Aldeguer and international promoter Sammy Gello-ani.
At an Internet site called ATY.com, a Roach autograph costs $45.00, but if you bump into Freddie at the Marriott, where he is billeted, I bet you'll get the prized signature for free. And you'll probably go home with a photo-op, too. But don't drag your feet, Freddie will be leaving for the US pretty quick.
I met Roach for the first time in June 2002 in Memphis, Tennessee, where Pacquiao fought in the undercard of Lennox Lewis versus Mike Tyson. It was, at best, a fleeting acquaintance but when he sees me in my boxing travels, Freddie always unfailingly asks, "How's Chicago?"
Amazing, indeed.
Even more amazing is how he has accommodated me over the years. I get all-access at the Wild Card gym when I'm in LA, and I'm allowed to observe Pacman train, a ritual as sacred and guarded as the Dalai Lama's beads.
He let me through BoomBoom Bautista's locker room in San Diego in Dec. 2005, and Freddie always pauses to chat with us every time we see it fit. Because of his generosity, I have been able to pen some of the better behind-the-scenes stories on Pacquiao and the ALA boxers under Wild Card's wings.
So in behalf of Sun.Star Cebu and our voracious readers, thank you very much, Freddie Roach. You're a good man, whose kindness and honesty shine through in a sport full of miscreant souls.
ME AND KOBE. I e-mailed this column at 10:35 last night (Cebu time), barely making deadline. In a few hours, I will be at the United Center to cover the Bulls-Lakers game.
I am determined to interview Kobe Bryant at the visiting team's locker room. But can I really stand it, being face-to-face with a superstar I have loathed since he ran Shaq out of LA?
You'll have to find out tomorrow, when I pen my Kobe meets Homer column. Yes, I don't normally appear in these pages on Thursdays, but tomorrow I will. Thanks a lot to my boss, sports editor Noel S. Villaflor, for giving in to my out-of-schedule column request.
