Roach: “Floyd Mayweather Sr. is a Legend in His Own Mind”
March 4th, 2009
By Sam Gregory: Freddie Roach gave an interview with the British media recently and put things very much in perspective in regards to his fighter Manny Pacquiao and his up-coming fight with Ricky Hatton on May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“Ricky Hatton is going to do what he has always been doing against Manny. After he gets hit in the first round he’s gonna revert back to what he does best, and that’s fight. Ricky Hatton is a tough guy, he’s gonna come to fight, I know that. All that Mayweather ‘rolling your shoulders’ bullshit isn’t going to help.”
Roach added, “Floyd is trying to improve him but I don’t think you can change Ricky at this point in his career.”
“Ricky talks about having worked on his defense and head movement but he is what he is. He’s been doing this for a long time.”
“If he tries to outbox Manny and fights like Floyd teaches, then he’ll lose. He teaches one way and one way only, and that’s not suited for Ricky in my opinion. He’d be foolish to try to outbox Manny.”
When asked if weight will make a difference and the fact that Ricky Hatton will be stepping in the ring at well over 140 pounds Roach said, “We fought Oscar at 147, strength doesn’t win the fight smartness does, using your game plan, the smarter guy will win this fight, and that’s my guy.”
As far as gaining weight Roach said, “Gaining over 10 pounds in a 24 hour period before a fight will slow you down; food dulls your senses and your skills, it’s a proven fact. The more weight he (Ricky Hatton) gains the happier I’ll be. The bigger Ricky Hatton is when he steps in the ring the happier I’ll be.”
Roach said, “I have 23 world champions today. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them. Give the fighters credit. Trainers are over-rated, believe me.”
“We guide our fighters in the right direction but it’s up to them to implement the game plan. It’s the same with me, Manny makes me look good.”
Roach said, “I don’t think the fight will go the distance. It will be a great fight in the first half but Manny will get to him in the later rounds and will knock him out at some point.”
In closing Freddie Roach said, “Ricky is very resilient but his come-forward nature will walk him into some shots and that will get him out of there.”
Tags: 12 Responses to “Roach: “Floyd Mayweather Sr. is a Legend in His Own Mind””
Leave a Reply
please use above banner to link back to us!
may sr. is the greatest brainwasher of all time. maybe if he spent more time guiding your boy ricky instead of flexing his biceps, hatton would have gotten to the third round
How can he become a good coach when he’s always late when he trained Hatton. The fight Pac had over Ricky proves that ricky needed more attention which Mayweather never provided, poor Ricky Mayweather SR. is just a name no Trainer in that.
Wow, i guess hatton speed shocked pacman. Looke where he is now, on the canvas ROFL.SHOCKED? no not at all. Im from england and im not suprised. I wanted hatton to win but thats like a dream that will never come true. Rematch? please no. we can try mayweather again. We lasted longer there
pacquiao wins by KO on tenth or TKO after 9.
I think Freddie Roach is a good guy and a good trainer,he speaks a lot of sense.I couldn’t really disagree with much that he says there.
you are what you are, you cant teach speed, same with taking a punch.., i believe its going to be a brutal fight, in the end i think we’ll see who’s the more durable fighter.
Ya, I heard Ricky has been working on his speed. Pacquiao is in for a surprise.
Ricky Hatton will be alot quicker than Pacman. You’ll see. Pacman and Roach will be surprised.
Yeah alot does make sense in this interview, im not saying hes not a great trainer just odd things he comes out with sounds a little stupid sometimes.. he said in a recent interview he hasnt even watched the hatton vs paulie malignaggi fight. When hes clearly studied that for hours! Hattons foot speed is slow. When this is clearly one one of his greatest assets in order for ricky to cut the ring down as well as he does.
saying ricky hatton has slow foot speed is a stupid thing to say. simple
pacman will to good for hatton
actually hes a good trainer and knows what hes talking about. all of it makes sense. im sick of ricky hatton fans who follow their heart and not their brain. look at what each fighter has done in their career and who they have fought. forget about the weight coz it wont matter as much as hattons fans think. and it all adds up to ricky getting totally destroyed. he aint on pacquaios level at any weight division