By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach is perhaps going through one of the roughest periods in his career as a trainer right now with his major stars all losing one after another and some of the choosing to leave him following losses. Manny Pacquiao, Roach’s number #1 fighter, has lost his last two fights, Amir Khan lost two fights and then canned Roach, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. lost his last fight and there’s talk that he’ll be dumping Roach too and going with Nacho Beristain as his new trainer.
It’s unclear what’s happened to Roach because his top guys are getting beaten and blowing town on him. You can’t just say it’s because they’re getting old. Chavez Jr. and Khan are both in their mid-20s. Maybe it’s just bad luck for Roach, but whatever is he really needs Pacquiao to end the losing streak in his next fight whenever that is.
It doesn’t help Roach any if some of his obscure little known fighters when because their fights will go under the radar in the boxing community and won’t get a lot of notice. It’s the big name guys that Roach has that will make a difference in halting his losing streak, but unfortunately Roach only has one big name fighter left and that’s Pacquiao.
Roach can really help himself if he gives Pacquiao a good fight strategy for the next time he steps inside the ring in 2013. It doesn’t help if all Roach can come up with is a plan of attack that’s centered on Pacquiao trying to attack Marquez like he’d do against a lesser fighter.
I think Roach has become spoiled because of all the soft match-making Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum did for him in matching him against guys like Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto. Using a one-size fits all type of game plan doesn’t work when it comes to coming up with strategy for Pacquiao in his fights with Marquez.
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