Ace Trainer Freddie Roach Hits 66

How great a trainer is Freddie Roach? That’s almost certainly an entire article. But Freddie – who today celebrates his 66th birthday – sure has made a huge impact on his chosen sport. And Freddie sure has lived some life, overcoming some tremendous odds in doing so.

Known today of course as one of the most respected boxing trainers, Roach, who has worked with around 40 world champions, was a genuinely tough ring warrior himself. In fact, Freddie was too tough and gutsy for his own good. Towards the end of his largely blood and guts fighting career, Roach was strongly advised by his trainer Eddie Futch – arguably THE greatest boxing trainer of them all – to retire.

Freddie, who was as we now know already showing the early signs of Parkinson’s disease, fought on, with his dad training him. The toll the compiling of his 40-13(15) pro record took on Freddie was high, and for years now the fighter turned trainer has been battling this horrific disease with all his might. In his ring career, Freddie, as game as they come, went in with some big names, such as Bobby Chacon, Greg Haugen, Hector Camacho, and Darryl Tyson. But Roach was to find real, life-changing success on the safe side of the ropes.

Initially working for Futch for no fee, Freddie impressed Futch with his ability at working with fighters, to the extent that he became Eddie’s full-time assistant. Freddie was on his way, and soon he would become known the world over as a trainer of champions. Later opening the celebrated Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Freddie would of course become most famous for guiding all-time great of the sport Manny Pacquiao over the course of many years and through numerous huge fights.

Some of the other greats Freddie trained include:

James Toney
Virgil Hill
Michael Moorer
Mike Tyson
Marlon Starling
Amir Khan
Oscar De La Hoya
Andy Ruiz Jr
Miguel Cotto.

Today, Freddie celebrates his 66th birthday. Having been fighting the ravages of Parkinson’s for so many years, Freddie has displayed the heart and desire he showed in the ring. Liked and respected by all, Freddie is a man who has loved boxing all his life, with him adding so much to the sport.

You would be hard-pressed to find a single person who has a bad word to say about Freddie Roach. He is genuinely one of a kind!