Coach Roach

WHEN the English finally defeated the great army of Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley declared, "The battle of Waterloo was won in the playing fields of Eton." Back in 1815 and until now, in war as well as in sports, battles are indeed won with preparation. After witnessing Manny Pacquio batter the bigger, taller Oscar de la Hoya into retirement last Sunday, we could say that the Dream Match was won in the crowded, humid halls of the Wildcard Gym. And when we talk about the Wild Card Gym, what we really mean is Freddie Roach. The man is an absolute boxing genius. Freddie Roach is the best thing to happen to Manny Pacquio and to modern Philippine boxing. Undeniably, Manny is a great fighter. In fact, he is the best Filipino boxer ever! Perhaps he would have won a few more world championships even without Roach. Maybe he would still be that knockout machine even without Roach. However, this I can say: Manny will not be the best pound-for-pound fighter without the guidance and training of coach Roach. Freddie Roach took Manny not to the next level but to a level Manny did not even realize was within reach. Best pound-for-pound fighter? Can you fathom what that means? Our boy, that brawler with thunder in his fists, with hair parted in the middle is the best fighter in the world! From the flyweight champion of the world to the biggest draw in boxing is a great expanse. It is a distance that spectacular knockouts or even title defenses cannot cover. It takes dominating performances, it takes constant improvements, it takes reinvention. These three coach Roach gave to Pacman. With great understanding and insight of Manny's opponents, Roach always crafted superior strategies that allowed Manny to dominate. No one understood the game better; Roach saw weaknesses that even the fighters did not know they had. As with the recent de la Hoya fight, Roach was supremely confident simply because he knew how to exploit the Golden Boy's weakness. Freddie Roach was so spot on, that a defeated de la Hoya approached him and said: "You are right. I don't have it anymore." Nice call coach! Despite the obvious blinding speed and crippling power of Manny, what blows my mind every time I watch him fight is how much better he is from his previous bout. Manny just improves as each fight, each new pretender comes along. Pacman always has new weapons that was again created and perfected in the crowded, humid halls of the Wild Card Gym. In the Diaz fight, Pacquiao brandished a brand new right that we have not seen before but Diaz's face saw too often. I am positive that in his next fight against Hatton that Freddie Roach will again arm Manny with a surprise package, a new weapon of mass destruction, a Wembley special if you will. From a lion-hearted brawler, to a polished world-class boxer. Did we even think that we would utter the words boxer and Pacman in the same sentence. This is the greatest gift of Freddie Roach to Manny and the whole nation. He made Manny into a very good boxer. Manny now weaves, bobs, jabs, moves like a classic boxer. Manny now hits without getting hit. Check out the disparity in punches thrown and landed in the de la Hoya bout. Not even close. This is ultimately good because when Manny is hit, the whole nation cringes. What do you get when you transform the fastest, strongest brawler into a boxer? Simple, you get the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world! Of course, it goes without saying that Roach is very lucky to have Manny as a student. His work ethic, courage, and will to win are unbelievable. Manny is a special fighter even back then, but it worked well with Roach because Pacquiao had the ultimate respect and trust for his coach. Pacman completely bought into Roach's system because of this respect and trust. Where did this respect and trust come from? It came from results, Roach always delivered and Manny being the smart guy that he is, knows a good thing when he sees one. Thank you coach Roach, thank you for taking care of our national treasure. And one more thing, in your spare time maybe you can find the next Manny Pacquiao, a young brawler with thunder in his fist and again transform him in to a boxer.