Despite being most closely associated with the astonishing 73-fight career of Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach claims to have trained one other fighter that trumped the Filipino for talent.
The Hall of Fame coach guided Pacquiao to world championship glory across eight weight classes, remaining in his corner throughout a near two-decade stretch.
During that time, Pacquiao engaged in iconic battles with the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, before entering even more career-defining matchups in the higher divisions.
Along with money-spinning opportunities against Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya, the pound-for-pound legend also made his mark at 147lbs with notable victories over the likes of Miquel Cotto and Shane Mosley.
But while Roach credits Pacquiao as the most disciplined fighter he’s ever trained, there is one man, in particular, who proved to be an exceptionally gifted competitor.
The American coach has, of course, previously worked with a selection of the sport’s most elite operators, including Oscar De La Hoya, Cotto and Mike Tyson.
For him, though, it is former multi-weight world champion James Toney, who he coached for just a brief spell, that stood out as an especially talented individual.
After joining forces with Roach, ‘Lights Out’ Toney claimed the IBF cruiserweight title by outpointing Vassiliy Jirov in 2003, before stopping a faded Evander Holyfield in the ninth round later that year.
And while Toney’s success largely arrived in earlier years, and in lower divisions, Roach nonetheless sung the skillful technician’s praises in an interview with Los Angeles Daily News.
“Toney is the most natural fighter I’ve ever seen. When he says, ‘All you mother F*****s have to train but I was born to fight,’ he means it.
The way he moved, the vision he had to see everything coming at him… He was just so gifted.
At his peak, he’d sit on the ropes and make you miss a hundred punches and come back with counter shots. It was something to watch.
If he had discipline, he could’ve been heavyweight champion of the world and dominated the division. It just didn’t turn out that way.
I’m not sure why he didn’t get in shape and stay healthy. I guess some guys with that kind of talent just take it for granted.”
