Freddie Roach is most known for guiding Manny Pacquiao to superstardom and helping the Filipino icon become boxing’s first eight-division world champion. However, there is one fighter whom Roach believes would have gotten the better of his man even at his peak.
Roach began training Pacquiao in 2001, after the speedy southpaw had already claimed world honours at both flyweight and super-bantamweight, but it was under Roach’s stewardship where ‘PacMan’ became a household name.
Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar De La Hoya each fell victim to Pacquiao, who rose through the weight divisions to win titles in divisions as high as super-welterweight.
Last July, Pacquiao made his return to boxing, drawing with Mario Barrios in a challenge for the WBC welterweight world title, with Roach in his corner.
Now, ‘PacMan’ is eyeing up another challenge for the welterweight crown, as he seeks to improve his legacy and break his own record of being the oldest ever 147lb ruler, at the age of 47-years-old.
However, despite their relationship and Pacquiao’s astonishing résumé, Roach picked Julio César Chávez to come out on top if he and Pacquiao collided in their primes, when speaking to Boxing Social.
“I definitely know who I’m going to pick in this fight, it’s not difficult because he was a much more complete, better fighter.
“This is one of the fighters that filled my heart. Some fighters were born to fight and some weren’t. There’s a couple that were just born to fight and Chavez is one of them, I pick him all of the way, I do.
“Pacquiao is explosive, very quick, but it’s too heavy of a competition for him in that one, I feel.”
Chavez famously remained undefeated in the first 90 professional fights of his career and is considered by many to be Mexico’s greatest ever fighter.
