Who is Freddie Roach?
Freddie Roach is an American former professional boxer and a boxing trainer. During his fighting career. he won the USA New England Featherweight title, but was just 26 when he retired from professional boxing. He is better recognized around the world for having trained such all-time boxing greats as Manny Pacquiao, Jean Pascal, and several others.
Freddie Roach Biography- Age, Childhood, and Education
Born Frederick Steven Roach on the 5th March 1960 in Dedham, Massachusetts USA, he is the son of Paul Roach and his wife Barbara. He grew up in a large family of five siblings, and has two brothers, Pepper and Joey, and two sisters, Cindy and Julie.
He started training with his brothers at a young age, and was quite dominant. He says that he was involved in over 300 street fights in his youth, and claims that during one he bit out another man’s eye in self-defense. In his teenage years, Freddie fought as an amateur, and was also very successful in the Amateur Athletic Union ranks.
Professional Boxing
Freddie turned professional in 1978; his trainer was Eddie Futch and he was competing in the lightweight division. In his first ten fights Freddie had a perfect score, defeating such boxers as Eddie Bracetty, John Papin and Francisco Pico, before he lost his first match in his career, against Beto Nunez.
However, Freddie then won his next sixteen fights, all under Eddie Futch’s guidance, and in 1981 won his first major title, crowned the US New England Featherweight champion after a victory against Joe Phillips. He continued without a lost match until June 1982, when he lost to Rafael Lopez at Boston Garden in a split decision, but he then lost one more fight, this time to Lenny Valdez. Freddie continued to fight four more years, but without major success, defeating lesser-known fighters, but in the fights for titles, he would lose. He lost against Louis Burke for the ESPN Super Featherweight title in 1983, and the following year to Tommy Cordova, again for the ESPN Super Featherweight title.
Two years later, he lost against Darryl Tyson in the bout for the WBC Continental Americas Lightweight title.
Health Issues, Disease, and Retirement
As he was entering the later years of his professional career, Freddie began showing signs of early Parkinson’s disease. He was known for his technique and ability to take punches and not feeling their effect, however, this ultimately had an effect on him, as Parkinson’s disease formed. In his last six matches, he won only once and lost the other five – his last win was against Arnel Arrozai, however, he said goodbye to the ring and the public in a loss to David Rivello, finishing his career with 40 wins – 15 by knockout – and 13 losses.
Although diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at a young age, Freddie has kept it under control, mostly thanks to medication and injections, but most importantly the training of other boxers, as his active life has apparently slowed down the progress of the disease.
Boxing Trainer
After his early retirement, Freddie started working menial jobs in Las Vegas, including being a busboy, but he was saved once again by Eddie Futch. He took him as an unpaid assistant in 1986, and in the next five years, Freddie shone, and so tried himself as a trainer in 1991.
He was recruited by Mickey Rourke who he decided to take up boxing once again. He served as Rourke’s trainer until 1995, when Mickey retired for good, leaving his boxing equipment to Freddie, with which he started his own Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles. Since then, Freddie has become one of the most prominent boxing coaches, having trained Manny Pacquiao during his championship days, then Oscar De La Hoya, preparing him for the fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., then Virgil Hill, and Amir Khan, among numerous others. According to reports, he has trained 27 champions to the present day.
Thanks to his success as a trainer, Freddie has been rewarded with the Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year award seven times, in 2003, 2006, 2008-2010, and 2013-2014, and been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame under the Managers and Trainers category.
MMA Trainer
In addition to his success as a boxing trainer, Freddie has taken a few mixed martial artists under his wing. He started with Andrei Arlovski and continued with Dan Hardy, since when many popular MMA fighters have learned from him, including Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and K.J. Noons among others.
Freddie Roach Net Worth, Height, Weight, and Appearance
Freddie, one of the best boxers and now trainers, has earned himself a small fortune through his career. According to sources, Freddie Roach’s net worth is estimated at over $25 million as of early 2020.
Freddie stands at 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall, while he weighs approximately 150lbs ~ 70kgs. His vital statistics are unknown, but he has an athletic figure. His eyes are blue, while his hair is slowly turning grey from the natural black.
Freddie Roach Personal Life, Marriage, Children
Freddie hasn’t been involved in media much, except for a few interviews, in one of which he said that he hasn’t married and that he doesn’t have children.
His boxing club has been his second home, and he spends almost the entire day with his colleagues, friends and clients. Some would say that this is a lonely life, but Freddie is really happy with what he has. He is focused on maintaining his health, fighting with the disease, and for now, in great shape, both physically and mentally.
In a recent interview, he has spoken about the lockdown measures and coronavirus situation, and how it would affect boxers and the entire sport, alongside other training legends, Robert Garcia, and Andre Rozier.
Freddie is active on social media, having promoted his work on his official Instagram page, on which he has around 300,000 followers. Also, he has his own website, Wildcardboxingstore.com, through which he sells boxing gear and promotes his services.
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