Freddie Roach has trained some of the best boxers in the sport.
A former pro fighter himself, Roach turned to coaching after his retirement in the 1980s. He is best known for his long-standing partnership with Manny Pacquiao which saw the pair pick up multiple world titles across several different weight divisions.
Roach’s approach combines old-school techniques with an emphasis on speed, power, and strategy and has seen him work in his famous Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles with the likes of Miguel Cotto and Amir Khan.
Speaking to The Sauce channel, Roach was asked to name his favourite ever fighter and recalled the time ‘The Greatest’ stopped by his gym.
“I think Muhammad Ali is. We had the best experience ever when he walked in my door one day and stayed six hours. He just entertained the s**t out of us. He’s a great guy and a good boxer. He put things together well, so I like him.”
While the former undisputed heavyweight champion Ali is often cited as one of the greatest boxers of all time and is an undeniable global icon, his actions outside of the ring played just as much of a part in that as what he did inside it.
Beyond boxing, the American was a civil rights advocate who stood against the Vietnam War and fought racial injustice with as much courage as he showed in epic battles like ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ with George Foreman and ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ with Joe Frazier.
Like Ali, Roach lives with Parkinson’s Disease – it’s another bond he feels with the fighter, as expressed in an interview with The Ring Magazine.
“I hope I have as full a life as he did. Because I know one day I might die the same way he did. We’ll see. But like him, I’m going to live my life to the fullest … Like him, I’ll fight it to the end.”
