Legendary trainer Freddie Roach believes one former world champion could have gone on to become the greatest of all time had he shown more discipline during his career.
Roach began working as a coach back in 1986 after his own professional boxing career came to an end, where he finished with a record of 40 wins and 13 defeats.
He would go on to open the world famous Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles ten years later alongside his brother, working with no less than 40 world champions throughout the course of his tenure.
Roach is perhaps best known for his partnership with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, linking up with the Filipino icon back in 2001. They would work together for 17 years before their relationship eventually broke down in 2018.
They did reunite ahead of Pacquiao’s recent comeback to the sport however, although his showdown with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios ended in a majority decision draw.
Roach has now reflected on one of his former fighters, as speaking to The Ring Observer, he spoke fondly of three-weight world champion James Toney, as he claims ‘Lights Out’ would have gone on to be considered one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, although he admits he let himself down with poor discipline.
“We’d be calling him the greatest fighter today. He was a great fighter. But if he put his heart into it, with his abilities, he would have been the best.”
Toney is credited for being one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, winning world titles at middleweight, super-middleweight and cruiserweight during his 29-year career.
The Michigan native shared the ring with a number of legendary opponents along the way, including the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr, with Toney’s final record standing at 77 wins, 10 defeats, 3 draws and 2 no contests.
