FIGHT WEEK: THE TRAINERS

HBO writer Chuck Johnson reports from the front row during fight week.

April 31, 2009 - by Chuck Johnson | Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank

LAS VEGAS -- The stick-and-move speed of Manny Pacquiao and the rugged brawling of Ricky Hatton won't be the only contrasting styles dictating the action Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

Their trainers -- Freddie Roach for Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Sr. for Hatton -- are also cut from different molds.

In the weeks leading up to "The Battle of East and West,'' the mutual respect between Hatton, the junior welterweight champion from England, and Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king from the Philippines, hasn't done anything to add fuel to the fire in the way of fighting words.

Not so for the trainers, whose verbal volleys have not only stoked the promotion but have raised the burning debate of which corner man is better.

"I am the greatest trainer, not of this time, that time, full-time (or) part-time but of all-time,'' says Mayweather, whose penchant for bombastic poetry stands in stark contrast to the soft-spoken, unassuming Roach.

Nonetheless, Roach can and will fire back when provoked, and Pacquiao's long-time trainer did just that after Mayweather began referring to him as Freddie "The Joke Coach'' in an obvious effort to get under his skin.

"When I get presented the trainer of the year award," Roach told Mayweather, "I want you to present that to me this year because that's as close as you'll get to it."

While Roach will be feted by the Boxing Writers' Association of America as Trainer of the Year for an unprecedented third time, Mayweather, who has never been so honored, dismisses his counterpart's achievements.

"Who has he really worked with?'' Mayweather says. "He had a lot of big fighters, but he hasn't done anything with them. What has he done with them? He's got one man in his court. It's Pacquiao."

Even more than the trash-talking, perhaps the most intriguing subplot to the trainers' story is that Mayweather Sr. is working the corner of Hatton, whose only defeat came at the hands of his trainer's son, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Considered boxing's No. 1 pound-for-pound champion when he knocked out Hatton in December, 2007 and then retired, the younger Mayweather is considering a comeback. But Mayweather Jr. still maintains a strained relationship with the father who got him started in boxing and trained him as a professional early in his professional career.

In response to being taunted, Roach was quick to point that out Mayweather Sr. was fired by his son and replaced by Roger Mayweather, who trained his nephew for most of the big fights that made him boxing's No. 1 champ.

"My first champion was (former light heavyweight champion) Virgil Hill,'' Roach says. "I started him out from his first pro fight. I mean, I've made a lot of good fighters out there. (Floyd Mayweather) made his son through birth, but Roger made him as a fighter. So, it doesn't bother me."

Mayweather Sr. disagrees that Roach hasn't been bothered by the verbal jousting.

"I'm in his head,'' he says. "This is all fun for me. I don't have any animosity toward Freddie. But I can tell I'm getting to him emotionally. And when emotions come in, logic goes out. It's a good chance Freddie won't be thinking straight (Saturday night) and the information he gives (Pacquiao) will be the wrong information."

Roach, who began training Pacquiao eight years ago after the fighter walked into his Los Angeles-area gym and immediately took a liking to the way they worked together, predicts Saturday night will be a smashing success for one reason.

"I have the best fighter,'' he says. "Manny is in the greatest shape of his life. I've been telling Manny all along that I will be disappointed if the fight goes longer than three rounds."

While Mayweather Sr. says "it's nothing personal" about his verbal attacks on Roach's abilities, one can theorize that he has an ulterior reason for dissing Roach, who was hired by Oscar De La Hoya to train him for his mega fight against Mayweather Jr. in May, 2007. Mayweather Sr., who had previously been De La Hoya's trainer, demanded $1 million to train the Golden Boy against his son but was turned down before Roach was chosen for the job.

That partnership lasted only one fight for Roach, who lashed back verbally after De La Hoya blamed him for losing to Mayweather Jr.,saying De La Hoya had lost his ability to "pull the trigger."

Roach felt vindicated when Pacquiao fought De La Hoya last December and ended the Golden Boy's career by stopping him in a lopsided fight.

The victory helped seal a banner year for Pacquiao, who was voted Fighter of the Year after winning three fights in three different weight divisions, including two world titles, while landing Roach yet another Trainer of the Year Award.

"(Roach) is the best trainer in the sport of boxing,'' says Top Rank's Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter. "More than just that, there has to be a great bond between a trainer and fighter and that is not something that comes into effect with one training period. It is built up over the years as they go into battle together time after time after time. That's what Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have."

Having worked with both trainers, De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions is co-promoting the fight, doesn't have any problem distinguishing who's better.

"If you ask me who the better trainer is, I'm sorry, but I have to go with Floyd Mayweather Sr.,'' De La Hoya says. "No disrespect to Freddie. He's a great trainer and I love him to death. But, strategy-wise, Floyd is more technically sound. He's crazy. But he knows his craft."

Mayweather will be viewed as crazy like a fox if his preparations lead to Hatton being able to execute better defense and technical skills against Pacquiao than he's shown in his previous fights.

"I think Ricky can win the fight without me,'' Mayweather Sr. says. "But, with me he has a better chance. It's obvious. I'm the best in this business doing this."

And, just in case there's any question about that, Hatton's 140-pound title and Pacquiao's claim as the No. 1 pound for pound champion aren't the only prizes on the line Saturday night. The promoters have commissioned a five-foot tall trophy inscribed Pound-for-Pound the No. 1 Trainer in the World, to be presented to the winning trainer.

That might not mean much to Roach, but it's clearly significant to Mayweather.

"I can buy my own trophy, but I'm going to take that one home,'' Mayweather says. "Not because it's a trophy, but because it's a medal of honor. I think it will mean a lot to have that one."