I'm pissed and tired - Roach
As the sun began to set in Los Angeles on Friday, Freddie Roach was still at
the Wild Card Boxing Club nursing hopes that his phone would ring and that Manny Pacquiao - or even somebody from the Filipino's camp - would be on the
other line.
"Nope," Roach answered when asked whether there's been contact with Team Pacquiao the past 24 hours. "I am pissed and I am tired of these
guys. They treat me like shit."
Roach was referring to Pacquiao's advisers Mike Koncz and lawyer Franklin Gacal, whom the multi-awarded trainer says have benefited financially from the
fighter's meteoric rise.
"I know what's best for my fighter," said Roach, who is against Pacquiao's plans to set up camp in Baguio.
Pacquiao has been forced to look for a place to train owing to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provision that - if violated - will result in Pacquiao paying
millions in taxes to the IRS.
Roach had been hoping that his repeated cries all over the Internet would compel Pacquiao or his aides and advisers to pacify the 48-year-old trainer by
assuring him that all is well in the often chaotic world of Pacquiao.
Roach said the city of Toluca in Mexico looks to be a perfect venue for Pacquiao's preparation, stressing that state-owned training facility will be more
than ready to play host to somebody like Pacquiao.
Roach said a friend of his, Joseph Brown, is willing to lend a hand in having the Toluca camp reserved for certain hours for Pacquiao's use.
"I stayed in Toluca and found it to be secluded enough from the mainstream public, yet functional with enough amenities to serve this purpose quite
well," Brown said in an email to Roach.
Brown said a Mexico-based Cuban cruiserweight, Carlos Duarte, works as a trainer in Toluca and assures Roach and his team that the red carpet will be rolled
for Pacquiao.
Other venues being looked at are Cancun and Nuevo Vallarta, famed resort cities in Mexico.
Still, Roach is not ruling out the possibility of making that back-breaking flight to Manila accompanied by Pacquiao sparring partners. Roach has tapped
Raymund Serrano, Shawn Porter, and Urbano Antillon as guys Pacquiao would spar with in the eight-week training camp.
"I will do the best I can (if Manny decides to train there)," said Roach, who has trained the 30-year-old lefty since mid-2001.
By NICK GIONGCO
