Freddie Roach has worked with some of the best in the sport of boxing, including two fights with Mike Tyson towards the end of the heavyweight’s career.
Though Roach – who founded the Wildcard Boxing Club in 1995 – caught ‘Iron’ Mike well past his prime, he has no doubt about the former undisputed heavyweight champion’s skill.
The pair’s first fight together was a first round knockout of Clifford Ettiene in 2003 before disaster struck against Danny Williams, with Tyson losing by fourth round stoppage.
Tyson has one last fight against Kevin McBride, retiring on his stool and informed fans immediately after that his hear was no longer in fighting.
Roach, who is still close with Tyson, recognised that.
“Mike’s a great guy and I did train him for a couple of fights before the end of his career, but his heart wasn’t really in it at that time. If he didn’t knock you out in a couple of rounds he’d get a torn meniscus in his knee or an injury somewhere here or there.”
The trainer has had longer working relationships with the likes of Michael Moorer, James Toney, Steve Collins, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan and, most notably by some distance, Manny Pacquiao.
It’s Moorer that he regards as the strongest fighter he’s ever cornered, as he explained in a feature with The Ring Magazine.
“Michael Moorer [was the strongest]. He was a bull and very talented. A southpaw with incredible power in his left hand. One left could end the evening for anyone when it connected.”
Roach did however reserve the spot of top puncher for Tyson, and then gave himself the best chin award for taking those shots on the pads.
Moorer is a one-time light-heavyweight champion and three-time heavyweight champion – the first ever southpaw to win a title in the top division. The hard-hitting New York native was undefeated in 35 to kick off his campaign and boasted a win over Evander Holyfield before coming up short to George Foreman.
Moorer retired in 2008 with 52 wins from 57 fights, 40 of them by knockout, and would go on to learn the ropes as a trainer in the Wildcard gym, but a conflict later led Roach to asking him to leave.
