Filed under: Boxing Video
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Freddie Roach had trouble sleeping on Tuesday night, the day before Wednesday's press conference for his fighter Manny Pacquiao's megafight with ex-champion Antonio Margarito.
"I got a lot of calls, and there were a lot of people that said that there was a video out there making fun of me," said the 50-year-old Roach, who has Parkinson's disease resulting from his pugilistic past. "Well, I don't have a computer with me, so my assistant brought it over to me."
What kept Roach awake was what he saw on the video, and it angered him to the point where the former boxer wanted to put his gloves back on -- not for sparring -- but for revenge.
In the video above at the 2:05 mark, Margarito moans, "Oh, Freddie Roach," extends his arms out slightly in front of him, appears to briefly shake his hands and then tilt his head slightly to the left.
The camera then pans onto Margarito's lightweight training stablemate, Brandon Rios, who also tilts his head slightly, appears to be acting as if he is having difficulty speaking and contorts his face.
"Hey," says Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia, "that's Freddie Roach right there," as he points at Rios.
Surrounded by reporters prior to Wednesday's press conference at Cowboys Stadium, Roach, his tremors in full view despite the fact that he had "doubled-up on my medication," spoke frankly and intensely about what he saw.
"I had trouble sleeping last night. I wanted to fight these guys. I know I'm too old and I can't beat them up," said the four-time Trainer of The Year, adding later in the conversation, "I hate these guys."
"If they made fun of me, it shows what kind of guys that they are. But I'm not going to bring it up because I don't want to bother Manny with it," said Roach. "So, you know, I don't want Manny to get mad or anything like that or to fight stupid. I can't do anything about what they did, but if they made fun of me, then, you know what? It's OK. They'll pay for it. I'm not worried."
Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/11/10/freddie-roach-angered-by-video-mocking-his-parkinsons-disease/
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