Freddie Roach Illness: What Happened to Him? Know the Details Here
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Apr 26, 2023
Who is Freddie Roach?
Frederick Steven Roach, born in March 5, 1960, is a former professional boxer and an American boxing trainer who is highly regarded as one of the best trainers in the history of boxing. He has coached and trained many famous boxers, including Manny Pacquiao, who is an eight-division world champion, Miguel Cotto, who is a four-division world champion, Julio César Chávez Jr., James Toney, Georges St-Pierre, as well as promising boxers like Jose Benavidez, Peter Quillin, and Vanes Martirosyan. Roach also trained Lucia Rijker, a two-time women's world champion, and Amir Khan, a former light welterweight champion.
During his early years, Frederick Steven Roach, together with his brothers Joey and Pepper, received training from his father, Paul Roach. In an interview with Dan Patrick on the AUDIENCE channel, Roach revealed that he was involved in more than 300 street fights during his youth. Roach recounted one particular incident in which he bit off another man's eye in self-defense due to concerns for his own safety.
Freddie Roach Illness
Frederick Steven Roach has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a condition he actively manages through medication, injections, and his coaching of boxers. His ability to control the disease has been highlighted in the HBO series Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
Despite suffering from Parkinson's syndrome for many years, legendary trainer Freddie Roach finds relief in the sport of boxing, which he acknowledges may have contributed to his condition. Roach is back training his star pupil, Manny Pacquiao, for his upcoming fight against Keith Thurman.
With a nonstop schedule of training 21 fighters at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Roach has little time to worry about Parkinson's. Additionally, he credits hand-eye exercises and a positive outlook, which Pacquiao helps to provide, for relieving the disease's debilitating effects. Roach and Pacquiao's reunion marks the return of the premier fighter/trainer duo in boxing, and their successful partnership resumed in January with a win over Adrien Broner.
What Happened to Freddie Roach?
Despite suffering from Parkinson's disease, Freddie Roach is still an active trainer in both boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). He manages his condition with medication, injections, and the rigors of training his fighters, which include hand-eye coordination exercises that his doctors believe may slow the progression of the disease.
Roach has trained numerous successful boxers including Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, and James Toney, as well as MMA fighters such as Andrei Arlovski, Dan Hardy, Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, and Georges St-Pierre. He has also expressed interest in training Fedor Emelianenko. Roach's involvement in combat sports extends to many other prominent fighters, making him one of the most sought-after trainers in the world.
Boxing Trainer Freddie Roach
Although he is now a highly regarded boxing trainer, Freddie Roach first made his name in the sport as a featherweight, junior light, and lightweight fighter. Growing up in a family of boxers, Roach had a successful amateur career before turning professional in 1978. Despite winning his first ten fights, his lack of power and defensive skills became apparent when he faced tougher opponents.
He shared the ring with several top fighters, including Bobby Chacon, Greg Haugen, and Hector Camacho, but lost to all three. With his boxing career over by his mid-20s, Roach faced an uncertain future, living in a neighborhood controlled by the Irish Mob. However, he moved to Las Vegas and found work as a telemarketer before rediscovering his passion for boxing while volunteering at Eddie Futch's gym. He eventually became Futch's chief assistant for five years.
Freddie Roach Net Worth
Freddie Roach, an American boxing trainer and former professional boxer, has a net worth of $20 million. Though he started as a professional boxer, Roach is now widely recognized for his role as a boxing trainer. Throughout his career, Roach has worked with numerous boxing legends, including Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Julio César Chávez Jr., James Toney, Georges St-Pierre, and others.
Many of these fighters have achieved significant success under Roach's guidance, and he has also trained female boxers, such as former world champion Lucia Rijker. Roach was eventually inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame as a trainer and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Boxing Council in 2008. In 2012, he was honored as a Trainer of World Champions and inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Freddie Roach Illness - FAQs
Freddie Roach is a former professional boxer and a highly regarded American boxing trainer.
Freddie Roach has trained many famous boxers, including Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Julio César Chávez Jr., James Toney, Georges St-Pierre, Jose Benavidez, Peter Quillin, and Vanes Martirosyan.
Freddie Roach also trained Lucia Rijker, a two-time women's world champion.
During his early years, Freddie Roach, together with his brothers Joey and Pepper, received training from his father, Paul Roach.
Freddie Roach revealed in an interview that he was involved in more than 300 street fights during his youth.