Freddie Roach admits that, as he watched Manny Pacquiao stop Lucas Matthysse this past July in Malaysia in Round 7, it was a rather bittersweet experience. He once had the best seat in the house for Pacquiao's fights, but then he was watching it like the rest of us: on TV.
"It was a little different. I mean, it was the same Manny that I trained for a long time and I was glad that he fought a good fight and put everything together and everything we ever worked on, he did in that fight. It was a good night for him," said Roach, who was absent from Pacquiao's corner that night.
A glorious run that began in 2001 had seemingly come to an end as it looked as though the Pacman would go into the final chapters of his career without his longtime trainer. Roach, while not devastated, was more disappointed by the turn of events and had turned the page.
After all, this is boxing; there aren't many happy endings in this business. There's a reason why they tell you to never fall in love with your fighters. Besides, Roach would readily admit that Pacquiao had made him millions and turned him into an iconic figure. Also, he never got stiffed for his money.
Yet Pacquiao still took a good amount of criticism for never personally reaching out to Roach over the summer to deliver the news.
"After not being in the corner and watching him on TV, I thought, 'That's it, it's over.' We had a great 15-year run and [I] couldn't be mad at him or anything like that. Because for 15 years we did great together, and everyone still puts me and Manny Pacquiao together, no matter what he does or what I do," Roach said.
Angelo Dundee didn't finish up with Sugar Ray Leonard, nor did Emanuel Steward with Thomas Hearns. However, they are forever linked in history. Roach has always been cognizant of the important role Pacquiao played in his career as a trainer.
He would accept this rather unfortunate ending to their longtime union with grace.
But as the formal announcement was made that the most visible senator from the Philippines would face Adrien Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) on Jan. 19, word was that Pacquiao was interested in hooking back up with Roach at his Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles. When Pacquiao went to L.A. in mid-November for the news conference, a meeting was scheduled with Roach.
"By far, from the day I met him, I said, 'This guy's special,' and I told everyone and nobody believed me." Freddie Roach
"I was hopeful going into it. I remember driving to the hotel where I was going to meet him at, and it was cool. I was wondering, 'Is there where I officially get fired or get rehired?'" said Roach, who recalls that the meeting was cordial but also short and to the point.
After Pacquiao quickly apologized for the way things were handled leading up to the Matthysse fight, he and Roach quickly hammered out a financial deal for the Broner fight this weekend. And just like that, one of the most effective duos in boxing history was rekindled.
"It's nice," was Pacquiao's way of putting it when asked about returning to his familiar haunts in Hollywood to work once again with Roach. While many others on New Year's Eve were taking the day off, Pacquiao had no such luxury as he had a fight in a few weeks to prepare for. Though he said he missed Roach during their separation, Pacquiao pointed out it wasn't the first time he had prepped for a fight without him.
Back in April 2007, as Pacquiao faced Jorge Solis, that training camp was under the direction of Justin Fortune, who took over for Roach as he was training Oscar De La Hoya in Puerto Rico for his bout against Floyd Mayweather.
Although Pacquiao insisted that his longtime assistant and confidant, Buboy Fernandez, be given more of a role in preparations for the Broner fight, on this particular afternoon it was Roach who donned the body armor and mitts to go 12 fast-paced, frenetic rounds on the pads with the future Hall of Famer.
It isn't just that Pacquiao throws one stinging punch after another, it's how he maintains that pace at his age. Pacquiao is still a physical marvel at age 40.
"He even asked me how old he is [during our session]," Roach said with a chuckle.
Many fighters can throw hard punches; others can throw ones at a rapid pace. Pacquiao is the rarity who can blend both of these dynamics together -- and do it for unusually long stretches.
It's like witnessing the sprinter who can also run marathons.
"By far, from the day I met him, I said, 'This guy's special,' and I told everyone and nobody believed me," recalled Roach, who began training Pacquiao in 2001 as he was scheduled to face the highly regarded Lehlo Ledwaba, the defending IBF 122-pound champion. "Then he knocked out Ledwaba and everybody started to believe."
Because of Pacquiao's ability to glide around the ring and make quick, explosive cuts like an NFL running back, Roach said, he is the most physically challenging boxer to work mitts with. His calves -- which are freakish in both size and musculature -- are a gift from God and allow him to move in ways other boxers simply can't, yet they also lay a foundation that allows him at the same time to punch with authority.
An exhausted Roach, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, admitted that moving around with Pacquiao is tough.
"But the thing is, it's so much fun. [Pacquiao] says, 'I'm so happy that I'm here,' and I said, 'I'm happy you called.'"
"I still love boxing, and nothing's changed. My feeling, my interest, my determination is still there." Manny Pacquiao
"I still love boxing, and nothing's changed. My feeling, my interest, my determination is still there," said Pacquiao, who insists that his expanding political career and outside interests have not curtailed his professional ambitions inside the ring.
"I think whatever my plans or dreams for the people are," he said, "will not change my desire or interest in boxing."
The reality is that, while Pacquiao still has some gas left in the tank, he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He had a short-lived retirement after 2016 -- which nobody put much stock into -- but in 2019, it's clear that he is entering the sunset of what has been a fantastic career.
When asked how much longer he will be boxing, he ponders the question for a few seconds before stating that it's hard to predict right now.
"If you ask me about my feeling, my condition, nothing's changed, especially the way I prepare for a bout like this," he said.
Joe Ramos, the chief executive officer of MP Promotions, said he believes Manny has some fights left.
"Realistically, we'd like to have him -- and again, he's said this is the final chapter of his career -- hopefully fight three or four more times, maximum," Ramos said. "Obviously, he knows his body, how he's feeling. That last fight rejuvenated him, the knockout, getting through the [Jeff] Horn fight and now Matthysse, he's moving forward."
This particular workout lasted more than two hours, and what's truly eye-opening is just how much Pacquiao seemed to actually enjoy this labor. Much of it was conducted with a smile on his face and he laughed easily with those in the gym as he went about his work.
"Still the same Pacquiao. Still stupidly fast, very, very strong," explained Fortune, who in recent years has returned to this team as the strength and conditioning coach. (Yeah, with Manny, Freddie, Buboy and Fortune, the band is back.) "But we just have to approach training differently because of his age. He just needs to rest more."
So just what is the difference from the Pacquiao of, say, five to 10 years ago?
"Well, he's five to 10 years older, so that's how he is different," Fortune quipped.
On a serious note, he said, for any fighter of Pacquiao's age and mileage, less is more.
"The thing about him is, you have to pull him back, you have to slow him down, because he's of the mindset that if it worked 15 years earlier, then I should do twice as much," Fortune said. "But it doesn't work that way."
Serving as one of the main sparring partners for Pacquiao's upcoming contest is undefeated junior welterweight prospect George Kambosos Jr. (15-0, 9 KOs), who has been with Pacquiao for several camps.
"Not once has he looked like he's not enjoying it," marveled the 25-year-old Australian, who is scheduled to fight on the undercard. Having gone over 150 rounds with Pacquiao the past few years, he said that with the "awkward angles" he faces from the whirlwind southpaw, at times "it's like there's three Mannys in there."
Although it's different from the glory days of 2009 to 2012, there is a certain energy around the Wild Card when Pacquiao is in town. Pacquiao's success and worldwide appeal transformed this gym. It regularly attracts visitors who just want a glimpse of the facility where both Pacquiao and Roach worked to craft a legendary run.
The gym -- at least the upstairs portion -- is generally open to the public. But when Pacquiao trains, it is locked down and Roach's assistant trainers guard the gates. Yeah, this place is just different when he's here.
"100 percent different vibe," agreed Roach, a few days into 2019. Earlier that morning, five Filipino visitors came by the gym to take pictures and purchase some Wild Card paraphernalia. To Pacquiao's countrymen, this is hallowed ground.
During their short separation last summer, the reports of Roach's demise were greatly exaggerated. This renowned trainer kept training. It's what he does; it's what he is.
"I got [Jose] 'Shon' Zepeda, two [Mexican] Olympians, [Joselito] Velasquez and [Raul] Curiel. Actually, I lost one fighter and gained five," Roach said with a laugh. "So it wasn't like I didn't have anything to do. I still had work and it was good. And the thing is, I figured, 'Well, with Manny we had 15 great years together, a lot of memories, a lot of great memories.' But the thing is, I have my stable."
His group of boxers also includes the likes of WBA 130-pound champion Albert Machado and WBO 108-pound titlist Angel Acosta. Recently, he worked as Tyson Fury's cutman for his fight against WBC heavyweight belt holder Deontay Wilder on Dec. 1.
Still, for Roach, having his signature fighter back in tow makes things better.
"Of course, yes," he admitted without hesitation. "Manny Pacquiao makes me more famous than a lot of trainers and so forth, because of the run we had. We had an unbelievable run. It was a great time."
And it's not over just yet.