Roach denies report on Fortune split up

Celebrated American trainer Freddie Roach belied reports that he and his long-time assistant Justin Fortune have severed ties and that he knows nothing about his trusted Australian partner quitting the Wild Card Gym.

According to a report by philboxing.com that some reliable sources from the camp of Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao divulged that Roach and his long-time lieutenant have headed to splitsville and have gone separate ways following Pacman’s successful WBC International super featherweight title defense against Jorge Solis.

The same sources by Philboxing.com indicated that the disagreement came about when the check representing the percentage of Pacquiao’s purse intended for the trainer was given under Fortune’s name, which did not sit well with Roach.

Popular boxing writer/author Brad Cooney, however, said the report was inaccurate and that Roach knew nothing about his rumored split with Fortune.

"The report is inaccurate. Freddie Roach knows nothing about this report," said Cooney in his article posted on boxingtalk.com.

In his interview with Roach, Cooney said the 2006 Trainer of the Year admitted that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has indeed wrote the check in Justin’s name instead of his.

But the amiable ring strategist said there’s nothing wrong with it as he and Justine have agreed on the percentage of the trainers fee to their satisfaction.

"Roach admits that Bob Arum wrote the trainers fee check for Pacquiao’s fight against Solis, to Justin Fortune. Roach suggested that perhaps it was a slap in the face dished out by Bob Arum. Roach told Boxingtalk that both he and Justin Fortune agreed on a percentage that each would get, and that Justin would be sending him a check tomorrow (today)," Cooney said.

Fortune was entrusted by Roach to take charge of Pacquiao’s training for the Solis bout while he is in Puerto Rico helping Oscar de la Hoya prepare for his super-fight against pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

When Roach announced he will be at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas to be at the corner of Pacquiao, some believed that Roach’s presence is no long needed because Fortune is competent enough to handle the job.

But Roach insisted there’s no problem about it as he had been in constant communication with Fortune and Pacquiao, giving instructions on Pacman’s daily training repertoire.

Inspite of that, Roach’s decision has sparked a report from a Manila-based newspaper insinuating that Fortune wants Roach to stay out of Pacquiao’s corner as he is capable of running the show with the help of Filipino training assistants Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.

Although the report was denied by Fortune saying that he was just misquoted, that issue most probably incited friction between the two ring tacticians, whose working relationship that has blossomed into best of friends is now on the rocks - as construed by some quarters. — EBV