Coach Freddie Roach, family reeling from heavy blow

CLEVELAND--Coach Freddie Roach, beloved trainer of Manny Pacquiao, has just taken one of the hardest blows.

Roach’s chief assistant trainer at the thriving Wild Card Gym Jesse Reid informed me late Saturday night just before he worked the corner of Pito Cardona in a decision loss to Hector Camacho Jr.., that the youngest of the five Roach brothers, Joey, suffered a heart attack and died sometime Saturday in Las Vegas.

Joey Roach was just age 47.

Freddie and Joey were extremely close. I want to record my condolences to Freddie, to mother Barbara, brother Dominic (better known as Pepper) and to the entire family.

The Roach boys father, ex-New England featherweight champion Paul Roach, died in 1992 at the age of 62.

I can’t say that I knew Joey because it’s Pepper who has been involved in working with fighters associated with the multiple time Trainer of the Year Award Freddie.

But I do know that when Freddie retired as a pro boxer, he worked with Joey in a telemarketing business in Vegas. Joey grew that business and became a wealthy man in his own right.

There is also an older brother named Al, who quit boxing at age 16 because of the relentless pushing and discipline of their father.

I tried to reach Freddie by phone Sunday morning and got his voice mail.

I would assume he is Las Vegas where he bought his mother a house.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-NY-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m8d30-Coach-Freddie-Roach-family-reeling-from-heavy-blow