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SPORTS A19
Thursday 7 April 2016
Pacquiao, Roach fondly recall 15 years at the Wild Card
GREG BEACHAM nurtured his growth into an In this Monday, April 4, 2016, photo, boxer Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines works out in front of
AP Sports Writer eight-division champion reporters and photographers at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Man- and the Philippines’ most
ny Pacquiao was all kinds famous man. Associated Press
of hungry when he first Pacquiao has repeatedly
walked into the Wild Card said he could be forced out to and Pacquiao, whose complex home life in Asia, once a year (after retir-
Boxing Club 15 years ago. of boxing if the congress- logo is emblazoned on the he kept coming back to ing),” Pacquiao said. “Bring
An undernourished and man is elected to a Senate ring. the Wild Card for work. my boxers. I have other
largely unknown Filipino position later this year, but Roach is modest about his Los Angeles embraced boxers in the Philippines.”
fighter wanted to learn, he might not have consid- contributions to Pacquiao’s Pacquiao during his rise, but Roach believes Pacquiao’s
to grow — to take on the ered the finality of it all un- formidable talent, but he its love has faded in recent skills and athleticism are still
world. til he actually arrived at his knows what role the Wild years. The anti-gay politi- sharp, and he doesn’t see
When he walked out of last workout in Hollywood. Card played in that devel- cal rhetoric that ended his any slowdowns that would
the Wild Card for perhaps His eyes narrowed while opment. relationship with Nike also prompt him to encour-
the final time this week, he methodically wrapped “It forced him to maybe hasn’t played well in this age retirement. Although
Pacquiao stepped onto his hands with brisk move- grow up a little bit faster progressive town, getting he still sees the hunger in
an enormous bus with his ments. than being home,” Roach him ceremonially banned Pacquiao, he developed a
glowering face plastered “I’m thinking about it,” Pac- said. “I look at pictures from from a popular mall and slight doubt Monday when
across its length. He took a quiao said. “I love it here. when he first came, and he prompting the LA Weekly Pacquiao did something
four-hour drive to Las Ve- It’s my second home. It’s only had a couple of guys newspaper to ask, “Should he never does after a work-
gas with his entourage of been a long time since I with him. He was almost by Manny Pacquiao Be Run out.
dozens, stopping only to started training at the Wild himself.” Out of Los Angeles?” The fighter gathered Roach
buy mountains of snacks Card.” A loss finally allowed Roach But inside the Wild Card, and their closest confi-
at a convenience store, Pacquiao has spilled years to get the superstitious Pac- Pacquiao’s oldest Ameri- dantes for a group prayer.
on the way to a luxury suite of sweat and blood on the quiao out of the run-down can friends are still at his “We’ll see what happens,”
and his pay-per-view fight well-worn canvas in this liv- Vagabond, which was torn side, even if they disagree Roach said. “I still can see
against Timothy Bradley on ing monument to the en- down in 2013. The fighter with his pronouncements. Senator Manny Pacquiao
Saturday. during charms of the sweet moved to houses in near- And even if he’s really done winning a world title, or
Pacquiao found everything science. by Beverly Hills or Hancock fighting, Pacquiao doesn’t President Manny Pacquiao
he sought from boxing in Roach remembers the ear- Park, his properties growing think he’ll leave the Wild winning a world title. He
this gloriously dilapidated liest months of their rela- along with his entourage. Card entirely. would like to do that.”q
Hollywood gym run by train- tionship with fondness. Pac- Even with an increasingly “I might come back here
er Freddie Roach. They’ve quiao lived next door at the
been together since 2001, Vagabond Inn, and Roach
forming a tenacious part- would go back to the hum-
nership that might get its ble hotel to relax while Pac-
final test this weekend. quiao sang and learned to
“I don’t think this is it, so I play the guitar. The Beatles’
don’t think I’m going to “Let It Be” was the first song
have to get sad or anything he mastered — to a point.
like that,” Roach said. “If it is “I don’t know if he’s a great
it, I will miss him, and we’ll singer,” Roach said. “But he
be friends forever. But he’s practiced, and he tried re-
always been a great guy ally hard to be entertaining
to me. It would be different at that. He was just a really
not having him around, for good kid.”
sure, but life goes on. It’s The Wild Card has grown
OK.” along with Roach’s career:
If Pacquiao retires into poli- The second-floor gym has
tics after this bout, he has also taken over the ground
already thrown his final floor of the battered strip
punch at the Wild Card, his mall on Vine Street. The
training home since 2001. former laundromat is now
He’ll never again take di- used for Roach’s top cli-
rection from Roach, who ents, including Miguel Cot-
