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Freddie Roach, the Hall of Fame trainer, has shared insights into his training approach with Jaime Munguia ahead of the upcoming fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Saturday. Roach began working with Munguia before his fight with John Ryder in January, which Munguia won in the ninth round.
This fight against Alvarez, scheduled at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Cinco de Mayo weekend, marks their second collaboration, with Munguia facing one of the most prominent fighters in the world.
Roach praised Munguia's progress, highlighting his improvement in both offense and defense. He emphasized Munguia's enhanced head movement, which has made him a more complete fighter. Roach expressed confidence in Munguia's abilities, stating that he has prepared him well for the fight against Alvarez.
Roach drew parallels with his past work with Manny Pacquiao, another aggressive and underrated fighter whom Roach transformed into one of the greatest of all time. Speaking after their second training camp together at Roach’s renowned Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Roach commented,
“I’ve had two training camps with [Munguia]. The first, he was the best student in the world – he listens very well, and I was working with him on his defense and his offense, and he became more of a complete fighter. I hate when people say, ‘He has no defense at all.’ They’re full of s***."
Roach continued, highlighting Munguia's improvements in head movement, slipping punches, and countering effectively. Despite Munguia being the underdog, Roach's involvement has raised expectations for an upset, while also boosting Munguia's profile and leading to his biggest fight yet.
"[Alvarez] has very common combinations," Roach observed. "He'll throw a left hook to the body, a left hook to the head. Every time. Every time you get one, you get two. If he lands the one to the head, I’m gonna kill my guy."
He advised Munguia to maintain a strong jab and avoid overreaching with punches. Munguia, on the other hand, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with Roach, highlighting the discipline and hard work they have put into training. He noted Roach's influence in making him a more aggressive fighter, stating that he is motivated and ready to seize this opportunity."