Boxing News 2015: Heavyweight Legend Evander Holyfield Believes Wladimir Klitschko Should Have Freddie Roach In His Corner
Four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield believes that former heavyweight titlist Wladimir Klitschko can do better if the latter had renowned trainer Freddie Roach in his corner.
"Dr. Steelhammer" tasted his first defeat in eleven years in the hands of young gun Tyson Fury during their fight on November 28th in Dusseldorf, Germany. Fury ended Klitschko's nine-year reign as champion via a unanimous decision verdict and bagged the WBA (Super), IBO, IBF, and WBO world heavyweight titles, in the process.
Holyfield, a 27-year professional boxing veteran prior to retiring in 2011, gave some unsolicited advice to Klitschko.
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In a report by Boxingscene, "The Real Deal" says that the Ukrainian boxing superstar needs a trainer whom he would respect.
The report notes that former IBO cruiserweight world champion Johnathon Banks currently trains Klitschko. Banks (29-3-1, with 19 victories by knockout) decided to focus on training fighters after his seventh round technical knockout loss to Antonio Tarver in December of the past year.
The late great coach Emanuel Steward also trained him.
But for Holyfield, the respect level that fighters hold for a coach is different from each one, which is why he suggested having Freddie Roach in his corner.
"You need someone in the corner that you respect," Holyfield said in the report. "Otherwise, you won't listen to your coach and [you won't] get the best out of yourself."
"Klitschko's last trainer, Emanuel Steward, [fighters respected him] – but this does not apply to every trainer," he added.
Roach's most notable student to date would be the first and only eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, whom he began working with in the early 2000s.
Prior to his partnership with the Filipino boxing icon, the seven-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year awardee also mentored boxing greats such as Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson, Bernard Hopkins, and James Toney, just to name a few.
He also trained former mixed martial arts champions such as Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Tito Ortiz, and B.J Penn.
