Heralded trainer Roach plans to assist 10 Olympic hopefuls
All 10 boxers who won gold Friday at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Mobile, Ala., also received a bonus.
Not money. This was far more valuable than cash.
The 10 champions will get to work with Freddie Roach, pro boxing’s most accomplished trainer, who has agreed to lend his expertise to USA Boxing in the hopes of generating a medal rush at next year’s London Olympics.
Roach was at the Mobile Civic Center all week to watch the tournament, and he said the one thing that stood out to him was the lack of experience among the competitors.
“I’m surprised at this level we have so many green guys,” Roach said. “This group doesn’t have the overall experience of some of our teams in the past, and that’s something we’re going to have to deal with.”
Roach will assist Joe Zanders, who was officially named the U.S. Olympic coach Thursday. Roach said he and Zanders have talked several times about his role, and he expects no problems.
“I’m here to help Joe,” the 51-year-old Roach said. “He’s in charge.”
Roach said a couple of boxers caught his eye in Mobile, including 23-year-old Las Vegas heavyweight Michael Hunter, who won a gold medal Friday and went 4-0.
“Michael’s much more experienced than the other boxers,” Roach said. “He was very impressive. I also liked Jose Ramirez, the 132-pound kid from (Avenal) California. He looked very good.”
Roach will get hands-on time with Hunter, Ramirez and the other eight winners at the end of August, as he will spend two weeks with the team in Colorado Springs, Colo. Roach also is bringing some of his fighters from his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., to work with the Olympic hopefuls.
To qualify for the Olympics, the Trials winners must finish among the top six in their weight classes at the International Amateur Boxing Association World Championships, set for Sept. 22 to Oct. 10 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“I’ll be patient with them,” Roach said. “We’re not going to change them overnight. But we’ll work with them and get them better.”
■ RAMIREZ AWAITS TURN — While spots for the U.S. Olympic men’s boxing team were being contested in Alabama last week, Marina Ramirez waits for her chance to earn a berth in next summer’s Olympics.
The Las Vegan, who competes at 106 pounds, is in training, and Ramirez will be in the field when the U.S. Women’s Boxing Trials are held in February in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I’m just trying to keep busy,” said Ramirez, 21, who finished second at the USA Boxing championships in June and will be headed to Sacramento, Calif., this month to work with her trainer, Cary Williams-Nunez. “But I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Women’s boxing makes its Olympic debut in London. The lowest weight class will be 112 pounds, so Ramirez, who has been boxing for five years, will have to qualify in the higher weight.
■ JUNIOR OLYMPICS — While the men’s Olympic Trials were being held in Mobile, the Junior Olympic tournament for boys and girls ages 8-16 was contested in Alabama as well.
Las Vegas’ lone representative was 16-year-old Francisco Esparza, who fights out of North Las Vegas Center Ring Boxing and attends Southwest Career and Technical Academy. Chicago’s Kevin Salgado defeated Esparza 16-8 in Tuesday’s opening round of competition in the 125-pound division.
■ MORALES TITLE SHOT — Erik Morales will get a chance to become the first Mexican fighter to win four world championships when he meets Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse for the vacant WBC junior welterweight title Sept. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden.
Morales-Matthysse will support the main event featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz, who puts his WBC welterweight belt on the line.
The WBC stripped Timothy Bradley of the junior welterweight belt because he refused to fight the top-ranked challengers, and the organization then planned to have Morales fight Britain’s Anthony Crolla. But Crolla was dropped in favor of Argentina’s Jorge Barrios.
But when Barrios couldn’t gain entry into the U.S. over legal and visa issues, the 28-year-old Matthysse (28-2, 26 knockouts), who lost a 10-round split decision to Devon Alexander last month in St. Charles, Mo., was moved into Barrios’ slot.
The 34-year-old Morales (51-7, 35 KOs) gave a good account of himself in April when he lost a 12-round decision to Marcos Maidana.
Also added to the card was Las Vegas junior welterweight Jessie Vargas (16-0, nine KOs), who will face Josesito Lopez (29-3, 17 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.