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By Michael Lopez

There is no denying that Freddie Roach is one of the best trainers in the boxing biz. Known for offering signature moves to Manny Pacquiao and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., he's regarded as a legend in the ring. And now he's getting his own reality show, courtesy of Battleship director, Peter Berg.

On Freddie Roach premieres tonight on HBO and covers a lot more than just jabs and ducks. One of the most compelling components of the series is Freddie's struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Cameras will be filming Roach 24/7 as he interacts with his famous fighters and deals with his own debilitating illness.

"They'd catch me in good moods, and sometimes in bad moods," Freddie explained. "People really get to see what my life is about and how I deal with it. Parkinson's is always there, of course, but it's something I try to ignore as much as I can. I generally don't even think about that. Just work, work, work."

And he may have even more work on his hands in the coming months. News broke earlier this week that Roach's main man Manny will be fighting Floyd Mayweather before the end of the year.

Who do you think has the best trainer in boxing? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, boxing, Freddie Roach, HBO, Julio César Chávez Jr., Manny Pacquiao, On Freddie Roach, Parkinson's Disease, Peter Berg, Sports, Television

By Michael Lopez

Here we are, still in December, and ESPN has already moved on to the year ahead. The sports site's top forecasters have now set their sights on the hottest Latino fighters of 2012. And judging by their stats-laden list, these boxeadores are some forces to be reckoned with!

One fighter we know very well is Miguel Cotto. He recently gave Antonio Margarito a serious beatdown and seems primed for more ringside success in the coming year. ESPN calls him, "Always fit, always ready, and always giving 110 percent."

Another familiar name on the list is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. With 31 knockouts to his credit, this boxing prodigy is more than living up to his father's legacy. And it’s important to note that Julio has one of the best trainers in the biz, namely Freddie Roach. We can see them causing major damage in 2012.

ESPN says Sergio Martinez is another great fighter to put on your radar. Sergio hails from Argentina and at 36, he's quite a bit older than many names on the list. But his aggressive style and tireless work ethic have given him boxing kudos from the likes of Sports Illustrated, The Ring, and Yahoo Sports.

Thomas Dulorme is being called Puerto Rico's next big superstar. This junior welterweight is famous for his second round KO's. ESPN gave Dulorme some extra special praise for his devastating battle against former champ DeMarcus Corley back in June.

And though Saul Alvarez has gained popularity for his movie star looks, his rage in the ring is anything but pretty. ESPN calls the Mexican-born Alvarez "ferocious" and heavily praised his rapid-fire punching abilities. The site even hinted that Saul could be a good contender for WBC champ, Floyd Mayweather.

Who's your favorite Latino boxer? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, boxing, ESPN, Freddie Roach, Julio César Chávez Jr., Miguel Cotto, Saul Alvarez, Sergio Martinez, Sports, Thomas Dulorme

By Michael Lopez

The press always likes like to label boxer Antonio Margarito as someone who plays dirty. Back in 2009, he was accused of filling his gloves with plaster to heighten the impact of his punches and now he got caught in a video mocking the trainer of his next contender, Manny Pacquiao.

Image: LatinContent/Getty Images

The clip (which caused an internet firestorm) has since been removed from the major video sites, but it showed Margarito making fun of those afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease. It just so happens that Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, suffers from the condition…along with over 500,000 others across the U.S.

When asked to respond, Margarito did acknowledge that he was mocking Roach, but claimed to not have known that his symptoms were related to Parkinson’s (does that still make it ok?). Regardless, he issued a public apology a few days later.

"I'm really looking forward to the fight, but I just want to apologize to everyone. I hope that Freddie Roach and all of the people accept my apologies, and this goes to everyone with that disease. I want to tell you that I would never, ever in my life make fun of someone like that."

If anything, the video certainly raised the hype level for the Saturday (November 13) fight between the two boxers. Set at the massive Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the winner will walk away with the WBC Super Welterweight belt! And something tells us that Freddie Roach is training Manny EXTRA hard for this battle.

Source: [USA Today]

Do you think Pacquiao will take down Margarito on Saturday night? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Antonio Margarito, boxing, Chisme, Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao, Parkinson's Disease, Sports