Pacquiao and Roach scoop awards
Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have been named 2009 fighter and trainer of the year respectively.
Pacquiao and Roach were recipients of the awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America for the second year in a row.
It was the third Sugar Ray Robinson trophy in four years for Pacquiao, who topped the voting ahead of fellow nominees Arthur Abraham, Vitali Klitschko, Andre Ward and Paul Williams.
Pacquiao was also voted the BWAA's fighter of the decade on a ballot also featuring Marco Antonio Barrera, Joe Calzaghe, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley.
Roach's award, named in honour of his own former trainer and training mentor Eddie Futch, was his fourth since 2003, having begun training Pacquiao in 2001.
Roach, who is hoping Britain's Amir Khan can emulate Pacquiao's success, said: "Manny and I are a great team and to win this award you need a great fighter. Hopefully, Amir Khan will be my next guy."
Former Olympic silver medallist Khan is scheduled to make his American debut as a professional on April 3, in Las Vegas, when he makes a mandatory defence of his WBA belt against Marcos Maidana.
Victory against the Argentine could set up a clash with Marquez the following month and the Mexican, coming off a welterweight defeat to Mayweather last September, was also honoured by the BWAA for his part in the fight of the year, a lightweight clash between Marquez and Juan Diaz.
Marquez won the contest last February in Houston with a ninth round stoppage.
Date published :
01 Feb 2010 - 11:18:19
