By Victor Salazar
New York, New York - Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has been linked to a few Cuban fighters as of late. It was first reported and then denied on BoxingScene.com - that Roach was approached with an offer to train top Cuban fighters Luis Ortiz and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Ortiz stormed on the heavyweight scene with a spectacular knockout on the undercard to the Gennady Golovkin-David Lemiuex HBO Pay-Per-View in October. He followed that up with a stoppage victory over highly ranked heavyweight Bryant Jennings this past December.
Rigondeaux was once a Roach pupil and then parted ways with the trainer - and hired Cuban coach Pedro Diaz. Although recognized as a pound for pound talent, Rigondeaux has been hard pressed in securing any major television dates because his current style does not appeal to many fans and network executives alike.
Regarding Roach's statements, Ortiz and Rigondeaux rejected his claim of receiving an offer to train them. Rigondeaux recently rehired his old trainer Diaz, and Ortiz not looking to make any changes to his team
According to Roach, nothing concrete has been discussed with Rigondeaux and Ortiz, but the door is open for both fighters. Roach still maintains that he was approached with an offer to train both of them.
“They have been some talk about him (Ortiz) and Rigondeaux coming to my gym and so forth,” Roach told BoxingScene.com.
“They haven’t showed up or they haven’t even calling me. I did talk to their guys and told them they are always welcome in my gym because they are good guys and good fighters. I would like to work with either one of them.”
Rigondeaux is looking to return on a date in March against an opponent to be determined. Ortiz was ordered to defend his WBA interim-title against Russian giant Alexander Ustinov as part of the heavyweight tournament being put together by the World Boxing Association.
