Recognizing the significance of expanding their horizons and embracing different training methods, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio paid a visit to the world-renowned Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, California.
Freddie Roach, the training facility’s revered owner and head trainer, is known for being the longtime coach of Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
The seven-time Trainer of the Year and 2012 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee also played a pivotal role in the careers of Miguel Cotto, James Toney, Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Viktor Postol, and Ruslan Provodnikov.
Both former ONE World Champions were fortunate to meet the legendary ringside mentor, who likewise served as a boxing trainer to renowned mixed martial artists such as George St-Pierre, Andrei Arlovski, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and Tony Ferguson.
“I am so glad I was able to shake the hands of Coach Freddie. He’s one of the greatest trainers in boxing history, and it’s an honor to meet him in person,” Folayang said of Roach.
Meanwhile, Pacio has always been captivated by the art of boxing and acknowledges the immense value it can bring to his own fighting style.
“It’s a surreal experience. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would train in a gym that has produced many world champions in boxing. It was another day of learning new techniques,” Pacio stated.
Roach’s deputy and Filipino coach Marvin Somodio was the one who stepped in to supervise Folayang and Pacio’s training at the Wild Card Boxing Gym.
Folayang and Pacio have been in the United States since April, spending their first four weeks at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
They began their gym-hopping escapade in California earlier this month, starting with a closed-door training session with women’s MMA pioneer Cris “Cyborg” Justino in Huntington Beach.
Moreover, the two dropped by the Anaheim chapter of Kings MMA headed by Beneil Dariush and the Oceanside branch of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu to train with Filipino-American fighter AJ Matthews.
Another homegrown talent will try to hoist the Philippine flag aloft on the global stage of the sport this June 10.
Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado is slated to square off with undefeated newcomer Mansur Malachiev of Russia in a pivotal strawweight clash at ONE Fight Night 11, which will emanate live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
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