Nazim Richardson a Better Trainer Than Freddie Roach

After three years of being trainer of the year it is hard to rate any other trainer superior to Freddie Roach. Current champion and rated pound for pound best Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan and a long list of previously trained fighters have made Roach a celebrity on his own merits. While many have attained some level of visibility not often has so much public credit been given to anyone outside the ring who is not one of the fighters. Floyd Mayweather senior, Emanuel Stewart as a boxing analyst on HBO and Carlos “Panama” Lewis who was banished from boxing for the Luis Resto/Billy Collins Jr. loaded gloves tragedy.

Other great trainers such as Eddie Futch labored in the shadows, teaching and protecting their fighters from the distractions and temptations in the fight game.  Freddie Roach himself a disciple of the late great trainer. Nazim Richardson does not have the paper credentials of Freddie Roach and searching for personal details renders but a few paragraphs. We know he was the assistant trainer to Bernard Hopkins trainer Bouie Fisher for many years. As a strategist he worked on the details necessary to exploit the weakness in opponents. Richardson was elevated to head trainer when Hopkins and Fisher parted company for the final time. Under Richardson victories over Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright only interrupted by the loss to Joe Calzaghe when Richardson had suffered a stroke and was replaced by Freddie Roach for the fight. Richardson’s return was instrumental for the Hopkins win over Kelly Pavlik and Shane Mosley victory over Antonio Margarito.

Great trainers must be able to prepare fighters physically, mentally, strategize fights, and assure that referees, promoters and opponents conform and obey the rules of State and local officials and bring brilliance to the corner. Very few come close to Nazim Richardson when all aspects of a trainer are evaluated together. Richardson gives exact instructions, which punches are working, which movement is working, what defense is working, what to expect in the later rounds plus the best trash talking of any trainer. Listen to the dialogue with Hopkins in the Kelly Pavlik fight. Much more than the usual keep doing what you are doing we usually hear in between rounds. Loaded gloves and other old school mischief do not escape his glance and review. Shane Moseley’s bout with Antonio Margarito confirms Richardson’s handle on the details. 

Hopkins and Moseley are senior citizens compared to younger talent in the boxing game. Nazim Richardson has been able to work with these champions and give them plans that fit the fights they are about to enter. Unlike Freddie Roach who improves and heightens the mechanics of fighters Nazim Richardson takes the skills that are resident in his fighter and devises a plan that will maximize those skills to win fights. Then he recedes into the background. The fighter fought to his plan and won. Let the champion take the bows and appear in the television spots. The best trainers don’t need awards or recognition or interviews in the limelight with everyone else because the best trainers are working on strategy for their other fighters who are still training for their next match. Ego and money do not mix and therefore the great trainers must be able to step back from the fighters they train. Even recent accounts are that Freddie Roach is being questioned as necessary for the continued success of Manny Pacquiao.

Nazim Richardson has been able to weather the storm and stay in the background of aging fighters who also happen to believe that they only need a plan and strategy and the fighting and blows are being absorbed not by the trainer but by themselves. In his successful acceptance of that relationship is his greatness as a trainer.