Roach’s last victim was Pinoy

Believe it or not, the coach, who has brought several Filipino boxers, including super WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, to world acclaim, was once a fighter himself and his last victim in the ring was a Filipino. Freddie Roach campaigned from 1978 to 1986, compiling a record of 40-13, with 15 KOs. He retired at 26 and is now 61.  Before hanging up his gloves, Roach stopped Filipino Arnel Arrozal in Lynnwood, Washington, on Aug. 14, 1986 and chalked up his final win. Roach quit in his next bout, losing to David Rivello by a majority 10-round decision two months later in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Arrozal, 63, was born in Manila, grew up in Sampaloc and traveled the world as a fighter before settling in the US in 1983. The former Philippine flyweight champion fought from 1974 to 1987, failed in two attempts to win the world title and earned his biggest purse of $25,000 losing to Fred (Pebble) Jackson on a unanimous 12-round decision for the vacant WBC Continental Americas bantamweight crown in Beaumont, Texas, in 1985. He’s been married to Jackie Rutter, an American of German descent, for 31 years with two sons, Arnel Allen Jr., 30 and Arnel Domingo III, 29. After ending his boxing career with 12 straight losses, Arrozal decided to find a less dangerous way to make a living. He became a janitor, a sticker of soles on Nike shoes in Beaverton and a waiter at Denny’s for 17 years. Now, he’s retired, earning a pension, getting together with friends for karaoke nights and enjoying life with his family in a nine-bedroom, one-acre property in Tualatin, Oregon, near Portland. “Swerte ako sa misis, pang-pitong asawa ko na siya, mabait, anak ng Army Colonel,” he said. “Siya mismo nagsabi siya ang aking Lucky Seven.” Arrozal said he had brief flings with several wives, some ending in divorce after a few months but he hit the jackpot with Jackie.

Arrozal said he’ll never forget his fight against Roach. “T’wing nagkikita kami ni Freddie, I remind him of our fight,” he said in an overseas phone call. “Wala sa YouTube ang laban kaya di ko mapatunayan na yung sugat ko sa mukha dahil sa headbutt noong fourth round. Sa second round, tumama ako ng upper at biyak ang kilay ni Freddie. Akalain mo, binigyan siya ng 50 seconds to recover. Tapos, bago magumpisa ang sixth round, tinigil ng referee (James Reilly) at talo raw ako by TKO. Tanggap ko naman ang desisyon. Magkaibigan kami ni Freddie pero ‘di ko pa siya napapasyalan sa Wild Card Gym, ‘di ko pa rin na-meet si Senator Manny Pacquiao na sa tingin ko, ang greatest boxer of all time kasi yung eight world titles in eight divisions niya ay walang makakagawa.”

Arrozal said his record of 23-31-3, with 6 KOs, is fake. “Paano nangyari yan?” he asked. “World-ranked contender ako tapos mas marami akong talo sa panalo. Sa Venezuela, tinalo ko si Carlos Gutierrez by KO at naging bayani ako sa Caracas, mga tao humihingi sa akin ng autograph at picture. Pero sa record, ako natalo ni Gutierrez by KO. Si Johnny Sato, lumaban daw kami pero lightweight siya, ako flyweight, paano yun?” The outstanding milestone in his career was battling 10 world champions, namely Jorge Paez, Jaime Garza, Tony Lopez, Tony Pep, Bernardo Pinango, Sung Jun Kim, Bernabe Villacampo, Frank Cedeno, Tae Shik Kim and Chan Hee Park. In February 1980, he bowed to Park on points in a WBC flyweight title bout in Seoul and conceded defeat. Four months later, also in Seoul, Arrozal challenged WBA titlist Kim and lost on another decision but this time, he insisted he was robbed. “Dapat tinigil na sa seventh round kasi basag na panga ni Kim,” he said. “’Di ko maintindihan kung paano ako natalo. Na-hospital pa nga si Kim tapos ng laban.”

After his two Korean fights, Arrozal was brought to Venezuela on a deal involving Korean promoter Chun and Venezuelan promoter Rafito Cedeno. Arrozal went with other Filipino fighters, including Siony Carupo, Jun Resma and the Querubin brothers. Arrozal logged five fights in Venezuela but was paid for only three. While in Venezuela, he befriended the US consul whose househelper became his girlfriend and was able to secure a visa to go to the US. That opened a new life for Arrozal. He has since visited the Philippines twice, in 1999 when his grandfather Dr. Domingo passed away and in 2019 to visit his sister Alicia. The oldest of nine, Arrozal and brother Miguel were the only boxers in the family. Miguel became the World Boxing Board lightweight champion and now lives in Saipan.

Arrozal said the toughest foreign fighter he ever faced was Lopez and the toughest Filipino he ever fought was Villacampo. In 1980, he lost a majority decision to Cedeno, later to become the WBC flyweight champion, and to this day, said he should’ve won. “Nagkita kami ni Frank sa US at sabi ko, nadali niya ako, tumawa lang siya,” he said. Arrozal’s last fight was a fifth round KO loss to Paez in Mexico in 1987.  As his career wound down, Arrozal admitted fighting just for the money. “Ayoko maging baliw,” he said. “Pag ‘di ko kaya suntok ng kalaban, hihiga na lang ako. Hindi sa takot ako, utakan lang ‘yan. Bakit ako magpapabugbog baka mawalaan pa ako ng malay. Sayang din ang $10,000 na binayad sa akin sa laban kay Paez.”