MANNY PACQUIAO’S RENOWNED trainer Freddie Roach said the Filipino’s fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr was saving him from suicide.
Hall of Famer Roach, 55, believes the medication he takes for Parkinson’s disease gives him suicidal thoughts.
Speaking to Telegraph Sport, the American said helping Pacquiao try to end Mayweather’s 47-win unbeaten record was saving his life.
“I have a new neurologist and I told him that sometimes I think about killing myself,” Roach said.
“He asked me why and I said: ‘It’s just f****** difficult sometimes dealing with this s***’. He said maybe I should see a psychologist.
“I said: ‘Doc, I’m just kidding. I might think about it but I would never hurt myself. I am not that brave.’”
May 2 marks the day Pacquiao will finally get his chance to end Mayweather’s incredible streak. Roach said getting to training was the perfect cure to his illnesses.
“I don’t get sick too often. When I’m sick, I just go to the gym and it goes away,” he said.
“With Parkinson’s, sometimes you wake up and think: ‘Why the f*** did they pick me?’ But, you know, that’s part of life.
“Some of the medications do cause depression and so forth and some mornings I’ll think about bad things. But then I’ll go to the gym and go to work and everything bad goes away.”
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Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
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Console 1800 247 247 (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
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Aware 1890 303 302 (depression, anxiety)
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Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie - (suicide, self-harm)
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Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
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Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
First posted at 7.50am.
