“In Japan, there is a saying, “The Nail that Sticks Up will be hammered down.”
(In other words, people in Japan like conformity and try to restrain or avoid people who are unconventional and attract attention. The Japanese try to stay as similar to others as possible and are afraid to attract attention from others. This is one of the major national characteristics of the Japanese people. Due to the group-oriented nature of Japanese society, they often behave in a collective way.)
In terms of the Manny Pacquiao camp I have to wonder if conditioning guru Alex Ariza is that nail that sticks up.
The latest Ariza Out rumor story comes veteran Filipino veteran, Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Nathanielsz wrote on Sunday about the convoluted situation.
I have nothing–zero, nada- zilch–to add to the supposed rumors other than to say that maybe AA, who has been superb in his conditioning duties, has forgotten from whom his jobs with Pacman and his former job with champ Amir Khan flowed. It’s clear that Manny hired Ariza and Khan hired him based on Coach Freddie Roach’s recommendation.
Ariza got the big thumbs up from Freddie and then went to work.
Maybe Ariza still has his Team Pacquiao gig. Maybe he can salvage the job or maybe all the buzzing is overdone and the loquacious Colombian, who never saw an interviewer he did not want to regale, shows up in Baguio and carries on like normal.
But I don’t think Pacman agent Michael Koncz, who got slapped across the face in Baguio by the younger Ariza, is going to bat on his behalf.
And I think Coach Roach has been aggravated by the nasty split Ariza had with Team Khan including his label of Amir’s father Shah as “only a cab driver.”
Don’t forget that Roach’s second biggest source of boxing income is from Khan’s purses. He doesn’t need the uneccesary drama.
It would’ve been smarter for Ariza to split the sheets quietly and, if wants to make a legal claim, take the matter to court. But, the way it went down it came off to some as “Freddie’s boy” causing issues.
It’s all well and good for Pacquiao to say the matter is between Koncz, Roach and Ariza but that’s just passing the peso.
Manny is supposed to be the boss with the hot sauce so lay it on us.
If ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I say. If Ariza does his job with great skill, then why unload him?
If this becomes a festering sore, all involved may suffer.
Is Ariza in or is he out?
When the Good Ship Pacquiao sails into some whitecaps, where’s the Captain?
