BAGUIO CITY, Philippines ? Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum was aghast when he learned that conditioning coach Alex Ariza decided to leave Manny Pacquiao so he can be with Mexican middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
?That?s very unprofessional,? Arum told the Bulletin on Sunday, less than 24 hours after news erupted that Ariza had bolted from Pacquiao?s high-altitude training camp.
?There?s something with his attitude,? added Arum.
Arum said it was ?not fair? to Pacquiao and British fighter Amir Khan, who is also one of Ariza?s three prized clients.
When Pacquiao worked out Saturday, Ariza was no longer around and trainer Freddie Roach was stunned that the highly-touted fitness coach would leave the Filipino star in favor of Chavez Jr. the rising 160-pounder who is the son of the legendary Julio Cesar Sr.
Pacquiao is revving up for a June 9 showdown with Tim Bradley in Las Vegas and Ariza has only worked with Pacquiao three times so far.
Still, Ariza had reportedly said that he got the go-signal from Pacquiao and Khan himself to temporarily leave and that he will be rejoin them when they get to Los Angeles in the first week of May.
Khan is set to face Lamont Peterson a week after the Pacquiao-Bradley match and Roach said Khan fully understood that Roach?s top priority is training Pacquiao.
?That?s why he (Khan) is here (in Baguio),? said Roach.
Roach is unperturbed with Ariza?s departure but stressed that they?ll be able to fend for themselves.
?There are thousands of good conditioning coaches but very few good boxing trainers,? said Roach.
Buboy Fernandez, who is Roach?s assistant and long-time friend of Pacquiao, said the Filipino crew can fill in in the event Ariza decides to part ways.
?We can get the job done. We know what to do. Even Manny said last night that we can take charge,? said Fernandez.
Pacquiao will stay here until May 4 and will fly to Los Angeles the next day to start the most crucial phase of the buildup.
This week, Russian Ruslan Provodnikov will arrive and Roach said the rugged Siberian will bang bodies with Pacquiao a total of four times starting April 28.
