Ever since joining Manny Pacquiao?s camp on a hands-on role prior to his June 2008 thrashing of David Diaz, strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza has been an essential piece to the Filipino dynamo?s puzzle.
Also having worked with high-profile prizefighters Amir Khan and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Ariza?s name is often in the headlines and the fact that he is brash and outspoken always makes him an interesting study.
But now, it seems that Ariza may have worn out his welcome, at least according to Pacquiao? trainer Freddie Roach.
Some tension recently came into Pacquiao?s camp when it was revealed that Ariza, who at the time was training with Pacquiao and Roach in Baguio City in the Philippines prior to Manny?s June 9th assignment with Timothy Bradley, decided to take a break from camp because of his obligations to Chavez Jr., who was then training in Mexico ahead of a June 16th date with Andy Lee.
Ariza claims that he cleared matters with Pacquiao and was given the green light to make an exit, but the fact that he didn?t run things by Roach is something that still doesn?t sit well with the renowned coach.
?The thing is, I had Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao, my two top fighters, over there,? Roach said during the second episode of 24/7 Pacquiao-Bradley Saturday night. ?And Alex wanted to go work with Chavez Jr. and I told him ?I think it?s a bad move?. People make decisions and I think it was the wrong one. But he?s a grown man and he?ll have to live with his decision, not me.?
As the episode neared its conclusion, Roach dropped another sound bite that raised some eyebrows.
?One thing about Alex, he?s very good at what he does but he just overdid it,? said Roach. ?He?s a great strength coach but he wants to be the trainer, cut man, and everything else. His head has gotten too big and we needed to calm him down a little bit. I think he?s bullshitting a little bit. I don?t appreciate that and I?m going to suggest immediately that we get rid of him or we get a new strength coach.?
Now training out of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, there is certainly some brewing drama in Pacquiao?s camp. Let?s see how this affects everything as the Bradley melee inches closer.
