Yahoo and Google News Update and live stream

Alex Ariza seems to be getting set-up to be the fall guy, should the distractions in the world of Manny Pacquiao prevent the champion from looking great against Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, who works with several of the best athletes in the business, has been in the Philipines for several weeks now, fully prepared to begin training with Manny as soon as Pacquiao chose to be available.

Though Pacquiao has stated that Ariza left camp with his ok, to work with another of his clients, Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. , seems promoter Bob Arum has come out against the move.

“That’s very unprofessional,” Arum stated “There’s something with his attitude.”

“We can get the job done. We know what to do. Even Manny said last night that we can take charge,” said Buboy Fernandez.

I don’t know that Ariza has an attitude, when it comes to this camp, but I do feel that promises made during training for the Marquez trilogy as well as assurances made to Ariza about the way Pacquiao would train for this bout may have gone out the window when Manny failed to show up at the time promised for high altitude training.

There is very little a strength and conditioning coach can do without an live body to train.

Time an again we hear Ariza stating to the press that Pacquiao needs to train harder and focus more on the sport , time an again we see Pacquiao doing something besides just that, in the middle of his camps. The rise to stardom has diluted the hunger in camp that was once constantly present. Where once the drive was to survive and prosper, seems the focus is now on luxury cars, yachts, homes and estates, everything but the task at hand. Pacquiao has become the real Rocky Balboa, like Rocky, letting the fame reduce his drive.

It is the over-confident man that gets surprised!

Now if Pacquiao shows poor against Bradley, everyone will have a fall guy to blame rather than the fact that Manny has once again allowed his other roles in life to take precedent over training camp and conditioning.

Training and running in the streets of a major city with open gyms, media events, entourage boxing events, and breaks for game shows, politics, etc, is no way to maintain the legend that is Manny Pacquiao.

Perhaps God’s next message to Manny will be humility and respect for the gifts, talent, and good fortune, bestowed upon the legend.

Is there a chance that Ariza, is sending a message to Manny, with the decision to leave camp for another client’s camp?

Perhaps not, perhaps just a conflict in scheduling!

Ciao!