MANILA, Philippines – World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza has made headlines in recent days for some tweets he posted on the social media site.

On his Twitter account, he blamed boxing promoter Bob Arum for the failed negotiations between Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather’s camp.

Fans have waited for years for the mega-fight between the sport’s biggest stars but various issues such as drug-testing and purse split have reportedly constantly prevented the bout from happening.

In an exclusive interview with Rappler last month, Ariza insisted Arum is to blame exculsively. He also talked about the difficulties of training Pacquiao and shared his thoughts on the Philippines.

What is it like to train Pacquiao?

Him focusing for a fight has never been an issue. It’s a matter of doing the proper training. It’s really hard for people to understand sometimes that strength and conditioning is the very element of an athlete that makes him perform well. And when you neglect your strength and conditioning, you’ll have poor performances.

If we can just focus on the strength and conditioning and apply the techniques that we applied in the past we should go right back to what we used to be.

What is Pacquiao like as an athlete?

if it was easy we wouldn’t have had a mosley and marquez fight. Sometimes Manny gets set in his ways and I think that’s just indicative of all athletes in this level. Sometimes they think they know what’s best, so it’s always going to be a constant battle with one thing or another. This time we just want to focus on getting him back on track, getting him back to training my way, do those things and the rest will take care of itself.

How are you and Pacquiao’s advisor, Michael Koncz?

Just as [long as] Michael sticks to making the rice and fetching errands and stuff like that and stays out of the real work we won’t have any problems.

Why has Mayweather-Pacquiao not happened?

Arum is greedy, and he’s selfish and he doesn’t care about the sport. Why don’t they take some of the cues from UFC? Put the best fighters against the best fighters. Never mind his personal feelings or his problems with Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy or (Mayweather’s adviser) Al Haymon or any of the guys.

Do what’s best for the sports, do what’s best for the fans and do what’s best for the fighter. Why not let the fighter make the most that he’s capable of earning?

i know that Manny wants this fight. The world knows…I mean Arum can say this, that or the other. It’s like he says himself, ‘Yesterday I was lying, today I’m telling the truth.’ It’s just the same old. Now what? We’re going to get ready for another Marquez fight? Who wants to see that?

He keeps everything in house. He’s not going to let any of his fighters fight anybody outside. He has to win. He walks in with the champion, he walks out with the champion. He doesn’t care if Manny wins or loses ’cause no matter what, he walks out with the winner because the winner is under the Top Rank banner.

What do you think of the Philippines?

this is like my second home now. i love it. for me i always look forward to camp, because i know i get to come back here to the phl. its prob one of the best countries I’ve ever been to, the niceness, the warmth, its like they take you in like family everywhere you go. – Rappler.com

Click on the links below for more.

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