Manny Pacquiao’s top trainer Freddie Roach got himself involved in an ugly brawl with members of Brandon Rios’ coaching staff yesterday at a gym in Macao. Apparently the two camps got into it over the scheduled open workouts when Rios was delayed by interviews and wanted some extra time.
Freddie Roach wasn’t having it and things degenerated from there.
Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook summarized the situ:
Team Rios was reportedly still using the gym that both fighters are working out in, they were a few minutes over (Lee Samuels of Top Rank says six or seven minutes), and Roach was demanding they get out. Rios was reportedly on the treadmill at the time, while Pacquiao had not yet arrived. The Rios team stood their ground, then things got physical, with (Alex) Ariza reportedly kicking Roach (according to Ariza himself).
Kevin Iole has a little more:
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach asked Rios trainer Robert Garcia to end Rios’ workout at 11 a.m. Macau time. Rios was scheduled to work out from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., but started late because he had done interviews. Garcia asked for a few minutes. Pacquiao was slated to work out from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Roach called Garcia “a piece of [expletive],” which prompted the escalation of the incident. Rios conditioning coach Alex Ariza, who was fired by Roach as Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, told Roach to “get the [expletive] out of the gym.” Roach responded by saying, “Make me get out.”
Ariza mocked Roach’s Parkinson’s disease several times. At one point, Ariza took a step forward and kicked Roach in the chest. As chaos broke out, Ariza said to Roach, “You’re a [expletive] joke,” and then used a gay slur.
Roach referred to Rios camp assistant Donald Leary as a “Mexican [expletive],” which prompted Leary to swing at Roach. A Venetian security guard struggled but managed to control Leary.
Stay tuned for more coverage of Pacquiao vs Rios here at Bloody Elbow.
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