The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
While Manny Pacquiao’s former strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza is painting a grim scenario of the ongoing Mayweather-Pacquiao talks, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes the contract will be signed this week.
Arum said he expects the contract to be signed by the two fighters by the end of the week,according to the nydailynews.com.
But Ariza, who is now working with the camp of Mayweather, said the unbeaten American boxer will indeed fight as scheduled on May 2 but it won’t be against Pacquiao.
Ariza believes the long-delayed fight won’t happen for as long as Arum continues to represent Pacquiao.
“Bob Arum has been the roadblock, he has deceived the people, he has lied to the people from the beginning,” said Ariza who attended the Tuesday premiere of Pacquiao’s documentary film in the US.
Arum said Ariza is blaming him for being fired as Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach.
“Ariza has nothing to do with anything. He has not been a party even remotely to the negotiations. Everything is agreed to, do you understand? I am very positive this fight is going to happen,” Arum told the N.Y.Daily News.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao has made a side trip to London last week to honor an invitation from Prince Harry and possibly meet the Queen at the Buckingham Palace.
After his brief journey to England, Pacquiao was set to return to the U.S. to act as one of the judges of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in Florida.
Pacquiao hopes to return to the Philippines with a signed contract for his first fight in 2015. He is expected to return to the U.S. to join his opponent for the usual conference call and media tour to select cities in the US and elsewhere overseas.