By Edward Chaykovsky
Last week, it was revealed that trainer Freddie Roach fired Alex Ariza, who for the last few years was Manny Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach. Roach and Ariza worked together with numerous high profile fighters at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.
Back in 2007, trainer Justin Fortune parted ways with Roach - and the parting was tense and created headlines all over the sport. The two of them worked side by side in training Pacquiao (and many other fighters), but a tense disagreement over the training camp for Pacquiao's fight with Jorge Solis was the final straw for Fortune, who left and opened his own gym (Fortune Gym) in Los Angeles.
In a recent interview with 8 Count News, Fortune was asked for his opinion on Roach's decision to fire Ariza. While some may have expected him to take aim at Roach, Fortune dropped a verbal assault on Ariza.
"The guy’s a f***in’ tool. Give me a break. What the f*** does Alex Ariza know about f***ing boxing? We know a lot of sh*t, a lot of dirt on Alex Ariza, no sh*t. The worst part about Alex Ariza is that he didn’t know when to keep his f***ing mouth shut. You know what I mean? So I’m watching fights there with Freddie in the corner and Roach is the trainer. When the trainer talks everyone else shuts the f*** up. This son of a b*tch couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He’s talking to one of Freddie’s fighters in a f***ing world title fight. He’s butting in and interrupting him. It’s like, ‘Dude, you’re not the trainer. You’re just the f***ing – I don’t know what you are," Fortune said.
"Well, I know what you are. I know why you’re there. You’re a strength and conditioning guy, and you’re with Manny and you’re using my sh*t that I was using f***ing five years ago. Things have progressed and exercises have changed and reasons and a whole bunch of stuff. You need to quit using the same crap that I was using and claiming that you’re the f***ing legendary conditioning trainer. Basically getting in there and f***ing opening your trap and disrespecting Roach on TV when he’s the f***ing trainer.’ It’s Freddie’s fault. Freddie should have told him to shut the f*** up. That’s when you take control of the corner."
