By Nowboxing Staff
Manny Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Alex Ariza is infuriated with the false rumors that he is giving Filipino boxer Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao illegal performance enhancing drugs or steroids and that he is associated with BALCO.
Ariza in a recent interview with BoxingInsider, claims that Manny Pacquiao doesn’t even take aspirin and it took Ariza and Pacman’s head trainer Freddie Roach a long time just to convince Manny to take multi-vitamins and protein shakes for recovery.
Ariza thinks the allegations by Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his Father are ridiculous and unproven. Manny Pacquiao himself is going to take legal action and file libel, slander and defamation of character lawsuits against his accusers. Pacquiao has tested clean for all of his fights in the state of Nevada.
Ariza who officially took over as conditioning coach for the Filipino bomber in 2008 when Pacquiao took on David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title and won by 9th round KO. Since then Pacquiao has looked like a new fighter he seemed fresher and stronger and more unstoppable in fights and moving up in weight.
Ariza credits the change in nutrition and training techniques as the turning point in Pacquiao’s performances. His workout, supplement and nutritional regimens are designed by a team of knowledgeable experts including Ariza himself, Teri Tom and Aundrea Macias.
“A blend of whey, soy and milk proteins, I blend everything. He started taking it right before the Diaz fight. What I give Manny runs the gamut through dairy, milk, meat, fish and poultry proteins, it runs the gamut to every different source of protein that we can. It’s very, very important to be smart about nutrition and recovery. This didn’t happen overnight. It took a long time. Manny didn’t know anything about recovery and the importance of proper nutrition.” Ariza told the Boxinginsider.
Ariza also crushes rumors spread on the internet that he is associated with BALCO the laboratory infamous for the designer steroid scandal with many famous athletes including Barry Bonds, Sugar Shane Mosley, Olympic runner Marion Jones to name a few.
“I didn’t really do any interviews before this because I didn’t feel it warranted it. But I’ve seen stories like Lou DiBella said that members of Team Pacquiao have a history of steroid use? Show me. Where’s his paperwork that leads to BALCO? I’ve worked with Diego Corrales, Erik Morales, Angel Manfredy. None of those guys has ever even tested for a diaretic, cold medication, antibiotics, nothing. I don’t give any of my fighters that would be considered illegal or a performance enhancing drug. I don’t know where people are coming up that I’m linked to BALCO. I’ve never been associated or questioned about anything.” said an irritated Ariza.
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