Money won't fight Manny, Ariza insists

MANILA, Philippines - Alex Ariza is probably the only one within Team Pacquiao who doesn’t see the fight with Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather Jr. happening.

The top-notch conditining coach of Manny Pacquiao said Mayweather has too much pride in himself he wouldn’t risk losing to the Filipino superstar and in the process absorb the first loss of his checkered career.

“(Mayweather) is afraid to fight Pacquiao,” the fitness and strength coach told www.insidesports.ph yesterday.

Ariza, who started working with Pacquiao during the fight with David Diaz, said Mayweather doesn’t want to be remembered as the loser of the fight that could go down as the greatest, the biggest of all time.

Ariza told the growing sports-based Filipino website that a loss to Pacquiao would be unacceptable for Mayweather.

“For the rest of his life Mayweather will always be associated with the biggest fight in boxing history as the loser of that fight. He wouldn’t be able to deal with that. I don’t think you can put a price on that and I think Mayweather is afraid of that (losing) because being undefeated is the only thing that validates Mayweather in his heart and in the sport,” he said.

Ariza, who once handled the strength and conditioning of the late Diego Corrales, even sees Pacquiao fighting someone else, and it could be anyone among the other candidates like Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez or Antonio Margarito.

He described a rematch with Cotto as “very likely” considering that the newly crowned WBA super-welterweight (154 lb) champion from Puerto Rico can offer Pacquiao something the others can’t.

And that’s a chance to win an eighth world crown in eight different weight divisions.

Ariza said Pacquiao can fight Cotto at the weight limit of 154 lb, and not at a catchweight which some people would suggest.

“I don’t think so. I think Manny can knock out Cotto at 154,” said Ariza, so far 5-and-0 with Pacquiao.

Negotiations between the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps are silently on, and just recently, Oscar dela Hoya said that they’re “close” to the deal that would get the fight going on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas.

Arum is just as confident even if he continues to respect the gag order that was implemented regarding the negotiations.