ESPN: Brawl with Pacquiao, Rios camps included racial and other uncool stuff

We reported earlier that there was an altercation between members of the Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios camps Wednesday morning at a gym in Macau, China, where the fighters will square off Saturday in the welterweight main event (on HBO pay-per-view).

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, was peeved that Rios and his team were still in the gym at 11 a.m. Macau time even though that’s when Pacquiao is supposed to get the facility. Roach and Robert Garcia – Rios’ trainer – exchanged harsh words. At one point, Alex Ariza apparently started mocking Roach the way he talks because he has Parkinson’s, according to a report on ESPN.com.

At that point, Roach took a step toward Ariza, who kicked Roach in the chest. There has been no love lost between Roach and Ariza, who used to be the strength and conditioning coach for Pacquiao, but now  holds that role for Rios after he was let go by Team Pacquiao.

That same report on ESPN.com said that Roach referred to an obviously upset member of Rios’ camp who was shouting at Roach,  as a “Mexican mother (expletive).”

 

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