Alex Ariza: record, next fight and profile →
There is presently a palpable buzz in the city of San Antonio ahead of tonight’s Showtime-televised duel between WBA welterweight champion Adrien Broner and former titlist Marcos Maidana. Things got a bit hyped at Friday’s weigh-in but even before the two fighters took to the stage there was another storyline that caught the sport by storm.
Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza and trainer Robert Garcia say they have concerns with the integrity of the testing done by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) for Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Brandon Rios — testing that brought up a positive test from their fighter, Rios, for a banned substance.
Luis Sandoval catches up with Alex Ariza, the strength and conditioning coach of Brandon Rios, discusses his boxer testing positive in the aftermath of his recent defeat to eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao in Macau, China. Ariza defends his boxer against the failed the test, which VADA administered.
With the news that Brandon Rios tested positive for a banned substance called dimenthylamylamine (DMAA) in a test taken following his Nov. 23 decision loss to Manny Pacquiao, a group of reporters spoke with Rios’ strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, and Rios’ trainer, Robert Garcia. Both men are in San Antonio for Marcos Maidana’s bout Saturday night against Adrien Broner.
Argentine challenger Marcus Maidana’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza predicts Maidana will have a tough fight when he battles WBA welterweight champion Adrien Broner at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday. Ariza said the hard-punching Maidana had trained hard and had some excellent sparring with Stevie Forbes who he said provided “tough opposition and did tremendous work.” Forbes was a one-time sparring partner of the late Diego Corrales and also fought Oscar De La Hoya.
Hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach has nothing bad to say about former champion Brandon Rios. This past Saturday night in Macau, Roach's fighter Manny Pacquiao dominated Rios over twelve rounds. In the weeks leading up to the pay-per-view battle, there was a lot of trash talking between the two camps. The animosity increased when Roach fired Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, who was later hired by Rios' trainer Robert Garcia.
Trainer Freddie Roach is expecting his boxer, Manny Pacquiao, to demolish Brandon Rios on Saturday night in Macau, China. Roach spoke to Pacquiao about Wednesday incident at a gym that both camps share. There was a confrontation between Roach and Team Rios, which included a verbal battle with Robert Garcia and getting kicked by strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. Roach told Pacquiao that members of the Rios camp were mocked his speech, which is affected by Parkinson’s disease.
The first major fight week event in Macau turned out to be a media spectacle. Key team members from camps of Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios traded blows, shoves and racial barbs during media workouts Wednesday morning (local time; Tuesday evening stateside), with plenty of video, photos and articles circulating through cyberspace. The incident precedes their scheduled 12-round welterweight clash this weekend, which headlines on HBO PPV live from the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Macao (Saturday, 9PM ET).
Top Rank's Bob Arum believes Wednesday's ugly gym conflict between Team Pacquiao and Team Rios was a direct result of the grudge between veteran trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. Roach and Ariza worked together for six years, side by side in the corner of superstar Manny Pacquiuao. A few months ago, Roach fired Ariza from Pacquiao's corner. Ariza was later hired by Robert Garcia, the trainer of Brandon Rios. This Saturday in Macau, Pacquiao and Rios will collide in a twelve round welterweight fight.
Macau, China - Following the final press conference, Brandon Rios discusses the confrontation that Freddie Roach had with Team Rios camp members, trainer Robert Garcia and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. He also details his mind set for Saturday's HBO Pay-Per-View showdown against eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao.