Mayweather Explains Move To Bring Ariza on Board

By Edward Chaykovsky

WBC/WBO/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. explained that his decision to hire Alex Ariza was a calculated move to give himself an additional edge in last Saturday's fight with Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather won a twelve round unanimous decision.

Ariza was the strength and conditioning coach for Pacquiao for five years. He was fired in 2013 by trainer Freddie Roach. Earlier this year, Ariza was hired by Mayweather.

Mayweather credits Ariza with playing a big role in Pacquiao's success for several years. He also knew that Pacquiao and his trainer might become uncomfortable and mentally distracted by a former team member jumping over to the other side.

"It's not just inside the ring. I'm a calculated fighter. I make smart moves on the outside. I play chess on the outside as far as choosing the right people on my team. One of the chess moves that I made, was that I got Alex Ariza and brought him over to my team, because I know that he was a strong asset for Manny Pacquiao. I want to know a guy's weakness," Mayweather said

"My thing is this, I'm always going to put any fighter in discomfort, in the most uncomfortable position as possible. And that's going to put me in the most comfortable position and put him in an uncomfortable position."