By Ryan Maquiñana
Lightweight contender Raymundo Beltran advised BoxingScene.com that he has added strength coach Angel Heredia to his team.
“Memo won’t be handling my nutrition or my supplements, just strictly strength and conditioning,” Beltran (28-6, 17 KOs) said.
Beltran, who fights out of Phoenix, Ariz., is aware of the controversy surrounding Heredia and his checkered past distributing steroids to Olympic track stars like Marion Jones. However, Heredia has since claimed to have turned over a new leaf, resurfacing to work with fighters like Juan Manuel Marquez, who knocked out Manny Pacquiao last year.
“People can say whatever they want and talk trash, but at the end of the day, we test, and we’re never going to have an issue because I’m a clean fighter,” said Beltran, a longtime Pacquiao sparring partner.
While he waits for his next bout, Beltran will host a fundraiser from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the North Phoenix Baptist Church this coming Saturday benefiting local amateur coach Andrew Mendez Sr., who is battling leukemia.
The event takes place at a Sports Cards and Memorabilia show, with a silent auction featuring gloves signed by Pacquiao, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Brandon Rios, Fernando Vargas, and others.
“He’s been my friend in the sport for a long time, and I want to do anything I can to help his family,” Beltran said of Mendez.
Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com. He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.