By Lem Satterfield
LAS VEGAS -- In his first public statements since hearing the news of a potential return to the corner of WBA junior welterweight titlist, Amir Khan, strength-training guru, Alex Ariza, told BoxingScene.com that he would welcome a reunion with the English champion.
"I have said all along that it was never anything personal and that I have never had a problem with Amir," said Ariza, from his room at The Mandalay Bay Hotel, where he was waiting for eight-division king and WBO titlist, Manny Pacquiao, to emerge from the showers.
"You know, I work for the fighter, and if that's what Amir wants, and if that's what Freddie Roach wants, then I have no problem with it," said Ariza, who was fired earlier this year by Khan after having worked six bouts with the fighter. "I have not spoken to Amir, personally, about it, but I would have no problem with it."
Ariza is in town for Saturday night's WBO welterweight title defense by Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) against five-time champion Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) that is slated for the MGM Grand Hotel.
Khan (25-1, 17 KOs) will arrive in Las Vegas for Friday night's Boxing Writers Association of America dinner at the MGM, where Khan is to receive Fight of the Year honors for his December unanimous decision victory over then-interim WBO junior welteweight belt-holder, Marcos Rene Maidana (30-2, 27 KOs).
Ariza works with Pacquiao and also had done the same with Khan as an assistant to Freddie Roach, who will be at Friday night's dinner to receive honors Trainer of The Year for the fifth time.
Ariza was not in the corner of Khan for last month's sixth-round, technical decision victory over Irish southpaw Paul McCloskey (22-1, 12 KOs).
Until then, Ariza had worked alongside Roach with Khan for six fights, having joined Khan following his first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in September of 2008, after which Khan went 6-0, with four knockouts.
A former Olympic silver medalist, Khan was trained by Michael Vale for McCloskey.
"We are having a meeting with Amir, myself and Alex," said Roach. "The Khans requested it."
Ariza initially thought that his problem was not with Amir Khan, but that it stems from a financial dispute involving members of Khan's team in relation to compensation for Khan's victory over Maidana.
Ariza said that members of the fighter's camp broke into his Planet Hollywood Hotel room and made off with several contracts related to the coach's compensation for the boxer, but has since discovered that Amir Khan "was the one who directed" a camp member to do so.
Ariza said that he last spoke to Khan, personally, last month in Baguio City, Philippines, where Khan and Pacquiao were training for their upcoming bouts, respectively, with McCloskey and Mosley.
"[Pacquiao's adviser] Michael Koncz kept the camps separate, but when Amir and I spoke, it was cordial," said Ariza. "Amir was basically askikng me how I was doing and I did the same thing. It was brief, but it wasn't a negative experience for either of us."