By Rick Reeno
Alex Ariza, the strength and conditioning coach of WBA 140-pound champion Amir Khan, took heavy offense when he was informed of the recent comments that were made by trainer Roger Mayweather. During a recent interview with BoxingScene.com's Chris Robinson, Mayweather accused Khan of being on steroids. For several years, the trainer of Floyd Mayweather Jr. has made the same claims about Manny Pacquiao. Both Khan and Pacquiao are handled by Ariza and trainer Freddie Roach.
Ariza shot back, questioning the actual worth of Roger Mayweather as a trainer, and his intelligence as a human being. Khan returns on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, facing IBF champion Zab Judah in a unification showdown.
"The guy is a failure as a trainer. The only fighter that he has is Floyd. Every fighter that we have is winning. [Julio Cesar] Chavez is now with us and he's winning. Amir is winning. Manny is blowing through everyone. The only person that he has is Floyd, so he's not really a trainer. He has to look himself in the mirror and wonder 'why are those guys producing fighter after fighter...[who are] winning fighters and all I have is Floyd.' He claims to be one of the best trainers in the business, but who else does he have? He's not even on anybody's radar. Amir went to Roger and he ended up with us. I don't see anyone running off to Vegas to be in Roger's gym," Ariza told BoxingScene.com.
"I have to be honest with you....anybody who has any real sense and education is not going to listen to Roger Mayweather. If he only knew the difference between vitamins and steroids. It's a tricky issue if you never completed high school. Nouns, verbs....all of those things can be confusing for someone who never finished high school and that's by his own admission. Maybe vitamins and steroids, he just gets mixed up with that."
