By Lem Satterfield
LAS VEGAS -- Strength and conditioning guru, Alex Ariza, could return to the corner of WBA junior welterweight titlist, Amir Khan, as an assistant to trainer, Freddie Roach, if the English champion works out a deal with intermediary, Nick Khan, who is not related to the fighter. A meeting was held to work the situation out.
"I thought that the meeting went well. A lot of things were said in the heat of the moment. But this is a business. If that's what Amir wants, I've always said that it's up to him," said Ariza, referring to a gathering that took place involving Ariza, Roach, Amir Khan and the fighter's father, Shan Khan.
"Amir is fighter," said Ariza. "But Nick is going to represent me as far as handling the negotiations and things like that. So I'll just wait to hear from Nick."
Ariza was in Las Vegas to work alongside Roach in the corner of WBO welterweight titlis Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 knockouts), an eight-division champ who successfully defended his crown with Saturday night's unanimous decision over five-time champion Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) at the MGM Grand Hotel.
Khan (25-1, 17 KOs) was in town for Friday night's Boxing Writers Association of America dinner at the MGM, where he received 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 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.
"That was the past, and it's time to move forward. I think that things went well, and that Amir and I are on the same page. I'll let Nick handle the negotiations for it like I said, and, you know, we'll see what happens after that," said Ariza.
"The most important thing is what's best for Amir, really," said Ariza. "I think that whatever is best for him, they'll work out. I'll let Nick handle all of that."