Photo courtesy of Alex Ariza/Twitter
Alex Ariza is in the midst of what could be called a hellacious end of the year stretch run. The famed strength and conditioning coach is training Mikey Garcia, Brandon Rios, and Marcos Maidana; equating to three fights in six weeks.
Ariza–who is making the move from the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Ca to the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard after being let go by embattled trainer Freddie Roach for his star pupil, Manny Pacquaio–finally believes he’s found a home at the RGBA with 2012 Trainer of the Year, Robert Garcia.
Read along as Round By Round Boxing goes in depth with Ariza, while he’s in Texas for Mikey Garcia’s last week of preparations before his Junior Lightweight title fight against Rocky Martinez on November 9, 2013.
RBRBoxing: How’s everything down in Texas with Mikey? How’s he feeling with the fight camp winding down and the fight so near?
Ariza: Mikey’s doing very well, it was a long intense camp. Mikey is a workhorse, very dedicated, very disciplined and such a good athlete. He wants to win a world title again. You know, working side by side with Brandon [Rios], the two of them basically being on the same program; you have two guys who are very young and very hungry and motivated to work, compete and only get better.
RBRBoxing: What workouts did you have Rios and Garcia do? Any focus on weights or band resistance?
Ariza: I don’t do much weights, a lot of people know that, just mostly body-weight exercises. I work with a lot of core movement, lots of leg work. I like to keep things well rounded, lots of swimming and always on the track. They both have kept to the program and have pushed each other very well.
RBRBoxing: There is no worry of Mikey peaking too soon in camp and being over trained before the fight?
Ariza: Mikey’s frame has room to develop. His body did grow a little faster than expected with the workouts, we definitely had to pull back some. No worry at all on peaking too soon, just rest this week, watch exactly what we’re eating and continuing some light stuff as we wind down.
RBRBoxing: How do you see this weekends fight going for Mikey?
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Ariza: I haven’t really followed Rocky Martinez’s career, but he’s not a world champion for nothing. I don’t really like making those predictions. I always try to make sure the speed and power stay intact as they move up in weight classes. Speaking to Robert and Big G, they have said Mikey is more explosive and gained more power, and we accomplished that and we’ll just have to see on Saturday night, but I think we’re going to be in for a pleasant surprise.
RBRBoxing: How has the transition been coming from the Wild Card Gym to the RGBA in Oxnard? Have they been accepting of you very quickly?
Ariza: Very warm reception over there. What a lot of people don’t know is Robert and I have been talking on the phone on and off for the past two years. This move was always talked about in reference to Mikey. It’s something that Robert and I knew eventually it was going to happen. It was a move that he wanted to take his gym and his fighter in a different direction as well. But the move with Brandon was probably the easiest transition I ever made, you know I really didn’t know him other than speaking on the phone. He moved me right into his house right away.
RBRBoxing: Oh, so you guys lived together during the camp? Is that typical with many fighter and coaches?
Ariza: We did, you know, it is typical, but never on the first shoot out like that. But Brandon is just a good guy. I mean he is an incredible person, he’s off the wall and always in a good mood. So we started living together for the first two weeks, then Mikey came on and we all moved out to our own place. We had our chef Hector and the assistant trainer Donald. Just a really, really good vibe. Brandon and Mikey eating the same things, at the same time, doing the same workouts, and it was a really good positive thing. Robert really supported it and Mikey’s father, The Big G, did also so it was just an incredible camp.
RBRBoxing: There are reports that you are working with Marcos Maidana, is that accurate?
Ariza: Yes.
RBRBoxing: How did that come about? Did he see the success of Mikey and Brandon and wanted to try it also?
Ariza: That’s exactly it! I’m not saying my way is the only way, its just Marcos and Robert believed, watching him fight, obviously he experienced first hand when he fought Amir Khan. They didn’t believe he was very technical, but his abilities to go to war with Amir spoke volumes of his conditioning and was over whelming due to the conditioning program. He saw what Mikey and Brandon were doing and he wanted in the program.
RBRBoxing: How is Maidana coming into his training?
Ariza: Very good, you know in the beginning it was Brandon and Mikey, now with Mikey stepping out, Maidana could step right in to accompany Brandon. Those guys push each other and again they have a great relationship. There are no ego’s with them, nobody gets singled out, there aren’t prima donnas at the RGBA. Everybody has their time, they don’t abuse it. Robert makes sure of that.
RBRBoxing: Between Freddie Roach and yourself there wasn’t much of a friendly relationship towards the end, but with Manny and you, there isn’t any love lost is there? Have you spoken to him since you both have gone your respected separate ways?
Ariza: No I haven’t spoken to Manny since. Its a business and I understand that, he made a decision that he thought was in his best interest. I think the transition at first was kinda hard, but now that that I look at it, I gained three new, young, great fighters and I can start new in a world class gym and with one of the top trainers in the world in Robert. I get to do it all over again, lightning in the bottle twice. Robert and I are both similar in age and he’s just such a laid back guy.
RBRBoxing: There are rumors that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will be rejoining you as his strength coach and joining the RGBA, having Robert as his head trainer. Is there any truths to that?
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Ariza: You know I have been in contact with Julio, he has agreed to come down to the gym and train with Robert and I know Robert has also spoken to him multiple times and they have agreed on him working and training also. So it should be a great thing for Julio to be around Robert and all his fighters. Guys his age, being able to push him and all the camaraderie among them will be nothing but great for him.
RBRBoxing: Many people know who you are, but they aren’t aware on how you started training people in strength and conditioning. How exactly did you get your start?
Ariza: Yeah, everybody thinks I started with Manny, but I really didn’t. Fresh out of school, I got the opportunity to start working as a strength and conditioning specialist, then I started working with Diego Corrales. It’s been a long road. Fortunately I did get a lot of on the job training and things that you can’t learn in school. Over the years, I’ve been lucky to train these fighters and just worked hard and the body of my work got me to the higher levels of fighters, where I am today.
RBRBoxing: Well thank you for your time Alex and hopefully your fighters get through their camps and fights with no injuries.
Ariza: Thank you, see ya.
