Amir Khan has settled in well with his new strength and conditioning coach

By Boxing News - 06/30/2012 - Comments

Image: Amir Khan has settled in well with his new strength and conditioning coachBy Mark Havey: Manny Pacquiao was training for Tim Bradley, Amir Khan for Lamont Peterson. However, a storm was blowing through the high altitude training camp at Baguio City. Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza had asked for Pacquiao’s authorization to leave.

To cool the situation, Manny Agreed. This infuriated Khan who was only weeks away from a vital rematch. His anger was due to the fact that his importance had been overlooked and completely disregarded in favour of the Philippine icon.

I can appreciate why this would aggravate Khan but he knows that Pacquiao is the main concern of both Alex Ariza and Freddie Roach. Nonetheless all of this led Amir Khan to employ a new strength and conditioning coach. The man trusted with doing that was Ruben Tabares. It is a hazardous move to start altering this considering his last fight was a loss. But change can be affirmative.

Khan is enjoying the new approach to his training and diet and has taken well to Ruben. Khan told Bettor.com “camp is going really well. Ruben is doing a great job getting me ready for this fight and some of the new concepts and ideas he’s brought in for this camp are working really well. He is a top conditioner”.

If you are going to leave Alex Ariza for anyone then why not Ruben Tabares? Everyone I mention him to say they haven’t heard of him, but he is world class in fitness. His client list is notable with names such as David Haye, John Terry, Mickey Rourke and many other stars. He knows this stuff. But he isn’t Ariza, who is most likely the best strength and conditioning coach in the world. There is one problem with Ariza, his ego. It the worst kept secret that he is good, but hard to get on with, opinionated, gregarious when asked about others and worst of all he seems to think everyone needs him. But Khan has shown that Ariza is expendable. I wonder how many will follow that path.



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