Video After The Jump
Boxing fans are still talking about Marcos Maidana's thrilling victory over Adrien Broner on Saturday, December 14, to win the welterweight crown. The question now hanging over the fight is whether or not Maidana got help via some kind of stimulant from his strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza.
Video has emerged that shows Ariza placing a pill inside of a napkin and wiping Maidana's face with it. The pill seems to remain inside the napkin. Could it have been smelling salts or some other kind of stimulant?
Steve Kim of MaxBoxing tweeted about the situation earlier today.
Alex Ariza
This is not the first time Ariza has been called out for using questionable tactics. Brandon Rios tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, a performance-enhancing drug, after his November 23 loss to Manny Pacquiao.
"Brandon had the genius, Ariza, trying to help him make weight," Bob Arum told ESPN. "It is not the fighter's fault. It's the people who are conditioning him. He's following orders on what to eat and drink, so I don't blame him. Brandon's not a nutritionist. It's generally the conditioner's fault if the kid doesn't make weight. This is Ariza's fault. The fighter, in my experience, follows religiously what he is told to eat and drink. If he's being advised by people who consider themselves experts, but who really don't know sh*t, that's when you get in trouble."
Watch the video below and judge for yourself.
**UPDATE**
A new up close up video seems to show that Ariza did not put a pill into a napkin before pressing it onto Maidana's face. That should clear up any controversy.
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