Ariza thinks Pacquiao looks like he’s never stopped training

By Eric Thomas: According to a Insidesports.ph, strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza thinks that WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao looks like he never stopped training after his fight with Miguel Cotto in November. This good news, because it shows that Pacquiao has kept himself in shape since his impressive 12th round TKO of World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on November 14th. It also means that Pacquiao won’t have long to before he’s ready for his March 13th fight against Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboy stadium, in Arlington, Texas.

Ariza, who is responsible for keeping Pacquiao in shape during training camp, said “he [Pacquiao] is looking sharp already.” Pacquiao is already two pounds within the welterweight limit (147), weighing 149 pounds as of now. That obviously will go down as the training camp progresses. Pacquiao has to make sure, however, that he doesn’t get down too low in weight because Clottey often comes in right at the upper limit of the welterweight class, and then puts on a great deal of weight after the weigh-in.

The last thing that Pacquiao needs is to be facing an opponent that is weighing 20 pounds more than him in the 160s during the fight. Pacquiao doesn’t put much weight on after weighing in for his fights. But Clottey often does. Clottey could come into the fight as big as a middleweight or even larger by the time the two fighters step in the ring.

Although Clottey won’t have much of a height and reach advantage over Pacquiao in the fight, he will very likely be a lot bigger in weight, which may or may not help him absorb shots from the smaller Pacquiao. It certainly could help if Clottey can get in close with Pacquiao and rough him up with his superior size.

Source: boxingnews24.com