The man behind Manny Pacquiao’s training and conditioning for his March 13 showdown with Joshua Clottey is maintaining the same formula and program the Filipino had in his last fight against Miguel Cotto.Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza mentioned that no changes were made in training camp, since the plan they did against Cotto is just as ideal against Clottey, whom Pacquiao will face at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas next week.
Ariza initially asked master trainer Freddie Roach if a new blueprint will be made for Pacquiao’s first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, but the four-time Trainer of the Year felt there’s no need to do so.
“There was no need to make changes. But we focused more on his strength training because of his (Clottey) size. Other than that, everything was the same and identical," said Ariza, working on his fifth fight as Pacquiao’s conditioning coach since first coming on board in 2008 during the boxing icon’s lightweight title fight with David Diaz.
Outside of Pacquiao’s strength, the only other aspect Ariza tried to develop was the body of the seven-time world champion in order to hold his weight.
At the moment, Ariza said Pacquiao weighs 153 pounds, six over the welterweight limit of 147.
But there’s nothing to worry about.
“It’s no problem. He’s losing around three or four pounds after workout," Ariza revealed.
The conditioning mentor from Colombia said they’re planning to maintain the weight until Pacquiao’s final workout on March 11.
“We plan on going all the way until his last workout to get to 147," he added.
On the day of the formal weigh-in, Ariza plans to get Pacquiao not lower than 147 pounds. And by fight night, he expects the Filipino southpaw to come in at around 149 to 150 pounds.
source: GMANews.TV
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