Roach, Ariza: Conditioning is a Key Focus For Pacquiao

By Ronnie Nathanielsz 

Realizing that his quest for an eighth world title as a light middleweight against the bigger, taller and rugged Antonio Margarito at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas on November 13 will need him to be in tremendous physical condition, Manny Pacquiao has committed to focus on his conditioning as he resumed training in Baguio City, Monday.

Despite the long drive from Manila where he was guest of honor and speaker at the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Cavaliers Family Sports Festival at Camp Aguinaldo,  Pacquiao went jogging Monday morning and according to adviser Michael Koncz was sharply focused on what he needs to do.

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza in a conversation with the Inquirer while Pacquiao was in Manila,  hinted that there is a lot that needs to be done to get Pacquiao into the kind of shape that will enable him to stand up to the bigger brawler Margarito. He said “I think he has to be in the best shape of his life for the kind of strategy that Freddie Roach has. He has to be in better shape than he was for (Miguel) Cotto because his body has to be bigger and stronger , more explosive.”

Ariza conceded that Pacquiao was “getting there little by little” and that the pound-for-pound king had told him that this week “we will not skip anything and we’ll focus on the conditioning because maybe he’s starting  to realize that his body is not going to be able to endure a 155 pound guy throwing hammers at him.”

The conditioning guru who teamed up with Roach some two weeks before the David Diaz fight in June 2008 when Pacquiao demolished the lightweight champion in nine rounds said “when he realizes that all of a sudden when he (Margarito) starts jumping on you and grabbing you and being physical with you, he will realize he’s heavy, he’s strong and can wear you down. They’ll lean on you, put that shoulder into you which people like Margarito normally do, so you’ve got to be in tip-top shape for this.”

However, Ariza played down any concerns by stressing “I think we have plenty of time. The program is there, he just has to do it. I know its hard, I know he doesn’t like it. I know its taxing him with fatigue and everything but I’m not the one who is jumping up to 150 pounds. He is going to have to sacrifice.”

Trainer Roach’s decision to cutback on the number of rounds Pacquiao spars from a regular 150 to around 100 rounds is regarded as an effort not to leave too much in the ring during training.

Ariza pointed out that “when you are fighting bigger guys you got to be careful. You can’t leave too much in training.” Referring to Pacquiao’s sparring partners Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s) and Michael Medina (24-2-2, 19 KO’s) Ariza said “those guys are big . They weigh on you. They are going to get better.”

Pacquiao himself looked better in his second day of sparring against the bigger and more experienced Medina last Saturday compared to his first sparring session against Tapia when Pacquiao’s timing was off and he didn’t look too good.

While Ariza was confident that Pacquiao “doesn’t take a long time to get sharp inside the ring” he added “ I reiterate my concern is his physical condition.”