LOS ANGELES ? For Manny Pacquiao, the key to beating WBC lightweight champion David Diaz is keeping him off-balance with quickness, footwork and a blistering pace.
?My focus in training is speed,? said Pacquiao yesterday in his fourth floor penthouse apartment at the Palazzo in the La Brea district. ?I?ve studied Diaz? style carefully. He?s a brawler. I won?t stand in front of him for more than five seconds. I?ll move in and out. I?ll throw a lot of punches.?
Taped on the front door of Pacquiao?s No. 432 unit is a poster announcing his ?drive for five,? meaning the quest for a fifth world title after the WBC flyweight, IBF superbantamweight, Ring Magazine featherweight and WBC superfeatherweight crowns. The poster also reminds visitors to clear out by 9 p.m. which is Pacquiao?s self-imposed curfew.
With two weeks left before Pacquiao makes his debut in the 135-pound ranks, he said the challenge is one of the toughest in his career. Diaz stakes his lightweight crown against Pacquiao in a battle of champions ? dubbed ?Lethal Combination? ? at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on June 28.
?It?s my first time to fight as a lightweight,? said Pacquiao. ?I?m confident. I eat well. I?m comfortable moving up. I?m stronger. I feel I have more power in this division.?
To prepare for the lightweight invasion, Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach tapped strength and conditioning coach Alejandro Ariza who previously worked with the late Diego Corrales.
Ariza has introduced a scientific approach ? called ?high-intensity intervolt training? or the HIT system ? in tuning up Pacquiao?s body for the assault on Diaz? throne. He monitors Pacquiao?s heart beat, checks his recovery rate, zeroes in on fast-twitch muscle fibers and works on his explosiveness. In morning runs, Ariza drills Pacquiao with three-minute sprints to simulate the energy level in a fast-paced round of boxing.
Pacquiao said he welcomes Ariza?s program.
?I like what Alex is doing,? said Pacquiao. ?When I was an amateur, the approach was similar. But as a pro, this is the first time I?m exposed to scientific strength and conditioning.?
Last Saturday, Pacquiao weighed in at 144 pounds which is within target. He said he expects to make the 135-pound limit at the weigh-in the day before the fight without difficulty.
Pacquiao said he will surprise Diaz with new tactics but hesitated to disclose what he has in store for the 1996 Olympian.
Since Pacquiao and Diaz are both southpaws, the expectation is the right hand will play a big role in the bout just as it did when Juan Manuel Lopez knocked out Daniel Ponce de Leon in the first round of their recent WBO superbantamweight title match.
?I?ll throw the right a lot,? admitted Pacquiao. ?I?ll use it to set up my left. I?ll make sure Diaz won?t know what?s coming.?
Although Roach described Diaz as ?cocky,? Pacquiao said he has no feelings of animosity towards the champion. They?ve gone together on two promotional tours in Chicago and San Francisco.
?Diaz even thanked me for giving him a chance to earn a big paycheck,? said Pacquiao.
Diaz, 32, is guaranteed $800,000 ? the biggest purse in his career. His largest previous purse was $350,000 for taking on Erik Morales last year.
Asked if he?s wary of Diaz being a dangerous opponent because of the hunger factor, Pacquiao just smiled.
?I?m hungry, too,? he said. ?My goals in life right now are to earn my college degree, maintain my status as a fighter, win more titles and bring more honor to our country. I?m not stopping at the lightweight division. I?ll also challenge for the 140-pound title. If Diaz is hungry, so am I.?
As for Diaz? vaunted body punching, Pacquiao didn?t seem worried.
?No problem,? he said. ?I?m doing 1,500 to 2,000 sit-ups a day to strengthen my stomach muscles. I?m prepared. He?s shorter than me. I?m quicker and stronger. It will be an exciting fight.?
