BAGUIO CITY, Philippines ? There?s no change of strategy as far as Manny Pacquiao?s strength and conditioning coach is concerned.
?We?re concentrating on quickness and speed,? said Alex Ariza as Pacquiao entered his last week of training in Baguio City.
It?s been the main ingredients of Pacquiao?s recent success that has made him the sport?s only eight-time champion in eight different weight classes.
Quickness and speed, according to Ariza, will be enough to carry Pacquiao to victory.
Pacquiao is scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Oct. 9 for the final push heading to his Nov. 12 trilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao sparred eight rounds with Venezuelan Jorge Linares who will shoot for the WBC lightweight crown against Antonio de Marco at the Staples Center on Oct. 15.
The sparring, according to those who watches, was intense with Pacquiao, in his gold gloves, headguard and groin protector, going all out in the fifth and sixth rounds.
Sparring resumes today with a total of 10 rounds on tap.
Pacquiao suffered leg cramps during his roadwork exercises last Monday but Ariza is not alarmed at all.
Pacquiao shook it off in no time. He attributed the cramps to the fact that over the past week he wasn?t able to run hard because of the poor weather condition.
He also broke camp in Baguio over the weekend to be with his daughter who celebrated her birthday in Manila.
Pacquiao?s Filipino trainer, Buboy Fernandez, said it?s ?still a long way to go? and that Pacquiao has no time to relax.
?Marquez is smart,? Ariza admitted.
?But what matters here is physiology. Marquez is a smaller guy,? Ariza added. He said Pacquiao?s tremendous speed will make it very difficult for the Mexican to see where the punches are coming from.
He said Pacquiao will always be in Marquez? blind side, going for that deadly hook combination to the Mexican?s head and mid section.
Pacquiao said he?d love to score a knockout.
?It would just happen. A knockout would just be bonus,? he said.
