The best pound for pound fighter in the world and a newly elected congressman, Manny Pacquiao intends to attempt the impossible one more time and that is to win an eighth world championship title in as many weight categories. Manny began his professional boxing career in 1995 weighing 108 pounds. On November 13, he will face Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight crown. Televised by HBO Pay Per View, long anticipated and much talked about showdown will take place at the Dallas Cowboys newly built stadium. With less than three weeks away till the night of the fight and reports coming from Philippines and Hollywood that Pacquiao is not in optimum shape, I caught up with the man responsible for Manny’s strength and conditioning, Mr. Alex Ariza.
“I am just not used to this,” said Ariza during our interview held at Wildcard Boxing Club on Wednesday afternoon: “I wish we had more time, but I just have to get my guy ready and do the best that I can with the time that I have.”
A man largely responsible for Pacquiao’s successful move from featherweight all the way up to welterweight division while retaining speed and power, Ariza expressed his concerns about lack of preparation in camp.
“Margarito looks great to me,” continued Ariza: “That just lets me know that my job isn’t done yet. I am always concerned, that’s just me; I don’t want to ever go into a fight thinking that I could have done more. The most important thing is keeping Manny focused on a fight. “
Would Ariza be able to handle a tough task ahead of him?
“He is the best conditioning coach in the world!” exclaimed Amir Khan, who in words of Ariza was brought in to Philippines to wake up Pacquiao in sparring.
So, how concerned is Ariza about significant size difference between Pacquiao and Margarito?
“Size doesn’t really mean anything,” replied Alex:” It’s about speed and being in shape. We are always in shape. Pacquiao is in good fighters shape, but he is not in Manny’s shape.”
Last week Margarito’s co manager Francisco Espinoza suggested that Manny would be open for an uppercut and that would be the shot that Tijuana Tornado would use to stop Pacquiao. When I asked Alex what he thought about that, he responded with a counter of his own:” With or without stuff in his gloves. It’s not too often that you can hit Manny. He is way too fast.”
