CONDITIONING GURU SAYS PACQUIAO FACES A MORE PHYSICAL FIGHT WITH HATTON
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 05 Jan 2009
Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao?s conditioning guru Alex Ariza predicts Pacquiao will face a more physical fight with Ricky ?The Hitman? Hatton than he did with Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand last December 6.
Ariza told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that Hatton was a little like Pacquiao with a ?high pace and lots of volume? in terms of punches but predicted that in the end ?its going to come down to the same thing because Manny is getting better and better.?
The conditioning expert who began working alongside trainer Freddie Roach before the WBC lightweight title fight against David Diaz has been credited with helping make Pacquiao a faster, more explosive fighter and additional power which was evident in both the Diaz fight where he pulverized the champion in nine rounds and then mauled De La Hoya to win by an eighth round TKO.
He said Pacquiao is now ?more well-rounded as a boxer. He?s not just a left hand puncher. He?s got that jab and he?s obviously been more effective with it in his last few fights and he?s more confident.? All this led Ariza to predict ?I see the same outcome? against Hatton as the last fight in which De La Hoya quit at the end of the eighth round.
While conceding that Hatton will be more aggressive, Ariza said ?you?ve got to look at the positives,? citing the fact that Hatton was ?shorter, he has got a shorter reach and Manny doesn?t have to be defensive. He?ll be easier to hit than De La Hoya was for sure although its going to be a little bit rougher, more physical fight.?
At the same time Ariza said he was not sure whether Pacquiao has to train for two months for the Hatton fight just like he did for De La Hoya. He said Pacquiao ?may train for seven weeks because there?s not been a lot of rest-time or downtime between now and then, when he starts camp again.?
Hatton?s farther, Ray Hatton, told us on New Year?s eve that ?The Hitman? would train for twelve weeks in Manchester, Florida and Las Vegas but Ariza noted ?they have to train 12 weeks because of the weight problem? since Hatton has a tendency to bloat in-between fights.
Ariza was confident Pacquiao could make the 140 pound limit ?easily? and that by fight night the Filipino southpaw and world?s No.1 pound-for-pound champion will go up to 147.
He said ?Manny is getting stronger and is obviously a better fighter as he goes up in weight, unless Hatton changes his style. Ariza emphasized ?Hatton is there to be hit. The only problem is that he?s a lot more physical, a throws more volume of punches. Its going to be a more physical fight for sure.?
Ariza who was in Chicago training a mixed martial arts heavyweight contender said he?ll be back in Los Angeles this weekend. He said he saw Pacquiao a week ago and ?he looks good and now he stays in shape pretty much all year round.?
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