ARIZA SAYS PACQUIAO MAY KO MARQUEZ IN THE FIRST ROUND
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 11 Nov 2011
Pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao?s strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza says he won?t be at all surprised if Pacquiao knocks out Juan Manuel Marquez in the very first round in their WBO welterweight title showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, Manila Time.
Ariza who earlier predicted a stoppage within three rounds told the Manila Standard yesterday from Las Vegas, ?I won?t be surprised if Manny knocks him out in the first round.?
However, Ariza clarified his statement, ?when I say knockout, I think Manny knocks him down, jumps on top of him and beats the s?t out of him and they stop it.?
He said he ?won?t be surprised if referee Tony Weeks stops the fight in the first three rounds because Manny is going to hit him so hard its going to change his (Marquez?s) life.?
The Pacquiao strength and conditioning expert said he believes Marquez who has bulked up and put on muscle ?is going to take too many chances? and that the idea behind Marquez putting on muscle in his upper body is to ?go for a knockout in the first three or four rounds.?
He said the sports books show Pacquiao as an 8-to-1 favorite which indicates everybody thinks Manny is going to knock Marquez out.
Ariza told us he had ?never seen Manny so calm, so really relaxed and looking forward to the fight? which will be his third clash with Marquez in an enthralling trilogy which may well rank as one of the best.
On the eve of the official weigh in on Saturday, Manila Time, Ariza said Pacquiao tipped the scales at 143 pounds which was perfect.
He noted that Marquez had ?put on a lot of muscle but we?ll have to see what happens at the weigh-in. It's hard for me to say what?s going on.?
Pacquiao attended a Bible study session before hearing a special Mass at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino where he stays.
Marquez who has publicly and persistently claimed he won the first two fights against Pacquiao and said the judges robbed him of the decision also hinted he would look for a knockout to settle all doubts once and for all. He said that if either fighter gets careless in the ring ?he?s getting knocked out? even as he looked back on their first two fights and pointed out that Pacquiao went after him somewhat recklessly after dropping him in their first two fights, three times in the first and once in the rematch.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Crawford to defy odds?
By Joaquin Henson, Sun, 14 Sep 2025Clash of Titans: The Final Predictions for Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 14 Sep 2025Weigh-In Results: Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev
Sun, 14 Sep 2025Inoue and Akhmadaliev Make Weight for Sunday's Battle, Watch it LIVE on Facebook!
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 14 Sep 2025IIEE North Cotabato and Metro Central are the Golden Champion on 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Sun, 14 Sep 2025Sydney Sy Tancontian is Female Awardee of Sports Hero of the Year
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 13 Sep 2025Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford: Size Matters
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 13 Sep 2025BOOTS TALKS SPARRING WITH CANELO IN ‘DAY IN THE LIFE’
Sat, 13 Sep 2025WEIGHTS FROM LAS VEGAS: CANELO - 167.5 LBS., CRAWFORD - 167.5 LBS.
By Dong Secuya, Sat, 13 Sep 2025BELFAST: WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER
Sat, 13 Sep 2025Canoy cancels title fight due to child’s death
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 13 Sep 2025Vietnam’s Pool Revolution: Hanoi Open Pool Championship
Sat, 13 Sep 2025SUNDAY: Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev Undisputed Super Bantamweight Showdown to Stream Exclusively on Top Rank’s Facebook Channel in the U.S. & UK
Fri, 12 Sep 2025National Shelter Month Run on October 25 in DGT
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 12 Sep 2025Canelo-Crawford: Betting Odds Reveal a Battle of Money vs. Public Opinion
By Dong Secuya, Fri, 12 Sep 2025