PACQUIAO TO GET CRACKING ON TUESDAY

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 25 Jan 2010



Manny Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king and boxing icon will get cracking in his preparation for “The Event” with former world champion Joshua Clottey at the state-of-the-art $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, on Tuesday, Manila Time.

When Pacquiao walks into Freddie Roach’s Gym at around 1:00 p.m. he will see people walking out because that’s the way Roach wants it. He knows how serious the fight against Clottey is and he is not taking any chances although he knows Pacquiao likes training with his fans around him.

Nobody but the most essential members of Team Pacquiao will be allowed into the Wild Card Gym when Pacquiao is training but there’s no word on who will be allowed in with rumors typical of the Pacquiao camp claiming that Manny’s trusted adviser Michael Koncz won’t be allowed in. If by chance the rumor turns out to be true then it will be a test of just how much Pacquiao is in control of his own training camp.

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza who had a minor altercation with Koncz during the Baguio City training camp as Pacquiao prepared for the WBO welterweight title fight against Joshua Clottey told us he hadn’t seen Koncz the two days that Pacquiao worked out at the gym but didn’t wish to say anything that could spark unnecessary tension within Team Pacquiao.

Pacquiao himself has told us more than once that he trusts Koncz, values his loyalty and says Koncz does what he asks him to.

For his part Koncz looks after Pacquiao’s needs 24/7 and doesn’t bother about anybody else, except perhaps Manny’s wife Jinkee, or what anybody else has to say.

Ariza said they took a day off Sunday which is normal but that they would get cracking on Monday as both he and Roach realize they cannot take Clottey for granted because a hungry fighter is always a dangerous opponent.

Ariza said he would know about who Roach has picked as sparring partners for Pacquiao even as there were indications he could start sparring sooner than later because the seven division world champion looked like he hadn’t taken a break after the November 13 fight against Cotto.

Ariza told us he plans to get Pacquiao working on his rigorous strength and conditioning exercises on Monday when he shows up at the gym.