Manny up for no-nonsense training, says Ariza

MANILA, Philippines–Despite all the distractions, Manny Pacquiao will pull all stops in training for his Nov. 13 showdown with Antonio Margarito in Texas. “Manny will train hard so his fight becomes easy,” said conditioning expert Alex Ariza after arriving yesterday from Los Angeles. Ariza told the Inquirer he is scheduled to meet with Pacquiao today to plan out his training schedule and decide when they will set up the training camp in Baguio City. Pacquiao has started his morning jogs to get into shape for the hard grind ahead once trainer Freddie Roach arrives over the weekend. The Pacman’s chief of staff, lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal, said the pound-for-pound king is set to “train this afternoon in a gym somewhere near the Batasan complex.” “When it comes to fighting I have never seen anybody more focused,” said Ariza of Pacquiao, who is going for an eighth title in as many divisions when he fights Margarito for the vacant WBC super welterweight crown at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Despite the extra demands on Pacquiao’s time because of his duties as Sarangani congressman, the conditioning guru said the Filipino will go through the same no-nonsense training regimen as in his previous fights. Ariza said he has no idea who has been chosen as sparring partners for Pacquiao since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has changed his mind about coming to the Philippines. Chavez Jr. is training for a title fight on Dec. 14 versus WBO light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao will need big, tall and strong sparring partners to approximate Margarito, who is five inches taller than the Filipino and enjoys a 6-inch reach advantage.