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Pacquiao foe Cotto having trouble making weight
HOLLYWOOD â Alex Ariza has long been in the business of body conditioning and thus, knows exactly when an athlete is already in his proper frame of health. One look at reigning welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at this point in time, and Ariza can clearly say the 28-year old warrior from Caguas, Puerto Rico is having an issue going down to 145 pounds. âPersonally, I think heâs having a hard time losing weight," Ariza said. âHe looked a little gaunt." But Ariza based it on how he sees Cotto, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion, in newspaper clippings and TV interviews. âAnd also I only hear things about it, on how hard heâs been working out lately the way he has never worked out before," he added. A natural welterweight, Cottoâs camp has been evading questions surrounding his current weight, insisting the champion would be able to meet the catch weight of 145lbs. The former Olympian has never fought below 147 pounds since 2006, and under the contract he signed for the Pacquiao fight, a pound in excess of the catch weight is equal to a $1 million penalty. In contrast, Pacquiao appeared to be in control of his weight. Ariza said the Pacman currently weighs 149 pounds, although he goes down to 146 by the time he is over with his two-hour daily training at the Wild Card gym. Pacquiaoâs conditioning coach from Colombia said the ring idol from General Santos City will carry a weight of 144 or 145 during Fridayâs official weigh-in, and then be at 149 on the night of the fight itself. âThatâs his natural weight (149) right now. Heâs so fast for that. What youâre now seeing are pure muscles," said Ariza, adding that the world pound-for-pound king only has a six percent body fat. Ariza also has high respect for Cottoâs conditioning coach Phil Landman, adding the key to the fight would boil down to who has the better trainer. âIt will go down as to who you have in the corner, and I have Freddie Roach with me. Unlike Cotto who only has some âaverage Joe" on his side," said Ariza in an obvious jibe against Joe Santiago, the former nutritionist turned trainer of the WBO title holder. â GMANews.TV
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