Team Pacquiao expects no weighty issue today

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao can tip the scales today with a Big Mac on his hand, and easily make weight for this WBO welterweight clash with Shane Mosley.

Pacquiao, on the eve of the weigh-in, was still a few lines under the limit, and that there was no need for him to go to the gym and sweat it out like he used to.

His adviser, Mike Koncz, said all Pacquiao did Thursday was go out for a little run. A rehearsal for his post-fight concert at the Mandalay Bay was also on tap.

Pacquiao carried his smile into Las Vegas last Monday, following a four-week camp in Los Angeles, knowing that making weight is no weighty issue.

At 147, he has all the leverage his body needs, and recently he’d been bragging that he can even make it down to 140 or 135 lb, the weight classes he used to rule.

The official weigh-in is set at 3 p.m. Friday at the MGM Grand. Shane Mosley, who had fought a handful times at 154 lb, should have no problem himself.

The official wei gh-in, therefore, could be a mere formality for both.

Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, said the only concern during camp was that Pacquiao got a little too light on some days he worked extra hard.

Ariza said it was the same thing that happened during the Antonio Margarito fight last November for the WBO super-welterweight (154 lb) with a catchweight of 150.

“He came in too small. At the day of the weigh in he woke up at 138 and by the time 5 o’clock was around he was just 145. So that’s not just enough.

“This time he took a completely new approach. He trained almost the whole camp at 153. He knew he needed to strengthen himself. He was weighing 144 last Saturday,” said Ariza.

“I want 144 or 145 I like that personally, and then come fight night be at 148 or 149,” he added.

Climbing the ring a shade under 150 has proved to a winning formula for Pacquiao, even if he had to go up against heavier, bigger fighters like Oscar dela Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Margarito.

At 150, give and take, Pacquiao does not sacrifice any of his speed as well as his power.

“We focused a lot differently. We ate a lot differently while we were in Baguio. The weight came up beautifully. We didn’t slow down this time. He didn’t feel sluggish.

Ariza said they could have survived the entire camp without any weighing scale in the room.

“I didn’t harp on the weight too much. I just looked at it once or twice a week,” he said.

“As long as I knew he was 150 or even a couple above and he didn’t slow down that’s where I needed him to be, bigger and stronger,” he added.