Antonio Margarito will quit - Freedie Roach

MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach won’t be surprised if Antonio Margarito goes down as fast, as hard like Ricky Hatton.

“That’s what I’m thinking about,” said the certified champion maker yesterday as he sat by the edge of the ring.

Roach arrived at the Elorde Gym more than an hour ahead of Manny Pacquiao who later on put on a two-hour show as the gym was packed with fans, friends and members of the media.

Roach thinks Margarito won’t be able to take it if he is caught with the same punch that left Hatton in a trance after taking a solid left from Pacquiao in the second round of their 2008 showdown.

“If we catch him, that happens,” said Roach.

The American who once trained Mike Tyson said he’s not losing sleep over the Nov. 13 fight with Margarito for the vacant WBC super-welterweight crown at the Cowboys Stadium.

He said he never had, since the fight was sealed more than a month ago, and never will.

“The thing is I’m not worried about this guy. I’m not losing sleep over Margarito,” said Roach of the 5-foot-11 Mexican who once was probably one of the most feared boxers in the welterweight class.

Roach, however, wouldn’t listen to that, saying Margarito was never exceptional.

“He’s so slow. They better improve on something. But I can’t say this is an easy fight. I don’t want Manny to think that way,” he said.

Margarito is coming off a one-year suspension for illegal hand wraps in his fight against Shane Mosley very early last year, a fight where he was knocked out in the ninth round like he’d never fight again.

But he did, and last May he defeated Robert Garcia, whom Roach described as “a nice kid who can’t really fight.”



“I don’t know. But I don’t want to kill the fight until we blow him (Margarito) away,” said Roach.

“The thing is, once you quit, it’s easier to quit the second time,” he added, thinking of Erik Morales who quit in the 10th round of his second fight and in the third round of his third fight with Pacquiao.

“In your life you pray it (quitting) would never happen. But when that happens, it’s much easier to quit the second time,” said Roach

This is not part of a psywar, he assured.

“I can tell this to his face: I bet you will quit,” said Roach.

Moments later, Pacquiao came in, and soon after, Roach was up in the ring.