Margarito being grilled on hand wrap issues at Chelsea Piers

Antonio Margarito was a picture of serenity for most of the press conference Wednesday.

Dressed in a dark sports coat and light-colored shirt, Margarito flashed a toothy grin and cracked up at the sight of Manny Pacquiao during the ceremonial stare-down at Chelsea Piers.

The two will fight on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium at a catch weight of 150 pounds on HBO Pay-Per-View.

But Margarito turned morose when he sat down to field questions about a hand-wrap controversy that won't go away and has dogged a promotional tour that seems cursed.

Bob Arum's oldest son, John, 49, was reported missing on Sunday after he didn't return from a solo hiking expedition in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle.

During the pacquiao vs margarito press conference in L.A. on Tuesday, Arum hastily left to assist in the search and rescue mission, leaving his stepson and president of Top Rank, Todd duBoef, to deal with a festering controversy.

Margarito was found to have illegal inserts lined with a plaster-like substance in his wraps before he faced Shane Mosley on Jan. 24, 2009.

Even though Margarito was allowed to fight with new wraps, his boxing license was revoked by the California commission for a year, threatening his reputation as an honest fighter and raising questions as to whether he fought previous bouts with loaded wraps.

Margarito, a former welterweight champ, has always maintained his innocence, saying he was oblivious to what his trainer put in his wraps in the dressing room.

But others aren't so sure. Pacquiao, who was recently elected to Congress in the Philippines, said Wednesday that he believes Margarito knew what was going on before he fought Mosley.

"He had to know," said Pacquiao, widely regarded as the top fighter in the sport.

And Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, agreed, telling the Daily News: "Personally, it's hard for me to imagine that a fighter wouldn't know what's going into his hand wraps.

Greenburg said HBO would have broadcast Pacquiao's next bout regardless of the opponent.

"It's a tough call to back away (from this fight) for moral reasons and then exit the Manny Pacquiao business and then watch the premier fighter in the world migrate to another network," Greenburg said. "We just can't let that happen."

Margarito insisted he was innocent Wednesday and denied doctoring his wraps in previous fights.

"You know, all these people are saying that but they don't know," Margarito told The News through a translator. "I know that I'm a clean fighter. I never did anything wrong and I didn't even go up into the ring with those things."

Margarito (38-6, 27 knockouts) went before the California commission again on Aug. 18 of this year to reapply for a license and was again denied.

"He wasn't really taking any type of responsibility for any type of rehabilitation that was required," George Dodd, executive director of the California state commission, told the Daily News.

Top Rank turned its sights to Texas, where Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) fought in March and drew 51,000 to a fight at Cowboys Stadium. Margarito found a smoother landing strip there. After three days of reviewing his application, Texas granted him a license. Margarito told The News that no one from Texas ever spoke to him or questioned him about the hand wraps.

"Personally, I think that there was enough doubt about his culpability that I don't know if I wanted to hold that against him," Bill Kuntz, executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation told The News.

Tim Lueckenhoff, president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, a regulatory board, believes that Texas rubber-stamped his license, motivated by the chance to make money for the state.

"It's all about the dollars," Lueckenhoff said. "Any state would love to have that fight simply because of the economy right now. That's what it's all about: jamming some people into the big stadium and making those sales-tax dollars."

Source: nydailynews.com

Pacquiao experience returns vs Margarito!!!

NEW YORK (BASN) -- The Manny Pacquiao experience returns to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, November 13.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) attempting to win a record eight division titles, will tangle with Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) for the vacant WBC super welterweight championship.

It is safe to say that more than 50,000 fans will pack Cowboys Stadium and rightfully so because, Pacquiao generates excitement. Margarito is a straight-forward action fighter.

Pacquiao-Margarito is going to be a great fight because both fighters are unrelenting. “It is going to be an action-packed fight,” Pacquiao said at a recent press conference in New York.
“He loves to throw a lot of punches. He’s a very aggressive fighter.”

“Pacquiao vs. Margarito” will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View at a suggested retail of $54.95. Tickets fort his event will go on sale on September 18 and are priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50.

During his career, Pacquiao has fought on HBO Pay-Per-View 10 times generating more than 6 million buys and over $320 million in revenue. Pacquiao’s last bout, a 12-round decision win over Joshua Clottey, packed Cowboys Stadium with nearly 51,000 fans and generated 700,000 buys on Pay-TV.
Not bad for Pacquiao considering he fought a fighter that is widely regarded as an unknown to the mainstream sports fan. Margarito, unlike Clottey, is a mainstream figure.
Although he beat Miguel Cotto and twice KO’d Kermit Cintron, Margarito, however, is best-known for having been caught with illegal padding in his hand wraps prior to his loss to Sugar Shane Mosley in January 2009.

Many people believe that Margarito shouldn’t even be fighting, let a lone fight for a vacant world title on HBO Pay-Per-View. This fight writer, however, strongly believes that Margarito has paid the price.

“I can only speak with a heart,” Margarito said. “Whoever believes me does. Whoever doesn’t believe me doesn’t.” Mosley pummeled him in front of 20,000 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The California State Athletic Commission revoked his license and Margarito couldn’t fight for more than one year. He was denied a license to fight in Texas when he wanted to fight on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard in June.

One month ago, the Nevada State Athletic Commission “tabled” Margarito’s application to be relicensed before being denied in California more than 1½ since the humiliating loss to Mosley.

It wasn’t until the second attempt that Margarito was approved of a license to fight in the state of Texas. The process went very smoothly. “Texas only asked for the application and my medical records,” Margarito said.

Margarito is focused on what he believes is “the most important fight” of his career.

“I’m still very hungry,” Margarito added. “Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter. I think we both like to fight and throw punches. I’m just preparing to throw punches for 12 hard rounds. It’s the most important fight for me right now."
"I have to win this fight.”

Pacquiao believes: “This guy wants to fight toe-to-toe. That’s what people want to see. He’s an opponent that looks easy, but when you step into the ring with him he’s very hard. He throws a lot of punches. He’s very aggressive.”

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach credits Margarito for his size and strength, but believes his fighter will dominate. “He’s big and strong, but size doesn’t win fights,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach. “Skill does. I think we excel in this fight."
"We’re going to knock him out.”

It’s wonderful that Pacquiao returns to Cowboys Stadium, but the fight everyone wants to see is Mayweather-Pacquiao. Obviously a lot of people, including Roach, is disappointed that fight isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“I was disappointed it wasn’t Mayweather,” Roach said. “Life goes on. We’ll fight anybody in the world. My job is to get Manny ready. I love training Manny Pacquiao”

And Pacquiao loves to fight which is why people will watch him battle Margarito.
Tickets for Pacquiao-Margarito can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or dialing (800) 745-3000.

Source: blackathlete.net

The congressman versus heavy-handed cheater!!!!

AMERICA AT LARGE : Even though the Pacquiao-Margarito fight is fraught with moral ambiguity, odds are that, in the end, I’ll be there, writes GEORGE KIMBALL

LIKE A lot of other people, including, apparently, Manny Pacquiao, I have some serious reservations about whether the world’s best practising boxer should be fighting Antonio Margarito at all, but that’s not why I elected to give yesterday’s dog-and-pony show a skip.

The event at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s west side represented the middle instalment on Bob Arum’s three-stop mini-tour hyping a November bout between the Filipino congressman and a disgraced Mexican former champion who had, until a week ago, been banned from boxing throughout the US.

Even though the Pacquiao-Margarito fight is fraught with moral ambiguity, odds are that, in the end, I’ll be there. On the other hand, yesterday’s event, while advertised as a “news conference”, was in actuality one of those open-to-the-public shows that are, by definition, useless to the press.

Rather than serve as a prop in these exercises, I’ve decided to make it a point to avoid them when possible. You want to get thousands of screaming fans for the TV cameras, fine. Just don’t insult me by pretending it’s a “news conference”.

For the better part of a year now a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr has loomed as the sport’s dream match-up. Originally contemplated for last March, the first attempt to stage the bout foundered on Mayweather’s attempt to set the agenda. A lot of people who should have known better bought into Money Boy’s contention that drug-testing procedures were the sticking point. In any case, the bout fell apart, Ghanaian Joshua Clottey stepped in as the replacement opponent, and Pacquiao routed him in a points decision before more than 50,000 eyewitnesses in Texas Stadium.

When attempts were made to revive the Pacquiao-Mayweather megabout for November, the drug-testing issue wasn’t even a factor. It became clear to even his most shameless apologists among the Fourth Estate that Mayweather simply didn’t want the fight.

But Arum had already made arrangements for a pay-per-view transmission on November 13th, and since he already had both Pacquiao and Margarito under contract, negotiations promised to be notably uncomplicated.

There remained the problem of Margarito’s suspension. On the evening of January 24th, 2009, Margarito was about to enter the ring against veteran Shane Mosley for a WBA light-middleweight title fight in Los Angeles. Thanks to the vigilance of Mosley trainer Nazim Richardson, Margarito’s gloves were re-inspected, at which point it was discovered that his hand wraps illegally concealed a layer of plaster of Paris that might have turned his fists into a pair of lethal weapons. The offending material was removed, and the bout went on as scheduled. Taking away Margarito’s loaded gloves had an effect not unlike giving Samson a haircut: Mosley beat him within an inch of his life on the way to a ninth-round stoppage.

A few weeks later the California Boxing Commission reviewed the evidence and suspended both Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo. Margarito claimed the gloves had been doctored without his knowledge. The terms of the suspension provided that the matter could be reviewed a year later.

In the absence of forensic evidence, the California commission could not consider the issue of prior offences, but logic suggested that the Mosley fight may not have been the first time Margarito’s weaponry had been enhanced. Historically he had not been known as a knockout artist – only two of his first 12 professional opponents were stopped – but in his 30th year he suddenly became one.

Arum initially hoped to stage Pacquiao- Margarito in Las Vegas, but in July the Nevada Commission decided they would not license him while the California suspension remained in effect. On August 18th the California body determined that in the absence of any persuasive argument of contrition its suspension would remain in effect.

On August 25th Margarito applied for a boxing licence in Texas, a jurisdiction noted for bending the rules when its self-interest is involved. A week ago this morning the Texas authority approved the application.

That this was not unanticipated is evinced by the fact that within 24 hours Arum had confirmed the bout for Cowboys Stadium and announced the promotional tour that hit New York yesterday, and HBO announced its own plans for a “24/7” series showcasing the November 13th participants.

The network’s unhesitant cooperation is particularly noteworthy.

Earlier this year, HBO was the recipient of an Emmy award for having produced the best documentary of 2009, Eric Drath’s Assault in the Ring , which detailed the unseemly tale of a fight between Luis Resto and the late Billy Collins 27 years ago. In the aftermath of that bout it was revealed trainer Carlos “Panama” Lewis had removed the padding from Resto’s gloves, effectively turning them into a pair of bricks with which he thoroughly mugged the previously-unbeaten Collins. Lewis and Resto served jail time as a result, and were suspended for life. (This still put them one up on the unfortunate Collins, who never fought again and was dead within a year.)

While HBO seemed oblivious to the implicit irony, the only real difference between the Resto/Lewis case and that involving Margarito/Capetillo is that the former used the loaded gloves while the latter were apprehended before they got into the ring.

Last week, after Texas granted the licence to Margarito, I jokingly wrote a column for TheSweetScience.com suggesting that the Lone Star state was about to license Panama Lewis to work the Mexican’s corner in the Pacquiao fight – the logic being that while Resto (who in Drath’s documentary not only belatedly confessed to having known about the glove-tampering, but revealed Lewis had also placed plaster of Paris under his hand-wraps), like Capetillo, had admitted his complicity, Lewis had, like Margarito, so steadfastly lied about his involvement that, to be consistent, Texas ought to license Panama, too.

That it was a spoof eluded a shocking number of readers. Some expressed outrage; others applauded the notion.

In rendering its decision, the Texas commission had made it a point to note the absence of evidence directly implicating Margarito, and on Tuesday in Los Angeles Arum reiterated his contention that “Antonio Margarito did not know those illegal hand wraps were there, and there’s not one shred of proof that he did”.

Anyone who truly believes that can shell out $55 for the pay-per-view with a clear conscience. The rest of us, on the other hand, might bear in mind what Manny Pacquiao, in a moment of disarming candour, had to say on the subject: “Of course he knew.”

Source: irishtimes.com

Margarito has nothing to lose against Pacquiao!!!!

LOS ANGELES—Manny Pacquiao doesn’t see eye to eye with Antonio Margarito, literally and figuratively.

Still, Pacquiao, who stands a shade below 5-foot-7 and had to look up just to stare at the eyes of the 5-foot-11 Margarito during the start of their promotional tour, is willing to give his disgraced Mexican foe another shot at redemption.

“Give him one more chance,” Pacquiao said. “He is human, he made a mistake. People are worried about me fighting this guy. We are going to give him a chance.”

Pacquiao and Margarito are scheduled to clash on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, a fight that should earn the Philippine congressman at least $15 million.

Margarito is coming off a one-year ban from boxing after being caught with illegal substances in his hand wraps during a fight with Shane Mosley 19 months ago. His fight against the Filipino ring icon is the biggest in his comeback trail.

8th boxing title

With the World Boxing Council super welterweight title at stake, Pacquiao also has a shot at an eighth weight division crown. He already has etched his name in history books after becoming the first boxer to win titles in seven weight classes after claiming the World Boxing Organization welterweight title of Miguel Cotto last year.

For Margarito, Pacquiao is his ticket to redemption after being vilified and sanctioned for the illegal hand wraps.

“I’ve been asking for this fight for a long time,” Margarito said. “I’m very happy and motivated that it’s here. I want to thank Manny for taking this fight. Everything that has happened is in the past, we’re now in the present. It’s time to show everyone that I’m still very good and nobody will want to miss this fight. It’ll be a great fight and now is the present; forget the past.”

Illegal hand wraps

Margarito has denied knowledge that illegal substances were being put in his hand wraps, causing them to harden and adding a lot of zing to his punches.

But in an interview with the Inquirer just before leaving the Philippines, Pacquiao said he was certain Margarito knowingly cheated with the hand wraps.

“It’s his hands and he watches the taping,” Pacquiao told the Inquirer on Monday, adding that Margarito is feigning ignorance because he is “looking for a way out so his reputation won’t be damaged among his fans.”

However, Pacquiao noted that Margarito had “paid his dues by sacrificing and not fighting for one year.

“I hope he learned his lesson and will not repeat the same mistake.”

Margarito was granted a license last week to fight in Texas. He hasn’t fought in America since the Los Angeles Mosley incident after his license—along with that of former trainer Javier Capetillo—was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for the hand wraps controversy. The ban was upheld by other state boxing commissions.

Team Pacquiao, though, isn’t taking any chances, pointing out that “we can watch his hands being wrapped because our agreement is we will have two representatives led by my coach (Freddie Roach) to watch the taping.”

Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) has asked officials to allow them to send an extra person from his camp into Margarito’s dressing room prior to the Dallas fight to observe the taping.

“I am requesting that two people be allowed to watch them bandage his hands,” the 31-year-old Pacquiao said.

Nothing to hide

Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia, said he had nothing to hide. He said Pacquiao may visit Margarito’s dressing room before the fight. He would also let Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach do the wrapping.

“Manny can come watch himself if he needs to,” Garcia said. “I do not have a problem with that. I could have Freddie Roach do the wrapping. I don’t do anything illegal.

“I know very few people give us a chance.”

It is unlike Pacquiao to fire the first verbal salvo in a pre-fight news conference but the Filipino did just that Tuesday.

Pacquiao was all smiles and joking with Margarito during a photo-op on the podium at Beverly Hills Hotel but then told reporters afterward that he didn’t believe Margarito’s version of the events at Staples Center arena 19 months ago.

His comments also contradicted Top Rank chief and Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, who spent a good portion of his time at the podium on Tuesday defending his decision to put the Filipino in the ring with the disgraced boxer.

“Antonio Margarito did not know that those hand wraps were illegal, and there was something bad in those wraps,” Arum said. “(There’s) not one shred of proof.

“He served his time, and thank God, the people in the Texas boxing commission, who reviewed all the testimony, agreed with that conclusion,” he added.

Source: inquirer.net

I'll fight anybody - Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao has made his own thoughts clear on the legitimacy of Antonio Margarito's claim that he knew nothing about his hand wraps being loaded with plaster inserts in his 2009 date against Shane Mosley. (The inserts were confiscated before the bout.) Now the Filipino superstar boxer had some interesting things to say about how he came to accept this fight and what he'll do next.

Pacquiao was obviously occupied with winning a congressional seat in his native Philippines earlier this year, and then taking office and beginning to deal with the brutally poor country's woes.

When it became clear that Floyd Mayweather Jr. wasn't interested in participating in a November super bout, Pacquiao said he left choosing an opponent to "whatever Bob wanted," speaking of promoter Bob Arum.

Pacquiao said he approved Margarito "without thinking."

The Nov. 13 bout against Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is for Pacquiao's record eighth different weight-class world title.

"That's more history in boxing," said Pacquiao. "Margarito is very aggressive, he's bigger and stronger. It's going to be a hard fight. I'm excited to fight him and exchange a lot of punches."

What would he do if he got the eighth title? Pacquiao didn't want to discuss a possible fight with Mayweather, cracking that if he never fought Mayweather, he'd be "OK ... more than OK."

But what about Juan Manuel Marquez, who was so dominant in his July 31 lightweight title defense victory over Juan Diaz?

"I didn't see it," Pacquiao said of the fight.

Didn't Marquez deserve a shot over Margarito? Pacquiao was asked. The pair have fought twice, with Marquez getting a 2004 draw and losing in 2008 by a split decision.

"I'm willing to fight anybody in the ring, maybe later," Pacquiao said.

Source: latimes.com

Pacquiao is aiming for a paper belt

MANILA, Philippines – Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao will take a shot at winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight title, a belt that was held by Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

The vacant WBC belt will be at stake on November 13 when the Filipino boxer-turned-congressman takes on Mexican Antonio Margarito.

“The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. And on November 13 at the fabulous cowboys Stadium, we’re gonna have a real fight,” Top Rank, Inc. CEO Bob Arum said.

Arum, who promotes Pacquiao and Margarito, talked about what it would mean for the Filipino superstar if he defeats the Mexican.

“Manny Pacquiao, in seeking to win this fight, will be going of an unheard of 8th world title in 8 different divisions. Nobody in boxing history has even come close,” he said.

Pacquiao, for his part, told reporters: “What I want right now is to maintain my peak in boxing and I want to be an idol in public service, not only in boxing but also a public servant.”

WBC Executive Secretary Mauricio Sulaiman, the son of WBC President Jose Sulaiman, even called the vacant title as special.

He said that the WBC super welterweight (also known as light middleweight) title was worn by great fighters such as Nino Benvenuti, Wilfred Benitez, Thomas Hearns, Terry Norris, John Mugabi, de la Hoya, Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Sergio Martinez who moved up in weight.

Sulaiman added that the winner will receive a special one-time edition WBC belt which features the Dallas Cowboys and Top Rank, Inc. as well as the pictures of Pacquiao and Margarito.

The WBC official also mentioned that they plan to include the Pacquiao-Margarito bout as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Mexico and the US.

After Los Angeles, Pacquiao and Margarito will continue their media tour in New York on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

The duo will go to Texas on Thursday (Friday) to watch a Dallas Cowboys game with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. They will wrap up the media tour on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Pacquiao will return to the Philippines this weekend to begin his training. He will return to the US in October to finish up his training before the November 13 bout.

The Cowboys Stadium will reportedly be ready for 70,000 spectators. Tickets, priced from $50 to $700, will go on sale beginning September 18.

abs-cbnnews.com

Margarito is Pacquiao's biggest opponent!!!!

On Nov 13, Manny Pacquiao will fight Antonio Margarito at the Dallas Cowboys Structure for the vacant WBC superwelterweight title head.
When he enters the ring, Pacquiao instrument tackling his largest opponent in 15 years of his grownup envelopment advance.
In their low face-to-face convergence at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Calif. Tuesday, Margarito stands towering over Pacquiao at 5'11" against the Indigene belligerent's 5'6.5". Clearly Margarito enjoys nearly 5" in peak benefit.
Margarito likewise enjoys a 6" asset in contact at 73" against Pacquiao's 67" inches.
Despite Mararito's immense welfare in tallness and push, Pacquiao relic the fortunate fighter to win this assemblage's greatest enclosure event.
Pacquiao said he conventional Margarito's challenge despite his huge filler plus because he believes the Mexican belligerent can process as the biggest endeavor to his potentiality as a belligerent.
"In my 15 life of professed enclosure, I instrument be warring in my heaviest coefficient and for the archetypal time I will try and comedian to win in this new unit league", Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao has won sevener times in septet divers weight classes, a achievement that is yet to be duplicated in fisticuffs history.
A win in the caretaker welterweight partition gift cement his supremacy in fisticuffs along with the elite members of pugilism's Writer of Celebrity.
Pacquiao and his entourage person retributive connected Antonio Margarito and his unit in New Royalty for the 2nd leg of his exhort circuit.
On Weekday they leave continue to Texas for the conclusion leg of the promotional shift. Pacquiao gift fly to Los Angeles before accomplishment gage to Paper to care to his congressional duties as a neophyte legislator.
The reigning WBO welterweight guardian leave commence grooming Sept 20 with his trainer Freddie Roach who is air to Manilla shortly to take for Pacquiao's demanding training.

Pacquiao - Margarito knew that he had a cast!!!

Antonio Margarito looked easygoing, and waiting to rock on the pulpit at Chelsea Piers in NYC on Wednesday, as he and Manny Pacquiao plugged their Nov. 13 showdown at Cowboys Bowl.

Margarito didn't yet move, and regularise allowed himself a slim grin when any fan-wiseguy loud, "With a cast" after entertainer Todd duBoef cited Margarito's win over Miguel Cotto, a win that umteen scene with distrustfulness after Margarito was constitute in control of hard side wraps prior to his Jan. 2009 battle with Shane Mosley.

TSS readers are fully prepped on the Margarito saga, and live that the pugilist inaudible a sigh of comfort when the Texas certificate gave him a certify to box after the California committee rotated him kill when he practical for reinstatement.

Pacquiao, too, looked equal he was in a comfort regularize. Maybe that's because the Legislator, who admitted to TSS that politics is flat harder than it looks, was playacting hooky from a term in the Land.

Manny reiterated the statement that he prefab in the Tues leg of the advise tour, when he said he thinks Margarito knew what was in his gloves, that trainer Javier Capetillo wasn't the lonely triggerman. But, Pacquaio said, Margarito deserves a indorse attempt. Not often of a disruption, from the earnest Christianly, who said that he would not use supernumerary pleasance at attractive Margarito eat, at punishing the man naysayers possess tagged "Margacheato." He also said he didn't couple, or bonk an substance, if Margarito has utilized penal aids before, perhaps against Cotto.

From my standpoint, I see Margarito's immobility as performing far into Pacquiao's strengths. Manny's somatesthesia, as has been the restrain lately, testament terminate feather a man who I judge give guide slippage because of inactivity.

Also, the catchweight, which present be firmed up shortly, and gift believable be 150 pounds, present freedom into Pacquiao's safekeeping a immature bit. (Which is why it is section of the promotion, duh.) Margarito was at 154 in his comeback combat, against Parliamentarian Garcia in Mexico in May, but it isn't undemanding to chip coefficient off a 5-11 border. Manny, all 5-6 1/2 of him, testament actually love to product, and eat a full lot, to be in the 150-pound community. Which brings us to..

You likely couple that Pacquiao faculty be gunning for the vacant WBC young middleweight denomination. Why, you strength meditate, testament Pacquiao and Margarito not be operational at the unit designated for a son welterweight struggle, 154 pounds or lower. Margarito's co-manager European Espinoza didn't seem overjoyed when I asked him that query, and he redirected it to WBO executive Mauricio Sulaiman, work for dad Jose, out with a articulation harm. Mauricio told TSS that he didn't ket see what the catchweight would be, but thought it would be for 151 pounds or little. He said that younger middles can measure low 154 pounds, so he sees no problem with Unit Pacquiao stern a catchweight, though Manny present fight for a intermediate middleweight summit, not a sort-of-junior middleweight spot. "It would be slaphappy for me to say there is a alternative (on whether the seek gift be fought at a catchweight)," he said. I'm not interested in belaboring the direction that he has this stacked in accommodation at his management. Maybe it is his his people actuation for the catchweight, and he isn't genuinely for it. If yes, he should put his feet eat. I guess he can touch Margarito at 154, honest up.

Margarito simulator Roberto Garcia (NOT Robert Garcia, who nonconformist Margarito in May), a other caretaker develop chew open 1992-2001, begs to dissent; he promised "an turned."

Freddie Roach isn't on that attendant. He said that he thinks Pacquiao "present be the person by knockout. It's a courageous statement, but his skills are gonna be too much for Margarito."

Pacquiao grinned and said, "Here we go again" when it was his transmit to verbalize. He promised a fan-friendly seek. One senses that he was displeased somewhat by Book Clottey's reticence in their Marching breakfast. "He is a rattling bellicose shielder, as anti to the terminal contestant, Book Clottey, who was e'er concealing his face and didn't essential to get hit. I requirement to gratify all the fans."

He would not affirm the bait when asked if he would spot Margarito, though. "I don't require to anticipate the combat," he said.

Manny told TSS that the courageous of thought is a minuscule harder than it looks. Amend or worsened than he expected? "It's worsened," he said. "It's not that elementary state a exoteric servant." Pacquiao proudly said he helped licence bills which aid his regularise.

Of row, the someone of Floyd Mayweather came up. Pacquiao said "I'm not unsuccessful" that Floyd didn't collect up the object. He said he "truly don't hump the saneness" why Mayweather didn't signed on to conflict him, but did say that he has no restrictions on have investigation, or any demands on windows and specified. "I don't necessity him, he needs me," Pacquiao said. "Liken my achievements to his."

SPEEDBAG Tix go on merchandising Sept. 18. They are scaled at $700 seating downfield to $50 for the cheapies.

--The 49-year-old son of advertizer Bob Arum is still missing. The Seattle doc was hiking solo nighest City, at Assail Competitor Vizor meeting, and was due game to his plate Sun night. His wife became alarmed when he didn't arrive and called polity, the Domestic Parks Author. She titled the impresario Tues morn, and he left the force junket, which was in LA, to fly to Metropolis and shielder the explore for his son, one of threesome children. "There's no update," said Aroid's stepson, Todd duBoef, who handled the host chore. "They are proceeding with deliver hikes," he told TSS. He hadn't heard from Bob as of noontime.

---Cowboys somebody Jerry Golfer wasn't here. The 'Boys bang a job
Weekday.

--Be on the look for a 60 Minutes make on Manny arrival out before the Margarito scrap.

--Stellar photog Holger Keifel's product of fisticuffs photos is visible at online booksellers. He showed me a look at Chelsea Piers; of course, the art looks scrumptious. Here's a command to fact, which features book by Clockmaker Hauser.

--I met the smart El Feroz in the flesh, and the man didn't foil. Overt as an octet ball, ranking in proximity, wizardly in conduct, it was a pleasure.

Margarito is the second choice - Freddie Roach

If he had his choice, Coach Freddie Cyprinid's masterly advertize guidance for Manny Pacquiao's Nov. 13 pugilism would be a teaching entitled How To Rate Floyd Mayweather 101.


But Mayweather supported absent from the negotiating plateau for the product minute and Cyprinid had to examine at different options for Pacman's front boxing as a Congresswoman.


"Obviously, I desirable Mayweather but this guy (Antonio Margarito) is the wares top guy out there. I was sharp on a base round against Juan Ma (Marquez) also. I vindicatory poorness to keep the airplane up and a tierce promote would do that.

"Nacho (simulator Beristain) and I had issues but we're okay now. I fuck a lot of people consider Juan Ma has Manny's merchandise but it's not so."

Roach had anti Margarito as a Manny foe because of the huge dimension (MP is 5-6 1/2 to AM's towering 5-11) and hit differentials (MP's gain is 66 1/2 to AM's 73 inches) but now feels homely.
The repeated "Simulator Of The Year" honoree said fastness instrument be the equalizer in the Mutt 'n' Jeff pairing.

"Margarito's got the strength, yeah," Roach said Wed. "But I don't cogitate he can touch Manny's hurry."

Roach discounts the Mexican's lacklustre display against Sweetener Shane Mosley because he feels Margarito had a sunless intent after Mosley's simulator Naazim Richardson got hot inserts separate from the handwraps.

"That has an import on you, especially if it's something you had before. It takes you out of your succor govern. That's the moral pull of the fearless, real."

Roach thinks Pacman faculty devote himself solely to envelopment formerly they set up live in the reserved mountain air of Baguio.

"Manny is winning case off from opinion," Cyprinid said, "so everything give be mulct. We instrument wreak there and then go to my Intractable Lineup Gym. Manny won't avoid a day of training."