ShareThisARLINGTON, Texas – World boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Mexican slugger Antonio Margarito are now in Texas, ready to show their best in their title fight at the Cowboy Stadium here on November 13.
According to handlers of both fighters, they are in good shape as they move towards the catchweight of 150 lbs.
Pacquiao and Margarito
Some 60,000 fans and supporters are expected to see the fight at the stadium and a record pay-per-view is also expected for the fight.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) is gunning for his eighth world title, while Margarito (38-6, 27 knockouts) is seeking to redeem himself.
If Pacquiao wins, it will be his record eighth championship belt in as many weight divisions, making him the only boxer to achieve such record and thus further cementing his hold on the boxing arena as the best there is in the world.
This early, Pacquiao’s supporters said they expect to clobber Margarito in the same way that the Filipino ace fighter downed Mexican-American fighter Oscar dela Hoya who was pummelled into submission.
Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, thinks the Filipino boxing superstar has reached peak form, despite distractions in training camp both in the Philippines and in Los Angeles. “He’s now 100 percent,” Ariza told boxing reporter Elie Seckbach in a video interview posted in FanHouse.com.
“I had my doubts, but after watching him today, I think there’s no need to worry for nothing,” said Arizza who is behind the phenomenal speed and power of Pacquiao while moving up in weight to win seven world titles in different weight divisions.
Pacquiao’s handlers, however, warned against the dirty tactics of Margarito, who is known as a dirty fighter.
Margarito, on the other hand, stressed that he will give the Filipino fighter and pound-for-pound king the surprise of his life and boxing career.
Margarito has gone down to 151 lbs with a few days to go, according to reports from Texas.
Trainer Freddie Roach was wearing the smile of a cat that swallowed the canary after receiving reports that the Mexican fighter has gone to the catchweight at 151 lbs.
This development will work to Pacquiao’s advantage if, indeed, the Mexican is now weighing 151 pounds with about six days to go before he climbs the ring with the ring icon from the Philippines, Roach said.
Roach said Margarito, a former two-time world champion, may have trouble making the weight and could have been the reason why he had to manage the catchweight a week before he climbs the ring.
“To be on weight this early is ridiculous,” said Roach. “Like now, he’s trying to maintain the weight. They say you’re healthy when you make weight a week of the fight.
“All fights are making weight on the day of the fight.”
Shades of Oscar De La Hoya? Roach definitely agreed.
“Like Oscar this early for the fight. I mean Oscar also did the same thing and it’s ridiculous,” Roach added.
De La Hoya and Pacquiao fought at a catchweight of 147 lbs two years ago, and the legendary Golden Boy already weighed as a welterweight a week before their 12-round match after going down from as high as 160.
De La Hoya eventually entered the ring at exactly 147 lbs and paid the prize for draining himself too much as Pacquiao administered him an eight-round technical knockout to retire from boxing for good.
Roach sees the same thing with Margarito, who reportedly showed up at training camp weighing 160 lbs or more and was still eight pounds off the limit with three weeks before the fight.
In contrast, Pacquiao has no problem meeting the catchweight limit as he’s still within 148 to 149 lbs when he sparred last Saturday.
“Manny Pacquiao of course, is underweight because we’re fighting in a weight division where we don’t really belong,” Roach acknowledged, the junior middleweight class being the heaviest division Pacquiao will be fighting as a pro.
“But the thing is, we’re a special person that can excel at any weight.”