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View Full Version : Margarito will be watching Pacquiao-Clottey, says he wants to fight Pacquiao



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03-13-2010, 07:00 PM
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March 12th, 2010
By Jim Dower: Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KO’s) says in an article at the Los Angeles Times he plans on attending this Saturday’s fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium, because he wants to set up a fight with Pacquiao in the future. Margarito, 31, hasn’t fought since losing his World Boxing Association welterweight title to Shane Mosley in January 2009. Before the fight, a plaster-like substance was found on his hand wraps. Margarito later on lost his boxing license to the California Athletic Commission.


Margarito’s license was revoked for one year, and as of now, he still doesn’t have his license back. However, he can still fight Pacquiao in the future if the Filipino star is willing to fight Margarito out of the country. Margarito says “I’m definitely here to help make that fight; I want that fight to happen. Everyone in Mexico wants to see me fight Pacquiao.”

It’s unclear how Pacquiao would feel about fighting Margarito, especially if he had to travel to Margarito’s home country to make the fight. However, Margarito has one thing going for him in trying to land a fight with Pacquiao – he shares the same promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank. Arum likes Margarito and has stuck by his sides throughout the entire ordeal over the hand wraps. Arum wants to match Margarito up with Pacquiao and is hoping to make the fight happen in the near future.

If it does take place, it could wind up in one of the large Mexican stadiums that fit 100,000 people. Margarito is well liked in Mexico, and this is a fight that would really well in Mexico. Margarito plans on fighting for the first time in over a year on May 8th, when he faces Carson Jones in Mexico. Margarito was hoping to have gotten his boxing license back by now, but it’s looking like he’s going to have to wait longer to get it back.

But in the meantime, Margarito isn’t going to sit and wait any longer. He’s done his year and plans on continuing his boxing career. A fight against Pacquiao could be a real possibility, perhaps as early as 2011 if the Filipino star doesn’t go into politics and retire from the sport. Pacquiao will likely face the winner of the Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley bout coming up in May. If that fight can’t be put together for whatever reason, there may be a chance for Margarito.

Arum would like to make that fight happen, and aside from Mayweather-Pacquiao or Mosley-Pacquiao, it could be the next biggest bout that can be put together at this time. Margarito has a huge fan base in Mexico, so a fight against Pacquiao would be a big attraction over there and even in the United States. There are other options for Pacquiao besides Mayweather, Mosley and Margarito. He could face WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero, but the problem with that is Valero isn’t well known yet in the United States and isn’t a big star in Mexico either. Valero comes from Venezuela and has fought a good portion of his career in Japan.