KIDWCKED
07-15-2010, 08:12 PM
c/p
July 14th, 2010
By Chris Williams: It’s now looking like Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is leaning towards matching his fighter World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 28 KO’s) up against former two-time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) in a fight that would be taking place in Monterrey, Mexico, rather than the United States.
In an article by Bob Veltin at USAtoday.com, Arum had this to say about a potential fight between his two fighters Pacquiao and Margarito: “They’ll [fans] go absolutely nuts for this. They have a new arena in Monterrey. The governor wants it, the city wants it, and Manny is not reluctant to fight a Mexican in Mexico.” It’s not surprising that Pacquiao wouldn’t have any problems facing a slow fighter like Margarito in Mexico.
Heck, they could put this fight on the moon and Pacquiao wouldn’t have any problems with it. Margarito has no hand speed, and was badly exposed last year in his 9th round TKO loss to Shane Mosley in January. Margarito’s one powerful punches appear to have lost a lot of their steam in his last two fights, and he doesn’t look like the same fighter he once was only two years ago.
This is an easy fight for Pacquiao any way you want to look at it. However, I disagree with Arum when he says that “They’ll go absolutely nuts for this.” If Arum is talking about Mexican fans, then I think some of them will be excited about it. But it won’t be like Julio Chavez Sr. is fighting or anything like that, so I hope he’s not expecting that. But if Arum is thinking that U.S. boxing will go nuts for a Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight, then I think Arum is kidding himself.
They won’t go nuts about this fight, not now. The fight itself is two years late. Margarito has already been exposed by Mosley, and looked like only a poor copy of himself in his recent comeback win over Roberto Garcia in May. I think if they made the Margarito-Pacquiao fight on regular HBO cable without the PPV cost of $49.95, I think hardcore boxing fans would go nuts for this fight.
But they still probably wouldn’t get all that excited about this fight, because it’s a mismatch now. Margarito doesn’t look like the same fighter, at least to me, and he’s clearly not the best fighter in the light middleweight division right now.
If Arum chooses Margarito for Pacquiao to fight next, the vacant WBC junior middleweight title will be on the line for the fight.
This will satisfy Pacquiao’s desire to fight for an 8th world title. It makes sense for Pacquiao to go after Margarito next for the 8th world title chance because it would look bad if Pacquiao fights WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto next, because he just finished beating the stuffing out of him last year in November in winning the WBO welterweight title.
That fight took place at a catch weight. Arum hasn’t said whether a fight against Margarito will be at a catch weight too, but you guess that there probably will be a catch weight of some kind involved.
July 14th, 2010
By Chris Williams: It’s now looking like Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is leaning towards matching his fighter World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 28 KO’s) up against former two-time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) in a fight that would be taking place in Monterrey, Mexico, rather than the United States.
In an article by Bob Veltin at USAtoday.com, Arum had this to say about a potential fight between his two fighters Pacquiao and Margarito: “They’ll [fans] go absolutely nuts for this. They have a new arena in Monterrey. The governor wants it, the city wants it, and Manny is not reluctant to fight a Mexican in Mexico.” It’s not surprising that Pacquiao wouldn’t have any problems facing a slow fighter like Margarito in Mexico.
Heck, they could put this fight on the moon and Pacquiao wouldn’t have any problems with it. Margarito has no hand speed, and was badly exposed last year in his 9th round TKO loss to Shane Mosley in January. Margarito’s one powerful punches appear to have lost a lot of their steam in his last two fights, and he doesn’t look like the same fighter he once was only two years ago.
This is an easy fight for Pacquiao any way you want to look at it. However, I disagree with Arum when he says that “They’ll go absolutely nuts for this.” If Arum is talking about Mexican fans, then I think some of them will be excited about it. But it won’t be like Julio Chavez Sr. is fighting or anything like that, so I hope he’s not expecting that. But if Arum is thinking that U.S. boxing will go nuts for a Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight, then I think Arum is kidding himself.
They won’t go nuts about this fight, not now. The fight itself is two years late. Margarito has already been exposed by Mosley, and looked like only a poor copy of himself in his recent comeback win over Roberto Garcia in May. I think if they made the Margarito-Pacquiao fight on regular HBO cable without the PPV cost of $49.95, I think hardcore boxing fans would go nuts for this fight.
But they still probably wouldn’t get all that excited about this fight, because it’s a mismatch now. Margarito doesn’t look like the same fighter, at least to me, and he’s clearly not the best fighter in the light middleweight division right now.
If Arum chooses Margarito for Pacquiao to fight next, the vacant WBC junior middleweight title will be on the line for the fight.
This will satisfy Pacquiao’s desire to fight for an 8th world title. It makes sense for Pacquiao to go after Margarito next for the 8th world title chance because it would look bad if Pacquiao fights WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto next, because he just finished beating the stuffing out of him last year in November in winning the WBO welterweight title.
That fight took place at a catch weight. Arum hasn’t said whether a fight against Margarito will be at a catch weight too, but you guess that there probably will be a catch weight of some kind involved.