lpinoy
08-28-2010, 05:43 PM
C/P
By Elliott Pohnl
The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito might not be the one boxing fans would like to see the most, but it certainly figures to be worth watching.
Pacquiao and Margarito will tangle on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium and are schedule to embark on a promotional tour next week in preparation for the bout.
Although he figures to be a heavy favorite, there are plenty of reasons to wonder if Pacquiao will be able to capture the WBC junior middleweight belt.
Here's a look at 10 reasons why Pacquiao could fall from the top of the boxing world.
No. 1: Pacquiao Is Nearing The End
At 31, Pacquiao has fought 56 fights and has been encouraged by loved ones to retire. There is no doubt his interests outside the ring and global fame will present him with plenty of opportunities after boxing.
If he feels the flight against Mayweather will never happen, Pacquiao could devote less interest to his fight against a fighter like Margarito.
In the end, Antonio Margarito needs to win the fight on November 12 to establish his legacy, while Manny Pacquiao's legacy is already complete.
No. 2: Confidence Defeats Arrogance
Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach summed up Pacquiao's strategy against Margarito accordingly; Manny will start fast with this guy, and we will finish with him fast."
Although there plenty of reasons to believe Roach's words will ring true, it would be foolish for the Pacquiao camp to expect an easy victory against a much bigger fighter.
No. 3: Margarito Is Ready
Margarito has been training in interest and working to improve refine his technique while Pacquiao's camp has been trying to hammer out the details with Mayweather's camp.
Unlike Mayweather, he has never ducked the chance to fight Pacquiao even though a loss seems inevitable. His confidence might be just talk, but it's hard to imagine such a huge underdog exhibiting such profound swagger.
No. 4: Sandbagging To Set The Stage For Mayweather Fight
Based on the latest twist and turn of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout, it appears that Manny is ready to fight.
For whatever reason, Mayweather's continued reluctance has raised the believe that he might simply be afraid to step in the ring with Pacquiao.
That reasonable sense of fear could fade if Pacquiao was to be defeated by Margarito in a fair fight.
The possibility of a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight isn't dead yet, and finding redemption after an unlikely loss to Margarito would strengthen Manny's legacy even more.
No. 5: The Chip On Margarito's Shoulder
After he was suspended by the California State Athletic Association for fighting with illegal wraps, Margarito's integrity in previous fights came into question.
Pictures indicate that Margarito may have in fact used the same illegal wraps in his win over Joshua Clottey in a 2006 fight.
Margarito is undoubtedly ready to put those allegations behind him, according to trainer Robert Garcia, who predicted a win via knockout.
No. 6: Not The Fight Manny Wanted Previous6 of 12 Next
It might be difficult to imagine, but Manny Pacquiao could take his preparation for the bout against Margarito with little seriousness.
Margarito's reputation as a cheat who may have won more than one fight by loading his gloves could give Pacquiao little reason to worry he could be defeated in a fair fight.
Pacquiao could easily take an apathetic approach to the fight and get caught off guard by an improved Margarito.
No. 7: Margarito's Improvement As a Fighter Previous5 of 12 Next
A big component to Margarito's strategy will be his footwork, something that has never been his strength.
His advantage in reach against will enable him to stay at the end of Pacquiao's lethal jab, assuming he is able to demonstrate the footwork to pull it off.
According to the noise coming out of Margarito's camp, he has worked hard to improve his footwork as a fighter.
No 8: Margarito's Gameplan
Margarito's gameplan against Pacquiao will at least give him a chance to pull off the colossal upset.
The bigger Margarito is likely to advance forward and try to land lethal body punches and uppercuts, a strategy he employed during his fight against Miguel Cotto. The goal would be to shift Pacquio's defense downward, before moving in with punches to the head.
The strategy relies heavily on toughness and the ability to walk through punches. Margarito's true grit will be put to the test.
No. 9: The Size Difference
You can add weight, but you can't add height.
The 5-11 Margarito has an advantage in reach over the 5-6 Pacquiao and will be able to pack on weight between the weigh-in and the fight to gain a bigger advantage in size.
Pacquiao has the ability to wear down his opponents, but the bigger Margarito has displayed an admirable toughness during his career and will certainly offer more resistance than Joshua Clottey.
No. 10: Manny Being Manny
Manny Pacquiao has followed in Oscar De La Hoya's footsteps and stepped in the celebrity realm in recent years. His entrance into the political world earlier this year in his native Philippines provided another sideshow.
Pacquiao has obviously been training with his eyes on the possibly bout with Mayweather. Still, a fight against an underdog like Margarito might not be enough to command his complete attention.
By Elliott Pohnl
The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito might not be the one boxing fans would like to see the most, but it certainly figures to be worth watching.
Pacquiao and Margarito will tangle on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium and are schedule to embark on a promotional tour next week in preparation for the bout.
Although he figures to be a heavy favorite, there are plenty of reasons to wonder if Pacquiao will be able to capture the WBC junior middleweight belt.
Here's a look at 10 reasons why Pacquiao could fall from the top of the boxing world.
No. 1: Pacquiao Is Nearing The End
At 31, Pacquiao has fought 56 fights and has been encouraged by loved ones to retire. There is no doubt his interests outside the ring and global fame will present him with plenty of opportunities after boxing.
If he feels the flight against Mayweather will never happen, Pacquiao could devote less interest to his fight against a fighter like Margarito.
In the end, Antonio Margarito needs to win the fight on November 12 to establish his legacy, while Manny Pacquiao's legacy is already complete.
No. 2: Confidence Defeats Arrogance
Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach summed up Pacquiao's strategy against Margarito accordingly; Manny will start fast with this guy, and we will finish with him fast."
Although there plenty of reasons to believe Roach's words will ring true, it would be foolish for the Pacquiao camp to expect an easy victory against a much bigger fighter.
No. 3: Margarito Is Ready
Margarito has been training in interest and working to improve refine his technique while Pacquiao's camp has been trying to hammer out the details with Mayweather's camp.
Unlike Mayweather, he has never ducked the chance to fight Pacquiao even though a loss seems inevitable. His confidence might be just talk, but it's hard to imagine such a huge underdog exhibiting such profound swagger.
No. 4: Sandbagging To Set The Stage For Mayweather Fight
Based on the latest twist and turn of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout, it appears that Manny is ready to fight.
For whatever reason, Mayweather's continued reluctance has raised the believe that he might simply be afraid to step in the ring with Pacquiao.
That reasonable sense of fear could fade if Pacquiao was to be defeated by Margarito in a fair fight.
The possibility of a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight isn't dead yet, and finding redemption after an unlikely loss to Margarito would strengthen Manny's legacy even more.
No. 5: The Chip On Margarito's Shoulder
After he was suspended by the California State Athletic Association for fighting with illegal wraps, Margarito's integrity in previous fights came into question.
Pictures indicate that Margarito may have in fact used the same illegal wraps in his win over Joshua Clottey in a 2006 fight.
Margarito is undoubtedly ready to put those allegations behind him, according to trainer Robert Garcia, who predicted a win via knockout.
No. 6: Not The Fight Manny Wanted Previous6 of 12 Next
It might be difficult to imagine, but Manny Pacquiao could take his preparation for the bout against Margarito with little seriousness.
Margarito's reputation as a cheat who may have won more than one fight by loading his gloves could give Pacquiao little reason to worry he could be defeated in a fair fight.
Pacquiao could easily take an apathetic approach to the fight and get caught off guard by an improved Margarito.
No. 7: Margarito's Improvement As a Fighter Previous5 of 12 Next
A big component to Margarito's strategy will be his footwork, something that has never been his strength.
His advantage in reach against will enable him to stay at the end of Pacquiao's lethal jab, assuming he is able to demonstrate the footwork to pull it off.
According to the noise coming out of Margarito's camp, he has worked hard to improve his footwork as a fighter.
No 8: Margarito's Gameplan
Margarito's gameplan against Pacquiao will at least give him a chance to pull off the colossal upset.
The bigger Margarito is likely to advance forward and try to land lethal body punches and uppercuts, a strategy he employed during his fight against Miguel Cotto. The goal would be to shift Pacquio's defense downward, before moving in with punches to the head.
The strategy relies heavily on toughness and the ability to walk through punches. Margarito's true grit will be put to the test.
No. 9: The Size Difference
You can add weight, but you can't add height.
The 5-11 Margarito has an advantage in reach over the 5-6 Pacquiao and will be able to pack on weight between the weigh-in and the fight to gain a bigger advantage in size.
Pacquiao has the ability to wear down his opponents, but the bigger Margarito has displayed an admirable toughness during his career and will certainly offer more resistance than Joshua Clottey.
No. 10: Manny Being Manny
Manny Pacquiao has followed in Oscar De La Hoya's footsteps and stepped in the celebrity realm in recent years. His entrance into the political world earlier this year in his native Philippines provided another sideshow.
Pacquiao has obviously been training with his eyes on the possibly bout with Mayweather. Still, a fight against an underdog like Margarito might not be enough to command his complete attention.