Senator: Manny Pacquiao 'Fights For Those Who Can't Fight For Themselves' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Seven-division titlist and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao was in Las Vegas on Friday, where the Filipino congressman attended a rally for United States Senator Harry Reid, D-Nevada, at the local Orr Middle School.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) was at the rally as a break from this week's training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., where he is preparing for a Nov. 13 main event at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas of an HBO pay-per-view televised Top Rank Promotions' WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title clash opposite former titlist Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs).

"That was a great thing that Manny did for Harry, who is a very dear friend of mine. I think that Harry is really important to this country and that he has gotten really such a bad rap because of all of these Tea Party people," said Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum. "So, you know, I explained to Manny what Harry stands for, and that's what Manny stands for, and so they really bonded together well."

Reid was taken by the story of Pacquiao, who is pursuing his eighth crown in as many weight divisions.

A Philippines' congressman who has been named Fighter of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010, as well as Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao is a cross-over star who was born into poverty, left a family that could no longer afford to feed him, spent homeless nights sleeping outside and days scrounging for food.

"Manny Pacquiao and I came from different parts of the world, but we came on the same side of the street," Reid said of Pacquiao, who is being interviewed by 60 Minutes for a feature that will be aired on Nov. 8, the Sunday prior to his bout with Margarito.

"Manny fights for those who cannot fight for themselves," said Reid. "It's not enough to fight yourself. It's not enough to want to be a champion. We want to be champions for others."

Pacquiao has been the subject of large, or front page features in Time Magazine, the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and ESPN's Body Issue -- the latter along with athletes such as Dwight Howard and Serena Williams.

In December, Pacquiao was named among Time Magazine's Top 25 People Who Mattered in 2009 -- listed alphabetically right behind president Barack Obama.

"There are thousands of politicians in this world. But there's only one top boxer," Bob Simon of 60 Minutes told Elie Seckbach of FanHouse. "Manny Pacquiao is the best of the best. We go for the best of the best. If he was the number two fighter in the world, we wouldn't cover him."

On Monday, Pacquiao is slated to make his third appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, just as he did on Nov. 3 of 2009, and, on March 3 earlier this year.

Pacquiao's previous appearances on Jimmy Kimmel preceded his 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto and his 12-round unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey, respectively, in November and March, the latter being in the first-ever fight at Cowboys Stadium.

Since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005, Pacquiao is 12-0 with eight knockouts. That run includes two knockouts of Morales, victories over Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez and, in his last four bouts, knockouts of David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Cotto.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

24/7 Pacquiao - Margarito Episode 2

Manny Pacquiao stumps for Senator Harry Reid in Las Vegas -- Examiner

By Robert Herriman, Examiner.com

World champion boxer and Philippines congressman Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao appeared before the excited crowd at a “get-out-the-rally” at William E. Orr Middle School with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday in support of the reelection of Reid.

The crowd estimated in the hundreds, some donning boxing gloves and Pacquiao T-shirts, showed up for the rally.

Pacquiao, a congressman in his home country of the Philippines, spoke to the Reid supporters for approximately a minute, but that was all it took the fire up the crowd.

In addition, Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank and Pacquiao’s promoter, introduced the duo and had this to say to the crowd: “This is not campaign rhetoric; we gotta send a message to Sharron Angle. We gotta tell these people that enough is enough.”

Reid capitalized on the event by talking about Pacquiao’s childhood struggles and rise to the top. He also told the heavily populated Filipino crowd of his involvement in passing the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007, which restored VA benefits for Filipino veterans who fought in World War II.

After the event, Pacquiao hobnobbed with the crowd autographing boxing gloves.

Speaking about the Reid rally, one man said, ““I think he (Reid) got an extra 15,000 votes, you have a lot of boxing fans here and a lot from the Filipino community. They’re gonna vote for him.”

Harry Reid is currently fighting for his political life in a battle with Republican candidate Sharron Angle. The most recent Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Nevada finds Angle with 49% support to Reid’s 45%.

Source: examiner.com

Pacquiao dealing with the issues -- LA Daily News

Los Angeles Daily News

Manny Pacquiao typically is in a very good mood. He's always upbeat and often wears a large grin.

But Pacquiao seemed a bit distant Wednesday as he was about to be interviewed in a narrow dressing room inside his trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

As Pacquiao and reporters began to sweat inside the stifling 6- by 12-foot hot box, he was asked to respond to Roach's claim that he wasn't as focused as he should have been at his training camp in the Philippines.

"I'm still focused in the Philippines, but I have some things, though, in the Philippines," said Pacquiao, who arrived in Los Angeles last Saturday to finish preparation for his Nov. 13 junior middleweight title fight against Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium (on HBO pay-per-view).

Pacquiao was asked if, by "things," he meant his job as a congressman in his native Philippines was distracting him.

"Besides politics," he said.

Queried as to whether he would like to elaborate, Pacquiao had one word: "No."

Roach said there always have been distractions that have challenged Pacquiao's focus. But he admitted he was particularly concerned about some of Pacquiao's sparring sessions in the Philippines, where Pacquiao began his training.

"His focus during sparring was off a little bit," Roach said. "He was playing a little too much. He just wasn't really focusing on the game plan a lot. I'm not sure exactly where his head was at, but it wasn't where I wanted it to be."

Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, was in the Philippines for part of Pacquiao's training. He, too, was distressed about Pacquiao's psychological whereabouts.

"There were times in the Philippines where he frankly looked so flat and Freddie was alarmed and it was an issue," Arum said. "But (strength coach) Alex (Ariza) and Freddie know they will have him peaking at the right time."

It is what it is, Arum said. Pacquiao is a lot more than a fighter.

"There are other things in life than to be completely focused on boxing," Arum said. "He has other interests and other pursuits. That makes him the human being that he is. It's the whole package. Manny Pacquiao is not some fighter that all he does is lefts and rights. He does other things; that's what we live with.

"Whether it's politics in the Philippines, whether it's playing with his band, you know, that seems to work for him. I really believe that some fighters can handle it, and it helps, and some fighters can't. Manny, apparently he can."

By saying there was something other than politics taking attention away from his training, we could assume Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) has personal problems. Since he would not expound, that would indeed be nothing more than an assumption.

One thing is certain, Pacquiao's political career is dear to his heart and weighs heavily on his mind.

"I'm just worried about the politics being something he really wants to be good at and something that may take him away from us," Roach said. "I don't see that in the near future. But he loves being a politician, he loves to better his country.

"It's not like singing and acting, like it's kind of just fun. This is serious business and he takes it very seriously."

Pacquiao, 31, always has said he loves to fight for his country. But he also said his political career occupies a different place in his heart, perhaps a more special place.

"I don't want to compare it with boxing because being a congressman is a public service," he said.

One that could take him to the top.

"When he gets up there, and that'll be when he runs for vice-president and president, then he won't be boxing anymore," Arum said. "He'll be too old, anyway. This is the first step for Pacquiao on his road to the presidency."

Roach said although he was worried in the Philippines, he is not now that Pacquiao is in Hollywood. He referred to Pacquiao's first day of sparring at his gym Tuesday and said he looked like the Pacquiao of old.

"I'm always motivated," said Pacquiao, who said he has thought about retirement but wants a few more fights. "If I don't (stay motivated), I think I'm going to think about retirement."

Pacquiao promised he has plenty of drive for his fight in two weeks.

"I'm not underestimating Margarito because he can fight and is a very aggressive fighter and he's big," said Pacquiao, who will be giving up 41/2 inches in height and 61/2 inches in reach.

Tijuana's Margarito, a huge underdog, also has nothing to lose and everything to gain. His career was in jeopardy when he was caught with plaster inserts in his hand wraps prior to his January 2009 knockout loss to "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Arum said Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) therefore knows how fortunate he is to get a fight of this magnitude. That's a dangerous recipe.

But if Pacquiao is tuned in, he will win.

Source: dailynews.com

Pacquiao at Las Vegas rally -- FightNews

FightNews.com

Superstar boxer and Filipino congressman Manny Pacquiao attends a rally for US Senator Harry Reid at Orr Middle School in Las Vegas Friday. Reid is running for re-election against Republican challenger Sharron Angle. Pacquiao takes on three-time world champion Antonio Margarito on November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas. Pacquiao vs Margarito is promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions and Cowboys Stadium. The Pacquiao vs. Margarito telecast will be available live on HBO pay-per-view.

Source: fightnews.com

Margarito camp focused primed and ready -- 8CountNews

By Brad Cooney, 8CountNews.com

During my two day stay at the Margarito camp I quickly realized that they are primed and ready to go. The focus inside of the ring was evident, and the relaxed and calm atmosphere outside of the ring stood out as well. The first day that I was there the mood in the gym was playful yet focused, especially inside of the ring. Tony Margarito showed up around 1PM and following him into the gym were a few HBO 24/7 camera guys. The former champ looked relaxed and smiled big as he entered the room. He approached each person in the gym and shook their hand, he didn't miss one person, including me.

The entire team seems focused, and all of them are very confident that their guy will come out on top. Margarito sparring partner Brandon Rios, the life of the party, gives the gym a fun jump start. He's a fun loving guy that likes to joke, but inside of the ring he's giving Margarito some very good work. Margarito sparred 3 different guys the first day, and as each sparring partner entered the ring, he got stronger and stronger. The former champ looked good, really good.

Margarito trainer Roberto Garcia when asked if Tony was ready for the biggest fight of his life, he smiled and said, "He's very ready. We have worked hard and on November 13th, Manny Pacquiao will have his hands full." Garcia is very confident and even predicted that Tony would stop Manny Pacquiao, "I don't normally make predictions, but for this fight I believe that Margarito will knockout Manny Pacquiao by the 11th round." I don't know if Margarito will win this fight, but I do know that he will show up on November 13th ready to go.

The former world champion just wants to put the hand-wrap situation behind him. He wants to move on and continue with his boxing career, and a win over Manny Pacquiao would certainly help. Tony firmly believes that he will win this fight, and his team is 100 percent behind him in that thinking. They do not go into this fight feeling like underdogs, they are only looking at a victory and nothing else

Source: 8countnews.com

Manny can Pacq 'em in -- The Sun

By FRANK WARREN, The Sun

THE build-up to Manny Pacquiao's Texas shootout against Antonio Margarito is gathering pace.
A massive 27,000 tickets have already been sold for the November 13 showdown.

Pacquiao has done a couple of work-outs for the media this week and also appears on a US chat show when he is due for a singing duet with actor Will Ferrell.

A pair of earplugs might come in handy for that one.

But Manny needs to give 100 per cent concentration to the serious business of the fight, which sees him move up to light-middleweight for the first time.

For a guy who started out at flyweight, his progress has been little short of phenomenal.

Each time he has moved up, I've thought he might have problems.

He has proved me wrong so far by carrying his speed and power with him to the next division.

Against Margarito, though, he could be in trouble. The Mexican is naturally the bigger man and is very, very tough.

But Manny - who I'm hoping will vacate his WBO welterweight crown so Kell Brook can fight for the title - has made me eat my words before.

I remember one old-time promoter who always bet against Marvin Hagler because he thought he saw weaknesses against Kevin Finnegan. That promoter did his dough backing against Hagler over the years!

The other major talking point is whether Margarito should be in the ring at all.

Eighteen months ago he was banned after his hands were wrapped illegally before a fight with Shane Mosley.

For the good of the sport, I would like to see Pacquiao win.

Then, the one everyone wants to see is that clash against Floyd Mayweather Jnr. But I still fear Margarito may upset that!

Source: thesun.co.uk

Manny Pacquiao's real story outweighs all the hype -- Los Angeles Times

By Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times

With Manny Pacquiao, it is hard to see the forest for the trees.

If sports have a say, he is the eighth wonder of the world. He is to boxing what Tiger Woods, pre-driveway accident, was to golf.

When he walks into a room, you expect his feet to be touching only water. After his Nov. 13 fight in Dallas against Antonio Margarito, he will either attend a news conference or feed the multitudes with five loaves and two fishes.

Anybody collecting a paycheck in the sport, from Bob Arum to the guys sweeping the floors after the fights, should be lighting candles under his picture. Boxing can't live on the die-hards and geeks alone, and Pacquiao delivers the rest of the sporting world.

Boxing, perhaps more than any other sport, needs superstars. Pacquiao became one by pummeling the incumbent on Dec. 6, 2008. They stopped that one in the eighth round and Oscar De La Hoya said the other day, "He was so fast and so good and when he had me against the ropes, I was just wishing he'd finish me, knock me out."

De La Hoya was in the twilight then, more than even he wanted to admit, he says now. He had carried the sport for years, his East-L.A.-to-Olympic dreams the kind of rags-to-riches stuff that keeps the headlines big and the TV lights bright.

If anything, Pacquiao's story is even more compelling. De La Hoya is a movie, Pacquiao a two-year TV miniseries. Much of it has been told, in bits and pieces. Step-back overviews are infrequent.

There was the young man, leaving home in General Santos City in the far south of the Philippines, because his family could no longer afford to feed him. There were nights in the big city of Manila, spent sleeping outside on mats, days spent scrounging for food, more days trying to master the art of punching people in a ring before they punch you.

From that came a young 106-pound fighter who has grown and now has won seven world titles in seven divisions and is looking for No. 8, at 150 pounds, against Margarito.

Oh, yes. He also was elected to a congressional seat in the Philippines, at age 31.

The totality of this, viewed from a vantage point that allows the entire picture to be taken in, is eye-opening.

The buzz of the sport's marketing machine and the demands of his daily world deflect that big picture. Right now, the need to sell pay-per-view buys prompts a promotional resurrection of the talents of Margarito, who, in reality, got his head handed to him by Shane Mosley in January 2009, and plodded to victory against an overmatched Roberto Garcia in Mexico in May.

We hear Margarito is five inches taller than Pacquiao, that he is in the best shape of his life, that he is determined to defend the honor of Mexican fighters, because so many have climbed in the ring with Pacquiao and left with cuts, bruises and defeats.

Pacquiao enters the Wild Card gym in Hollywood this week and walks into a sauna of reporters and groupies with press privileges. There are not as many news outlets in the world as there are cameras in trainer Freddie Roach's sweaty barn atop a strip mall. Pacquiao smiles his bemused smile and carries on.

The reporters who actually serve a public beyond Geeandgolly.com are ushered into a side room that is a claustrophobic steam bath. The questions dwell on the negatives, the likely distractions of a congressional job when training for a fight, the rumors of injuries and less-than-productive training sessions in the Philippines before he came here.

Pacquiao smiles, answers some questions, tap-dances around others with pat responses about trying hard and doing good things for the people of the Philippines. He is a master at leaving the impression that his English isn't quite grasping the more complicated questions. That's probably incorrect.

He knows, perhaps better than anybody except his promoter, Arum, that these are prime weeks of selling. He understands the need to create doubt about the outcome. That's why maybe the best thing that ever happened to the sport was Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson. That allowed boxing, henceforth, to preach that you never know, that the invincible might not be.

That allows the premise that Margarito might beat Pacquiao. The more honest premise might be that he is simply a placeholder, somebody plugged into the spot meant for Floyd Mayweather Jr., so Pacquiao could get another fight this year. Boxing has mastered the art of producing great paydays from less-than-great fights.

We will know after about four rounds in Dallas. Trainer Roach, a rarity in boxing in that he is both honest and hype-proof, says, "We don't have any weaknesses in this fight. This guy is made to order for us."

When it's over in Dallas, seconds will pass before the story moves on to what is next: Pacquiao-Mayweather? Pacquiao-Margarito II?

That noise will drown out all else, including what a truly amazing story Pacquiao is.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Source: latimes.com

Pacquiao: Pugilist, Politician, and Public Property -- 411mania

By Jamie Mitchell, 411mania.com

Those who envisaged a scenario of Manny Pacquiao's activities being solely boxing-based upon his arrival in the States in the build-up to his November 13th scrap with Antonio Margarito, will have to adjust their foresight.

The coming week will see the Filipino phenom make a couple of public appearances, feature on a current affairs show, and adorn the front cover of a (well, at least one) popular magazine.

Immediately following today's workout at the Wild Card in Hollywood, Pacquaio will jet out to Las Vegas with promoter Bob Arum, to don his politician's hat to attend a ‘Get Out the Early Vote' rally, formally endorsing U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, at Orr Middle School.

It's then back to the bread and butter of boxing at the weekend for the Pacman, until Monday night (Nov 1st), where he will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live for third occasion. The fighting Congressman will be joined by comedian/actor Will Ferrell, on the late-night chat show, to be aired at 12:05am on ABC.

November 1st also marks Pacquiao's appearance on the cover of American Airlines official in-flight magazine American Way. The magazine boasts 3.9 million readers, and is believed to contain the highest readership of all in-flight publications.

Finally on Sunday November 7th, the multi-weight world champion is featured on 60 Minutes on CBS. The piece involves celebrated TV journalist Bob Simon traveling the globe with Team Pacquiao, to report on the latest chapter in the political pugilist's compelling tale.

Add in HBO's 24/7 series, Statesiders will not be far away from the sight of a beaming Pacquiao, prior to the showdown at Cowboys Stadium.

Source: 411mania.com

Amir Khan 'ready for Floyd Mayweather within 12 months' -- BBC Sports

BBC Sports

Britain's Amir Khan believes he will be ready to fight American great Floyd Mayweather within a year.

And Khan says he has the backing of sparring partner Manny Pacquiao, who was set to fight Mayweather this year before negotiations broke down.

Khan, 23, defends his WBA light-welterweight crown against Argentina's Marcos Maidana on 11 December.

"In the next 12 months, [Mayweather] will be an ideal fight for me. It's definitely one I'd fancy," said Khan.

"Manny thinks it will be a good fight because he's trained with me, sparred with me, he really thinks I'm good enough to fight Mayweather now.

"But I think in the next 12 months, when I get even better and with more experience, I think I'll be in better condition to fight him then.

"This is a timing game and I want to fight him when I think I'm ready, not when he's ready and I'm not. I want to fight him when we're both ready and when I've hit my peak."

Khan has regularly sparred with Philippine superstar Pacquiao since joining up with the same trainer, Freddie Roach, following his knockout at the hands of Breidis Prescott in September 2008.

Since then Khan has moved up a division, won the WBA belt and defended it twice, last time out against Paulie Malignaggi in New York in May.

However, the 27-year-old Maidana has 27 knockouts from 29 fights and is likely to pose greater problems than the light-punching American.

Apparently this has not prevented five-weight world champion Pacquiao from encouraging his friend to dream of a possible match with Mayweather, while Khan says his American promoters are also keen to see the fight happen.

"Richard Schaefer [chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, who also staged Mayweather's most recent fights] says it's a fight of the future," said Khan.

"It's a fight he wants to see made and he thinks I've got the style to beat Mayweather. He says he hasn't said that to many people."

Talks between Pacquiao and Mayweather broke down in January after Pacquiao refused Mayweather's demands for random blood and urine tests.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Scene change energizes Pacquiao in training -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — In less than a week, Manny Pacquiao has gone from average to amazing and all it took was a change in scenery, the Filipino fighter’s Canadian adviser said on Friday.

“Manny hasn’t missed a single roadwork,” said Koncz from Los Angeles yesterday, pleased that his boss has honored his promise of devoting the remaining three weeks to training.

“I spoke to him on the flight from Manila to here and he assured me that he’d be completely focused in the final weeks of training,” said Koncz.

Pacquiao is booked to face Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 in Dallas and from being uninspiring during his training stint in Manila, the pound-for-pound king has apparently calmed the nerves of his handlers.

During his four-week camp in Baguio and Manila, Pacquiao missed several morning roadworks and a couple of afternoon gym sessions because of the freaky weather and the weekly road trips from the City of Pines to the lowlands.

Still, Pacquiao is not totally giving up on some sideshows.

After he works out Friday afternoon, a private plane will take Pacquiao to Las Vegas to spice up a political rally of Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, a close friend of his promoter Bob Arum.

“We will leave Los Angeles at 5 and we’ll be back here by 8:30 p.m.,” said Koncz.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao busy with more than just training -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Manny Pacquiao is a busy man in the lead-up to his junior middleweight title bout with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 (HBO PPV) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

That busy schedule seems to have trainer Freddie Roach a bit concerned about Pacquiao's focus. However, immediately following his training session on Friday at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., Pacquiao -- a freshman congressman in the Philippines -- will fly on a private plane with promoter Bob Arum to Las Vegas, home to a large Filipino population, and formally endorse U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is locked in a tough re-election bid, at a rally at a high school. "Senator Reid has been a great leader in the Senate. He works hard and has a good heart," Pacquiao said. "I think it's important that Nevadans re-elect him."

• Since most of us don't fly on private planes, if you find yourself on American Airlines in the coming weeks, the November issue of American Way, the official in-flight magazine for the air carrier, features Pacquiao on the cover with a story written by Gary Andrew Poole, whose book on Pacquiao, "PacMan," was just released. According to Top Rank, the magazine boasts a readership of 3.9 million, the highest readership of any in-flight magazine. "American Way is very selective and finicky about the celebrities we choose to highlight on our cover," editor Adam Pitluk said. "Because of our international reach, we're very careful to only pick those celebrities who are at the very top of their profession in the fields of cinema, television, music and sports. Manny Pacquiao has demonstrated, both in the ring and out, that he's not only one of the best boxers in the world, but his charity and love of country have propelled him to the very heights of humanity. We are honored to feature the PacMan on the November 1, 2010, cover of American Way."

• Pacquiao will also make his third prefight appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Nov. 1, along with movie star Will Ferrell. Pacquiao was on the Los Angeles-based show before his fight against Miguel Cotto and before he faced Joshua Clottey. Pacquiao, who enjoys singing, sang a love song on both past episodes. Expect to see him sing again.

• On Nov. 7, Pacquiao will be profiled on CBS' long-running "60 Minutes" newsmagazine show. Correspondent Bob Simon traveled around the world with Pacquiao and his team to tell his story (including interviewing Pacquiao again this week).

• Margarito doesn't have nearly as much hoopla surrounding him going into the fight, but he does have one interesting endorsement deal. Affliction, the Los Angeles-based clothing company, has an "all or nothing" sponsorship deal with Margarito for the fight.

Although Affliction and Margarito have had a long-standing association, there was some trepidation on Affliction's behalf given the controversy that surrounds Margarito because of the hand-wrap scandal he was embroiled in last year. So Margarito suggested an "all or nothing" sponsorship deal based on the outcome of the fight. If he beats Pacquiao, Affliction will pay him the amount of money they agreed on for wearing its products during the lead-up to the fight. If he loses, he will forfeit his fee. "I have full confidence that I am going to beat Manny Pacquiao, and this deal I have made with Affliction reinforces that confidence," Margarito said. "The look of the Affliction clothing is perfect for my boxing style and I appreciate that they are willing to continue to support me for this fight. I will be taking their money home, too." Said Affliction's Tom Atencio, "Affliction believes in giving people second chances, and Margarito deserves that opportunity with this fight and our support of his efforts. For his part, Margarito, who was once one of the most feared boxers in the welterweight class, has a lot at stake in the upcoming match. He fights not only for the WBC title, but also for his reputation and the respect of fans. Although he is under a lot of scrutiny, his decision to not play things safely shows heart, and there's something to be said for that kind of determination."

Source: espn.go.com

Relaxed, resilient Margarito confident heading into fight with Pacquiao -- Las Vegas Review-Journal

By STEVE CARP, Las Vegas Review-Journal

LOS ANGELES -- For someone who is two weeks from getting into the ring for the biggest fight of his life, Antonio Margarito is a picture of serenity.

He's not agitated. He's not uptight. Unlike his next opponent, he faces no distractions from moonlighting as a politician.

Instead, Margarito is tanned, relaxed, jovial and confident as he prepares for his Nov. 13 super welterweight showdown against Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

"Things are going great," the 32-year-old Margarito said through an interpreter during his media day workout Thursday at Fortune Gym. "I've had no problems whatsoever. If I had to fight this weekend, I'd be ready to."

He can afford to wait the two weeks. Besides, after battling bureaucrats for more than a year after the California State Athletic Commission revoked his license following a hand-wrapping incident before a January 2009 fight against Shane Mosley, Margarito (38-6, 27 knockouts) is looking forward to hitting someone -- and not have to worry about needing a lawyer to defend him when he does so.

"My focus is on this fight," he said. "What's in the past is done. I can't change what happened.

"This is an important fight for me, probably the biggest of my career. It's a chance to be a world champion again, and that is my motivation -- that and to win for the people who have stuck with me through everything I have been through."

Margarito credits his new trainer, Robert Garcia, for getting him ready for Pacquiao (51-3, 38 KOs).

"I have had a lot of confidence with him since we first worked together," Margarito said of Garcia, who trained him in his comeback fight in May when he beat Roberto Garcia in Mexico. "But this time, it has been so much better. I trust him much more. When he says something, I believe it."

Garcia said Margarito never questions anything.

"You point something out to him, he listens, then he corrects it," Garcia said. "I think the trust between the two of us has grown over the past few months, and he's really paying close attention to details in camp. Nothing gets by him."

Garcia has been working with Margarito in their Oxnard, Calif., camp on cutting down the ring and improving his footwork to negate Pacquiao's superior speed. But Garcia said he's not buying the news out of the Pacquiao camp that Pacquiao's training has not gone well.

"Not for a minute," he said. "Manny Pacquiao is a professional, and I know he'll be ready to fight Nov. 13, which is what we want. We want Manny at his best so there won't be any excuses when we beat him."

When Margarito lost to Mosley in 2009, his weight was an issue. At one point, he was 40 pounds above the welterweight limit, and by the time he got down to 145, he had little strength and energy and was soundly thrashed by Mosley, who earned a ninth-round knockout.

For the Pacquiao fight, which will be for the WBC super welterweight title but will be contested at a catch weight of 151 pounds instead of the usual 154, Margarito already is in shape. He has watched his weight throughout his training camp, which began last month, and was at 160 on Thursday.

"His weight hasn't fluctuated," said Margarito's manager, Sergio Diaz. "He's got someone cooking for him. He's taking vitamin supplements. He's eating pretty much whatever he wants.

"We ask him every day how he's feeling, and he says, 'Great.' He's right where he needs to be."

Said Margarito: "For this fight, I have controlled the weight very well. For Mosley, I trained for the fight, but I trained to make the weight."

Margarito said he's not taking anything for granted, particularly the fact he's taller than Pacquiao by nearly 5 inches, has a 7-inch reach advantage and is considered the stronger of the two.

"You can't say because I'm bigger he can't hurt me," Margarito said. "Any fighter can hurt the other if he gets careless."

Contact sports reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or at 702-387-2913.

Source: lvrj.com

Margarito 'best he's ever felt' -- Sky Sports

Sky Sports

Antonio Margarito is in the best shape of his life to face Manny Pacquiao next month, according to new trainer Robert Garcia.

Garcia has taken over from Javier Capetillo after the latter bore the brunt of the blame for Margarito's hand-wrapping scandal that saw the boxer banned for 12 months.

The Mexican has fought only once since being found to have 'loaded' hand wraps following his defeat to Shane Mosley at the beginning of last year, claiming a lop-sided points victory over Roberto Garcia on his first outing at light-middleweight.

Margarito is still unable to fight in many American states but Texas provided a permit to take on Pacquiao at the Cowboys Stadium, and the 32-year-old is ready to cause an upset.

"We've got two weeks left, but we could be ready tonight," said Garcia. "He's right where I want him physically, and mentally, he says this is the best he's ever felt.

"Every single day when we're driving home in the morning after running, he tells me there's no doubt this fight is ours. I've never seen him like that before."

Stigma
Margarito admits he still carries the stigma of the scandal but hopes a victory on November 13 will right that wrong.

"It has been really hard but this is a great opportunity for me," said Margarito. "It has always been difficult for me. I have had great challenges but those things have turned me into the boxer I am."

The fighter claims Capetillo loaded the wraps without his knowledge, but Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach believes it happened on more than one occasion, notably in victories over Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron.

"It is evident he was loaded in some fights," Roach said. "After a fight what is the first thing a fighter wants to do? It is get the gloves off as quickly as possible.

"Against Cintron he kept the gloves on the whole time didn't take his gloves off until he got to the dressing room. So it makes me wonder."

Source: skysports.com

Pacquiao: I'm ready for world title defense -- CNN

CNN

World champion boxer Manny Pacquaio insists he is fully focused on his defense of the super-welterweight title against Antonio Margarito next month after reports he was planning to quit the ring.

The rumors had been fueled after Pacquaio's long-time coach Freddie Roach said the Filipino was more preoccupied with his new role as a congressman and could not concentrate on his preparations for the November 13 bout.

Nicknamed Pacman, Pacquiao -- the only boxer in history to have won a world title at seven different weight divisions -- has taken a break from politics as he prepares to take on Mexico's Margarito in Dallas, Texas.

Roach was worried that his charge could not fully concentrate on the sport in Baguio City in the Philippines, and the pair decided to move to the trainer's famous gym in Los Angeles for their final weeks of training before the fight.

"He told me at the first week of training that he missed his job. I said this is your job, and he said he missed congress," Roach told Pacquaio's official website.

"So I was a little bit worried, but we got over those distractions. We are here [in L.A.] now and he's on fire."

The 31-year-old Pacquaio confirmed he has buckled down to training since arriving in California.

"Right now it's a good thing we come back here, " he told Sky Sports.

"It's going to be hard and difficult because I'm moving up to a higher weight division so I have to focus and study hard."

Roach -- who reportedly called the training sessions in the south east Asian country their worst ever after Pacquaio had to take a day off to visit the president in Manilla -- also said that things had improved significantly since being in Los Angeles.

"The change of scenery was the biggest thing, this is where he knows it happens," Roach added.

"This is his home, this is his comfort zone, this is where he shines. Yesterday [Wednesday], we had our best day of sparring. It was like night and day compared to last Saturday."

Pacquaio was lined up for an eagerly-awaited clash with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. earlier this year, but negotiations broke down amid a welter of recriminations and legal threats.

A clash with Mayweather would likely be the richest in boxing history, but appears no closer to fruition.

Source: edition.cnn.com

Roach confident Pacquiao is back on track -- ESPN

ESPN staff

Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach insists the Filipino is back on track for his fight with Antonio Margarito, claiming a recent sparring session was "like night and day" compared with last week's efforts.

The five-weight world champion takes on the unrelenting Margarito in Dallas on November 13 and only last week Roach voiced concerns over his charge's hunger after he was elected into the Philippine Congress in May.

But, following a month's training camp in Baguio City, Pacquiao and his entourage flew to the US to continue their preparations at Roach's infamous Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles - a sign that the pugilist was struggling with political distractions in the Philippines.

"The change of scenery was the biggest thing," said Roach. "Because he knows this is where it happens, this is his home, this is where he shines. Yesterday we had our best day of sparring; it was like night and day compared to how it was last Saturday."

Pacquiao takes on Margarito for the vacant WBC light-middleweight belt and the 31-year-old admits he cannot afford to take his eye off the prize.

"Right now it's a good thing we came back, we can focus 100% on the fight," he said. "It will be hard and difficult because I'm moving up a higher weight division. I have to focus and study hard."

Source: espn.co.uk

Margarito hopes to beat Pacquiao, erase scandal -- USA Today

By Greg Beacham, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES — Antonio Margarito penitence long ago turned into frustration, and he takes it out on every sparring partner, every heavy bag he punches into submission while preparing to face Manny Pacquiao.

Nearly two years after a hand-wrapping scandal almost ended his boxing career, Margarito still insists he didn't know his former trainer had placed illegal pads over his fists. He's still banned from fighting in California and Nevada but the commissions can't stop him from training in peaceful Oxnard or a noisy Hollywood gym.

With a new trainer who claims to see significant flaws in Pacquiao's vaunted skills, Margarito is determined to capitalize on the chance to take on the pound-for-pound champion Nov. 13 in Texas in a big-money fight that few believe he deserves.

"It's been really tough, but this is a great opportunity for me, and I have to take full advantage of it," Margarito said through a translator before a workout at the Fortune Gym on Sunset Boulevard. "It's always been difficult for me. They always put tough fights in front of me, and never expect me to do anything, but that's what made me into the fighter I am."

Training is a refuge for the former welterweight champion, and two months of isolation for work have improved Margarito's mindset heading into the fight that could catapult him back atop the sport or condemn him to also-ran status, unable to fight on the West Coast.

His frustration with the Nevada Athletic Commission's blunt refusal to consider his appeals and the California commission's intransigence on his suspension has been funneled into determination to win a fight in which few give him a shot.

The seriousness of Margarito's training is obvious in his physique: He's already hovering near his fighting weight with almost no visible body fat, and his calves are crisscrossed with ropy veins.

"We've got two weeks left, but we could be ready tonight," said Robert Garcia, the trainer who replaced the disgraced Javier Capetillo. "He's right where I want him physically, and mentally, he says this is the best he's ever felt. Every single day when we're driving home in the morning after running, he tells me there's no doubt this fight is ours. I've never seen him like that before."

Garcia, also a former fighter, even has the temerity to suggest he sees areas of weakness in Pacquiao's latest string of dominant victories. While trainer Freddie Roach believes Pacquiao's speed will make it easy to execute a winning game plan, Garcia claims to know exactly how to counter it.

"In his last six fights, you watch the video and you see a lot of mistakes," Garcia said. "It doesn't take a scientist to see them. Our job is to cut the ring off and pick the spots to hurt him. He has speed, but when you have someone as good as Margarito, someone that can take a punch, combined with some of the things I've been working on with him, like head movement, it's going to be tough for Manny."

The American-born Mexican fighter known as the Tijuana Tornado never had an easy path: Margarito fought for 7 years before his first title shot in July 2001, but kept that WBO welterweight belt for six years. After losing it to Paul Williams, he returned with three straight knockout wins, including an 11th-round stoppage of Miguel Cotto in 2008 that stands as the height of his hard-punching, diamond-chinned excellence.

Margarito was a celebrity in two countries after that victory, and Garcia believes it went to his head and his waistline. He had to cut 40 pounds to make weight for his January 2009 fight against Sugar Shane Mosley and when Mosley's trainer discovered the illegal wraps moments before the fight, Margarito was mentally out of a fight won by Mosley on a ninth-round stoppage.

"When he beat Cotto, he was on top of the world, and then the world came crashing down," promoter Bob Arum said. "It must have affected him mentally, but he's a hardworking kid who wouldn't stop."

Margarito owes his resurgent career to Arum, who also promotes Pacquiao. When Floyd Mayweather Jr. apparently refused numerous offers to fight Pacquiao, Arum matched the Filipino congressman with Margarito in a matchup widely derided by fans and in the media.

Margarito can't apologize for having the right promoter to get the redemptive fight he craved. He also can't think of anything else to say to the Nevada bureaucrats who still refuse to license him to fight in Las Vegas, depriving boxing's cash-starved capital city of an estimated $300 million in revenue from a Pacquiao fight.

"I think I will fight in Vegas again," Margarito said. "Once I get this opportunity, I know I'm going to come through."

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: usatoday.com

Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao Broke Sparring Partner's Nose -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Trainer Freddie Roach spoke to FanHouse in this Q&A following Wednesday's open workout for the international media, the third day for Manny Pacquiao of preparation at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood since the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king arrived in Los Angeles on Monday from Bagiuo City following weeks of work in his native Philippines.

Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) is readying for a Nov. 13 main event at The Dallas Cowboys of an HBO pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title clash opposite former titlist Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs), against whom he will pursue his eighth crown in as many weight divisions.

How was the first big media day at the Wild Card for Manny Pacquiao?

Freddie Roach: It was like another day at the office. We just sort of went through the motions. We showed them just a little bit. We just didn't do too much to give away our game plan.


What did Manny do today?

Not too much. We did eight rounds on the mitts, we hit the double-end bag, hit the speed bag, jumped some rope a little bit, did some shadow boxing. You know. Just a little short gym workout.

Normally, we do 12 or 13 rounds on the mitts. Today, we cut it in half. That's just because, like I said, we didn't want to give too much away.


Why is it always better for Manny to be at the Wild Card than it is for him to be in Baguio City of the Philippines for his last few days of training before a big fight?

There are so many fewer distractions. This is always where he prepares himself for the big fights. This is our home base. This is where his comfort zone is. This is where he knows that the fight is getting really close. This is where we always start to get the most serious.

This is where everything begins. Like I said, there are a lot less distractions here in Los Angeles. There are not as many officials and no politicians coming in to drag him out and stuff like that.


Do you think that for this camp, more than perhaps any other, has been bothered by more distractions than in the past?

Well, we had trouble getting focused. I mean, we worked hard, but we had a lot of distractions. We only had to miss one workout when the president of the Philippines wanted to see him.

With Manny being in Congress, I mean, you know, with Manny being a congressman, that's something that in his heart he really wants to be his best at it. We had a little trouble getting his focus.

But once we got back here in Los Angeles, you know, everything sort of fell back into place. Everything is back on schedule.


Over the next few days, do you anticipate that any of his sparring partners will include Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez or Vanes Martirosyan or Glen Tapia?

Right now, we're using Rashaad Holloway, we have David Rodela, Ray Beltran, and, there was this one other kid from Detroit, but I forget his name right now. But Manny broke his nose yesterday, so he's out.


Have you seen any video or any pictures of Antonio Margarito, who apparently has a six-pack and reportedly appears to be in tremendous shape?

I mean, who gives a sh**. I mean, really? Who cares? I'm just trying to get my guy ready. He's getting ready for a world title fight. That's what he's supposed to be in, great shape. But I don't give a sh** what he does.

I don't care about Antonio Margarito. I don't care if he fights at 175 pounds. Who cares? I mean, he's getting ready for a world title fight. If he doesn't get ready, then he's a fool. That's what people do.

He's doing what he's supposed to do. The thing that I hear is that he's in great shape. But like I said before, he should be in shape for a world title fight.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Pacman back on Kimmel show -- FightNews

FightNews.com

Tune in this Monday night, November 1 as Manny Pacquiao returns to ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at 12:05 a.m. Following in the tradition of Pacquiao’s previous visits, he will be performing a musical number – this time with the help of fellow guest, actor Will Ferrell. Pacquiao is currently in training in Los Angeles for his November 13 WBC junior middleweight championship match with Antonio Margarito in Texas. Last year Pacquiao serenaded the live studio audience with a rendition of the love song, “Sometimes When We Touch.”

Source: fightnews.com

Manny Pacquiao not enjoying L.A. camp -- ESPN

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- When Manny Pacquiao finally made his way past the autograph hounds and the process server to climb the rickety staircase to the Wild Card Gym, he was met by dozens of fans, fellow fighters, reporters and even a television star, all wanting a moment before his workout.

Hollywood is jam-packed with distractions for the world's top pound-for-pound boxer -- and the Pacman isn't even a congressman in this country.

Trainer Freddie Roach says Pacquiao is having the worst training camp of his career heading into his Nov. 13 meeting with Antonio Margarito in Texas.

In the five months since he won a congressional seat in his native Philippines, boxing has lost some of its urgency for Pacquiao. Roach can even cite physical evidence their careers have been hurt by politics.

"He has a foot problem, and that's because he wears dress shoes too much," Roach said, referring to the nagging left heel injury that has slowed Pacquiao's running.

Although Roach thinks he'll have no problem putting together a speed-based game plan to beat the bigger Margarito, he's worried about Pacquiao's ability to execute it. The fighter who flawlessly teamed with boxing's most respected trainer to forge a 12-fight winning streak just doesn't have the same focus, or even the same drive.

"At two in the morning, I'm walking around Baguio pulling my hair out, saying, 'What do I have to do?'" Roach said, referring to the Filipino city where they trained before returning to Los Angeles last weekend.

"I know his mind is off the fight. I know his mind is somewhere else, and that's because of politics. If there are no more challenges out there after this fight, this could be it. If Floyd (Mayweather Jr.) doesn't come to the table, I don't know what's going to challenge him. He loves his other job, and he might be done with this one."

Roach hopes the move stateside will help, although the hubbub Wednesday at the open workout suggested otherwise.

After Pacquiao apparently was served with papers in an envelope on the way into the gym, he quickly got his hands wrapped before walking slowly around the ring in the Wild Card's stifling heat, patiently answering questions from dozens of reporters. Perhaps after greeting actor Jeremy Piven, Pacquiao would be ready to train.

"I've been under pressure and tough conditions before," Pacquiao said. "The training is going good, but the problem is aside from training, there's lots of stuff to do. ... I'm thinking about (retirement), but I can still fight. I think I'll do a few more."

The mob scene in L.A. is a sea of tranquility compared to home, where the 31-year-old spends at least part of each day as the Honorable Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, freshman congressman from the Sarangani province. Although he's formally excused from legislative duties during training, he still takes regular phone calls from his staff, sometimes even in the middle of workouts.

And for the first time in his career with Roach, Pacquiao took a day off from training to travel to Manila for a meeting with President Benigno Aquino III, although Pacquiao claims he got in a workout there.

"Even if it was the worst training camp we ever had, he never missed a day before," Roach said.

Pacquiao has suggested he'll make it up to Roach by proposing a bill to grant Filipino citizenship to the trainer, who says he has never voted in an American election.

"I'd still vote for Manny if I'm a citizen," Roach said, laughing.

In his spare time, Pacquiao also has a wife and four kids, gestating careers in singing and acting, and a variety of business interests including a greater marketing push for his Nike apparel.

Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, acknowledges his fighter's life has become ridiculously complicated, but doesn't share Roach's pessimism.

"These things would be distractions to any other fighter or any other human being," Arum said. "Not Manny. He has the ability to multitask like nobody else I've ever seen. He doesn't let distractions affect his performance. I've seen him go from meetings all day to a workout, and then he'll wash up and eat and go to band rehearsal."

Arum also promotes Margarito and has an interest in talking up the fight, but even he can't discount Pacquiao's fearsome abilities.

"If Manny is trained and is in good condition, because of his skill set, he should be able to handle Margarito," Arum said. "He's just different than anybody else fighting today. The only guy who comes close to those abilities is Floyd."

Pacquiao won't stop politicking even on this continent: He's headed to Las Vegas on Friday for a quick campaign stop in support of Harry Reid, the Democratic senator and combat sports advocate in a tight race with Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle.

Yet Pacquiao claims he has plenty of time to get his mind and body right to face Margarito, the hard-punching Mexican with a 5-inch height advantage. The fight is at a 150-pound catch weight, but the winner will get a 154-pound title, which would be a belt in Pacquiao's eighth weight class.

"I have to win this fight to prove I can move to a higher division easily," Pacquiao said. "That's my role, to fight bigger men."

And bigger obstacles at every turn.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Manny Pacquiao reveals: I am praying for Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

HOLLYWOOD--All the world is Manny Pacquaio's stage and he reconfirmed Wednesday afternoon that he still relishes his role going into his 57th professional fight.

Pacquiao tries for a record eighth world division title (at junior middleweight) against Mexican retread Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium.

According to Megamanny himself, he enjoys playing the giantkiller.

It was Media Day at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym and the Fighting Congressmany debriefed assembled reporters on various germane topics like so:

FIGHTING BIGGER, STRONGER GUYS LIKE MARGACHEATO:

“My role is to fight a bigger man. Of course I don't have to fight these bigger guys but this is my role in boxing.”

ON CLIMBING EVEN HIGHER TO 160 POUNDS AND TAKING ON SIX FOOT, TWO INCH GIANT PAUL THE PUNISHER WILLIAMS:

“I don't think so (smiling brightly as one scribe described Pwill as being “seven feet tall).

ON FLYING FRIDAY NIGHT TO LAS VEGAS TO APPEAR AT REID'S SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN RALLY:

“I am going to support Harry Reid, I know him, I know about him.”

ON SPECULATION OF RETIREMENT FROM THE RING, EVEN THOUGH HE WILL ONLY TURN 32 IN DECEMBER:

“I'm not thinking of retirement now. I can fight a few more fights.”

ON FIGHTING OR NOT FIGHTING UNDEFEATED MAYWEATHER:

“I don't know if that fight can happen or not but I am fine if it happens or does not happen. I am praying for him (reference to Mayweather's criminal case involving Baby Mama Josie Harris).”

ON COACH ROACH SAYING THEIR TIME IN BAGIO WAS 'WORST PACMAN TRAINING CAMP EXPERIENCE EVER:'

“There were some problems . We can learn from our mistakes on that."

ON HIS RECENT POWOW WITH PRESIDENT NOYNOY AQUINO:

“We only talked about politics, not boxing. He wants to watch my fight but he is too busy (working) for the Philippines.”

ON ROACH NOW BEING A FILIPINO CITIZEN:

“We just passed a bill and made Freddie a citizen. (Manny laughed when I asked if his trainer must pay Filipino taxes now.)

ON HIS CONGRESSIONAL DUTIES:

“We don't have Congress right now, Congres is on vacation. Congress for me is public service and I don't mix it with my other businesses.”

ASKED AT START OF INTERVIEW WHY HE SEEMED GRUMPY (at about 2pm PDT):

(Smiles) “Because I just woke up.”

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Pacquiao’s handlers not fretting over form -- Yahoo! Sports

By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports

Bob Arum has promoted boxing for nearly half a century and has seen a lot of strange things, but it’s a rare day when he watches a 6-1 favorite train and thinks he’s looking at a 6-1 underdog instead.

When Arum entered Manny Pacquiao’s training camp in Baguio City, Philippines, on Oct. 16, he was stunned by what he saw from the man regarded as the best fighter in the world.

“He looked like [expletive],” Arum said in his typically gruff, blunt style.

Pacquiao is set to face Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in a challenge that Arum knows will be much more difficult than the nearly 6-1 odds that favor Pacquiao would indicate. Throw out Margarito’s one-sided loss to Shane Mosley on Jan. 24, 2009, and the odds would likely favor Pacquiao by no more than 8-5, perhaps less.

And so, after having flown halfway around the world to check on Pacquiao’s preparations, Arum wasn’t particularly thrilled by what he saw on his first day in camp.

“I was totally surprised,” Arum said. “He looked lethargic. He wasn’t sharp. I was not very impressed.”

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, was thrilled when the team arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday and could set up camp for the final three weeks at his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, but he said that Arum had nothing to worry about.

Roach is also blunt and never shy about giving his opinion. He said Arum just picked a bad day to show up at the gym.

“The day Bob got there, I will admit that he looked like [expletive],” Roach said. “The next day, he was back to himself. We’ve had good days and bad days and Bob showed up on a bad day. But we’re getting the bad days out of the way and Manny is doing what he should be doing and he’s getting where I want him to be.”

The first half of Pacquiao’s training camp was typically hectic. As a congressman in the Philippines, duties required him to make a six-hour drive from Baguio to Manila. He also had to fly to Manila for a meeting with President Benigno S. Aquino III, which didn’t sit well with Roach.

For most people, a meeting with a country’s president is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. For Pacquiao, it’s old hat, and Roach didn’t want him to go.

“He had to miss training one day because he had to meet the president and I said to him, ‘[Expletive] the president. We have a fight coming up you need to get ready for,’ ” Roach said.

Pacquiao chuckled about Roach’s concern and hopped onto the plane and fulfilled his commitment to meet Aquino. Pacquiao has become something of a legend for his ability to focus on the task at hand while seemingly in the midst of chaos, and both Arum and Roach said this time appears to be no different.

After his initial scare of watching Pacquiao struggle through a workout, Arum was relieved when he saw Pacquiao humming along like his old self the next two days.

He’s legitimately concerned about the challenge Pacquiao faces and said he needs to be at his best in order to win.

“You can’t be at top speed every day,” Arum said of Pacquiao. “The first day I was there, I definitely was concerned. Definitely. But on Monday and Tuesday, he showed marked improvements. He’s where he needs to be.”

Pacquiao has faced all sorts of different challenges since 2008, when he moved up from featherweight and began to regularly face much bigger fighters. He’s handled it with aplomb – ask Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, David Diaz and Ricky Hatton for their opinions if you need more evidence that Pacquiao can hang with the big boys – but he’s yet to face the type of challenge that Margarito poses.

The perception of Margarito’s chances has been skewed by his one-sided loss to Mosley, by his lengthy layoff as a result of his suspension for having been caught with loaded hand wraps prior to the Mosley fight and for Pacquiao’s huge speed advantage.

But it was less than two years ago that Roach was convinced that Margarito was too big and too physical for Pacquiao and was saying he’d never allow the two to meet. And though Pacquiao’s performance in the interim has caused him to change his mind, Roach still has much respect for Margarito.

And if the Mosley fight and the suspension hadn’t taken place, the outcome of the fight would be perceived much differently. Pacquiao has a massive speed advantage, but Margarito is far stronger and has an iron chin.

The only time he ever had a problem with his chin came in the Mosley fight, when he was stopped at 43 seconds of the ninth round. The controversy about the hand wraps that occurred in his dressing room earlier that night had an impact, but more so was the fact that in the three weeks prior to the fight, Margarito had to shed 35 pounds to make the welterweight limit of 147.

Margarito had still been celebrating his epic July 26, 2008, victory over Miguel Cotto and wasn’t in nearly the kind of shape he should have been when he faced Mosley. Hand wraps controversy or not, Margarito likely would have taken a beating that night because of the lifestyle he was living after the Cotto fight.

But he’s been working with trainer Robert Garcia diligently for the last several months and has been committed as he has ever been. The result, Roach said, is an exceptionally dangerous opponent for Pacquiao.

“I wish people would quit thinking Manny is just going to walk through this guy,” Roach said. “In my mind, this is the toughest fight of his life, by far. He’s the biggest, strongest guy Manny has ever fought. He’s got a big reach advantage. He’s got a lot of things going for him.”

Roach knows that Pacquiao is faster and quicker than just about everyone he faces and has become an expert at placing his punches and putting them together in combination. Margarito’s defense “sucks,” in Roach’s estimation, and he expects Pacquiao to be able to exploit that flaw.

If Pacquiao wins, Arum plans to make another run at making a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, but he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself because he realizes the seriousness of the challenge Margarito poses.

“I get it, but the more important thing is that Manny totally gets it,” Arum said. “Everyone in that camp does. I was a little concerned by what I saw that first day, but after the next couple of days, I realized that it was just one of those things. They are taking this fight very seriously, as they should, because anything less than their best effort is going to be a big problem.”

Source: sports.yahoo.com

Floyd Mayweather JR’s Challenge to Manny Pacquiao: November 13th Awaits -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

On November 13th, the boxing world will be treated to a sham pay per view featuring one of the best fighters in the game today, Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao, 51-3-2, 38 KO’s, taking on one of the biggest scumbags to ever lace up the gloves, Antonio Margarito, 38-6, 27 KO’s. There was a time when people went to prison for tampering with a sporting event, but now we reward them and Margarito, a man that unquestionably loaded his hand wraps with plaster of Paris will be getting one of the biggest paydays of his career as he takes on Pacquiao.

Much of the emphasis should be placed on the “good guy,” Manny Pacquiao for taking this fight. Some say that “he’s just a fighter and he fights who ever they put in front of him,” but when you reach the stature of a Pacquiao, you have options. He could have taken on just about anyone and the public would have accepted it, but he took on the in house opponent of Bob Arum’s liking and now we have this disgusting campaign to make the Mexican challenger look like a good guy.

Margarito donates to charity. Margarito helps the less fortunate. This is all propaganda created by Arum to shift the blame away from the fighter to the corner. There is absolutely no way that he did not know about the hand wraps and he felt that his bank account was more important than the lives of Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto, and every other opponent that he loaded his gloves against, which were plenty, I assure you.

Pacquiao is good for the sport, but this fight isn’t. Margarito is going to do the wrong thing and take every opportunity that benefits him, which is why he gladly took this fight. He is an opportunist without ethics and Pacquiao should have put on the brakes and demanded a new opponent. If he said that he wasn’t fighting Margarito over principle, do you know what Arum would have done? He would have gotten a new opponent.

So rent the one-sided beat down of Margarito or wait one week and watch it on HBO if you subscribe. Youtube usually has the fight right after it happens…just make sure you watch it quickly before they remove it. Why would you reward a guy like Margarito. If you love boxing, you would realize just how wrong it is and what message it sends. A low PPV buy rate would tell the sporting world that boxing fans want a clean sport.

Where does Floyd Mayweather, JR., 41-0, 25 KO’s, fit into this? He’s actually the center of it.

“Money” Mayweather has been known to pick his spots inside of the ring and outside of it was well. He is a remarkable salesman, marketing himself as the bad guy and traveling over to other mediums to introduce himself to a new audience. From Dancing with the Stars to the WWE, Mayweather has made his presence known and considering his lack of excitement inside of the ropes, he draws a very large crowd when he fights.

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then what Mayweather is doing is genius, although there are certainly some circumstances behind his recent leave from the sport.

In 2007, Mayweather left the sport on top. He was undefeated and had very little trouble with his opposition. As his career progressed, he became more vocal, learning from Muhammad Ali’s approach. He didn’t care if the people hated him as long as they tuned in and they did tune in. His pay per view outings against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton were huge successes.

A return to boxing would come in 2009. In his absence, the people would look to rising Filipino star Manny Pacquiao as the best in the game, but when Floyd came back, the debate began. Victories over Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were dominant displays but were met by equally impressive wins from Pacquiao.

The fight Mayweather – Pacquiao is the fight that everyone wanted and still wants, but there have been many obstacles in the way. Allegations of steroid abuse against Manny have been somewhat ignored by Team Pacquiao. They filed lawsuit against Mayweather for the allegations but nothing has come of that and because Freddie Roach’s work with other boxers that have tested positive for steroids, the link is obviously there and it’s not hard to at least consider. Pacquiao’s continual rise in weight and strength in the ring is so amazing that it has raised some eyebrows and there is a large group that believes that he has been using PEDs. This doesn’t mean it’s true, but Mayweather’s claim is not dismissed by everyone.

The collapse of the first fight was linked to Manny’s refusal to agree to the Olympic style testing, but they would sit down again, but by this time, Uncle Roger, Floyd’s trainer, would end up in some legal hot water when he decided to beat up a woman. What a class act he is! Rumored problems with the IRS, domestic problems, and perhaps some concern over fighting Manny killed the second fight and gave Arum the opportunity to propose Margarito.

With the New Year around the corner, expect Manny and Floyd to meet up. Manny will TKO Margarito within six rounds, perhaps in the first round if he comes out fast enough, and Floyd will be watching closely and as he sorts out his problems at home and in camp, the need to prove himself will push him into the fight that many contend he is afraid to take.

Hopefully the third fight negotiations will be the charm and the two best fighters in the world will meet up in early to mid 2011. Mayweather will fight again and there aren’t many options that the public will be happy with. The winner of Paul Williams – Sergio Martinez II would work, but Pacquiao is a far better match for him style-wise and carries a larger price tag. The challenge will be sent and accepted sometime in 2011.

So, November 13th’s knockout win for Pacquiao will lead to a showdown with Floyd unless Bob Arum wants to bring back Luis Resto for a PPV showdown. I look forward to a fight that is good for boxing, not the nonsense that they are trying to give us with Pacquiao – Margarito.

Source: ringsidereport.com