It may be unfair to say Manny Pacquiao has under estimated Antonio Margarito.
But at this point it is clear that Pacquiao has been distracted during the training camp that leads into Saturday’s bout at Cowboys Stadium
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.Pacquiao’s training camp has been split into political get togethers, long road trips, media events and even dirt lot basketball games.
Still, Team Pacquiao maintains he is focused and ready to win an unprecedented eighth world title.“For me, there are no distractions as long as I train hard,” Pacquiao said. “You train hard and you do your job and there are no distractions. Of course the focus is still there. There is nothing to worry about.”
Pacquiao, a newly appointed congressman in the Philippines, was often at the beckon call of the Philippine President. Pacquiao on occasion made long road trips to deal with political matters. Every now and then Pacquiao took time out to play spur-of-the-moment basketball games, which annoyed trainer Freddie Roach.
Pacquaio made a late night talk show appearance where he performed a song and dealt with the media throughout the training camp, which reached its peak with a handful of chaotic media stops upon his return to the United States.
“No, the political career has not affected my boxing career,” Pacquiao said. “I have time for politics and I have time for boxing. Right now my focus is still into boxing. Once I get into the training there is full focus on the fight so that I am ready.”
Together, all this gives the impression that training for Margarito wasn’t Pacquiao’s first priority.
“I agree with Manny,” Roach said. “You see him singing on the Jimmy Kimmel show and you think things. But it is very relaxing. Manny likes to sing. He relaxes and he’s always been a multi-tasker. There is no way Margarito has trained harder than us.”
Another issue Pacquiao has had to deal with is ‘retirement.’ Countless media reports say Pacquiao is contemplating retirement and that it is time to be a full-time politician.
Pacquiao stamped that notion out during a conference call. “No retirement. Not yet. I can still fight.”
For the most part Pacquiao has given Margarito a pass in terms of the hand wrapping scandal.
“I know he is going to try his best to win the fight,” Pacquiao said. “My concern is what an exciting fight we can give to the people who are going to watch.”
Roach was a bit more direct.
“To me, he was suspended for a year; he did his time and now he is a free man now and is eligible to fight,” Roach said.
And Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum was even more direct.
“I am a trained lawyer and I believe in justice and I believe that Antonio Margarito was not treated fairly by the California commission,” Arum said. “I believe Antonio Margarito did not know anything of what was in those hand wraps and did not have an opportunity to try that end and that the revocation of his license was unfounded.”
Roach broke it down. “The bigger he is the better it is for us,” Roach said. “Size doesn’t win fights. Skill does and we outweigh him in that department. This will not be a difficult fight for us at all.”
Source: examiner.com
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