Margarito to fight smart -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

DALLAS — Antonio Margarito has vowed not to be overwhelmed by Manny Pacquiao’s renowned fast and furious start this Saturday night, even insinuating that the famed Filipino fighter might end up getting knocked out early for that.

Notorious for being a slow-starter, Margarito said on Tuesday afternoon that he has mastered the gameplan and that he expects Pacquiao to come out with his guns blazing.

“They’re going to take advantage of the first few rounds but we are going to be smart in the first few rounds, hands up high and go through the early rounds,” said Margarito through his chief trainer Robert Garcia as his hands were being wrapped for a short public workout.

“They say they’re going to knock me out in the first few rounds but we’ll never know, there might be a surprise and I might be knocking him out instead in the first few rounds,” said the 5-11 Margarito, who has a five-inch height advantage and a six-inch edge in reach over his renowned rival. “I know he is faster than me but we are ready for that.”

Margarito and Garcia hardly missed a beat during the nine-week training camp that kicked off in Los Angeles and reached its peak in Oxnard and are looking forward to shocking the world come fight night at the Cowboys Stadium.

“On Saturday night, we will let the fans find out about his weaknesses and prove that I am better than Manny Pacquiao,” said Margarito. “I am much bigger, much stronger and has a bigger heart.”

Margarito actually didn’t have to go to the makeshift gym as Garcia stressed that they’re “done with all the hard work.”

“If not for this, we wouldn’t have gone here because all he is going to do until Thursday is run (in the treadmill),” said Garcia, who will be calling the shots for only the second time for Margarito.

In contrast, Pacquiao’s workout was much longer although he and trainer Freddie Roach just went through the motions as fans watched from the sidelines, their collective pulses racing with a few days remaining before the two combatants finally lock horns before a crowd that could go past 60,000.

Understandably, Pacquiao’s interview sessions were a lot more extensive, longer and attracted more people considering that he is not an ordinary boxer, but a fighting congressman being the representative of the under-developed province of Sarangani.

In a few days, Margarito plans to change all of that.

Source: mb.com.ph