Seven-division titlist and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao vows to use his speed to defeat ex-champion Antonio Margarito on Saturday night, believes that Margarito knew that he once fought with an illegal, plaster-like substance in his gloves, would have loved to face Sugar Ray Leonard
in his "ultimate" fight, and still longs to face Floyd Mayweather before the end of his career.
in his "ultimate" fight, and still longs to face Floyd Mayweather before the end of his career.
The 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts), who will meet the 32-year-old Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in an HBO pay per view televised clash for the WBC's vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt, made his comments during Monday's live chat with Michael David Smith of FanHouse.Pacquiao will be after his eighth championship in as many weight classes, as well as his 13th straight victory and his ninth knockout during that run when he faces Margarito, having last suffered defeat against Erik Morales in March of 2005 as a super featherweight (130 pounds).
Since then, however, Pacquiao has stopped Morales in the 10th, and, third rounds, respectively, in separate bouts, and beaten larger, welterweight rivals, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and, Joshua Clottey, respectively, by knockouts in the eighth and 12th rounds and by 12-round decision.
Pacquiao-Margarito is being contested at a catch weight of 150 pounds, which is exactly what Pacquiao told FanHouse that he weighs right now.
"It's [moving up in weight] difficult, because I'm used to training and losing weight. When you train, you automatically lose weight. But I have to eat around 7,000 calories a day to keep the weight on. I have to get up in the middle of the night and eat eggs just to keep the weight on," said Pacquiao.
"So that's difficult. But then again, it's also nice, because I don't have to lose weight at the weigh in," said Pacquiao. "It's fine for me to fight bigger guys or smaller guys, I'm just looking to fight. I weigh around 150 pounds right now. I do not have to lose any weight on the day of the weigh-in."
Opposing trainer, Robert Garcia, told FanHouse last week that the Mexican-born Margarito already was on schedule after having weighed out at 154 pounds, even as Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said that he expects Margarito to enter the ring weighing 160 or more.
Still, Pacquiao said that he will fight Margarito "The same way I did against De La Hoya, Cotto and other bigger guys I've fought before -- by relying on speed."
"I've developed a strategy in the gym, and hopefully, that strategy will work out. In order to hit me, he [Margarito] has to catch me, and I think my speed will be too much," said Pacquiao, in response to whether or not he was concerned about Margarito's vaunted body punches.
"I think Margarito is a very tough fighter, and I think that he will keep coming and keep coming," said Pacquiao. "He is going to be the biggest fighter I've ever fought, and he's probably got one of the toughest chins, so I'm prepared for a long fight."
Pacquiao denied the highly-reported distractions attributed to his frequently playing pickup basketball games as well as being a newly-elected congressman in his native Sarangani Provice of the Philippines.
The most recent distraction was Pacquiao's breaking camp to make a Las Vegas trip to campaign for senator, Harry Reid, two days prior to Halloween.
"There are some things that are distractions, but those are my responsibilities, and I have to do them. Yesterday, I was relaxing on my day off. I know Margarito was doing promotional things, so maybe he's distracted," said Pacquiao.
"I'm not distracted, I'm focused. I'm going to the gym, training hard," said Pacquiao. "I like to take breaks when I'm not training so that my mind is at ease and not always on the fight."
Pacquiao said that he would "like to fight every five-to-eight months," and that he still hoped for a mega bout with Floyd Mayweather after two, failed negotiations to make the fight.
"For the fans, I hope that it [Mayweather fight] happens. It would be a nice gift to the fans, because without the fans, Manny Pacquiao would not be Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather would not be Floyd Mayweather. I've said everything I can say about it, but Floyd has to agree to fight me," said Pacquiao.
"I'm still waiting for the signature on the contract. It's [Top Rank Promotions' CEO] Bob Arum's decision who I'm going to fight," said Pacquiao. "I just get my training in order and prepare myself. I hope Floyd will fight me, but if not, we have other options that I'm sure Bob can find."
During Sunday's interview with 60 minutes, Pacquiao was quoted as saying that he was the sport's premiere fighter of all time. On Monday, however, Pacquiao backed off of that assertion.
"I don't think I'm the best of all time. I just wanted to be a world champion, and that's my goal. There are lots of great fighters. Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Caesar Chavez -- those are some of the best ever," said Pacquiao, adding that one of his dream bouts would be one opposite Leonard.
"With the speed he [Leonard] had, I think that would be a very good fight," said Pacquiao. "It would be a very good fight, me and him in his prime. That fight would get a lot of pay-per-view buys."
Until being licensed by Texas in August, Margarito had been unable to fight in the United States as a result of a hand-wrapping scandal stemming from his ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley in January of 2009.
Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, discovered a plaster-like substance that was placed in Margarito's gloves by then-trainer Javier Capetillo. The substance was removed and confiscated prior to the fight.
Pacquiao re-asserted his claim that he believed Margarito knew that his gloves were loaded, even as the fighter has denied it. But Pacquiao also said that Margarito should not be banned for life, defending his being able to continue his career.
"I think he [Margarito] knew what he was doing, but he's already been punished enough," said Pacquiao. "I can't say for sure what he did or didn't know, but I'm just a fighter, and I fight."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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