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