Margarito is a 'flawed' fighter — Roach -- Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Roach has a recurring image of what will happen come fight night next week in Dallas when Manny Pacquiao meets the predictable Antonio Margarito.

Moments after presiding over Pacquiao’s seven-round sparring session Thursday at the Wild Card Boxing Club, Roach told a handful of reporters that all bases have been covered, coming short of saying all it takes for Pacquiao to win is show up at Cowboys Stadium.

“Margarito is going to be aggressive and come after us and try to get our respect and he’s going to walk into Manny’s power and he’s going to feel it and it’s going to change the course of the fight,” said Roach.

The moment Margarito tastes the fury of Pacquiao’s punches, Roach said the Mexican will begin to have second thoughts of coming forward.

“I don’t think he will be that aggressive (after being hit by Pacquiao). He is notoriously a slow starter they say, but I expect him to come out quick and try to get Pacquiao’s respect right away and he might run into one and don’t be surprised if this fight ends early.”

Roach said that Margarito remains a flawed fighter despite claims by his new training team that he has corrected some bad habits.

“I want Manny to show this guy that we mean business and get him off-balance because this guy’s footwork is terrible and it’ll show in the fight and we’re going to take full advantage of it.“

Roach even mocked Margarito, who “crosses his feet when he walks around the ring and doesn’t have the traditional footwork of a boxer.“

Pacquiao knows the gameplan by heart and that Margarito will get hit when he “gets off-balance,” said Roach.

Although Roach admits that Margarito is a “decent body-puncher, (Margarito) telegraphs his punches and Manny will work on the counter shot when he is wide-open.”

Roach guarantees that Pacquiao will have no problem disposing of Margarito.

“We will beat him to the punch every time because he is very easily read,” added Roach, who will be assisted in the corner work by training assistants Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri and conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Source: mb.com.ph

If he shocks Pacquiao, Margarito moves from Hall Of Shame to Fame -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

If I was a defendant in a criminal case in New York right now, the judge would want me to get the proverbial check up from the neck up.

They call it a 730 Exam, a mental probe designed to determine if a person is fit to stand trial, whether he or she has the capacity to understand the charges facing him or her.

First, I pumped out a reaching what if piece saying I can see Golden Boy staging a Paulie Maliganggi-Floyd Mayweather main event when it opens up Brooklyn's Barclays Center for boxing in 2012.

Now I will compound the craziness with another question which I pose to you, the boxing jury.

As things stand today, Antonio Margarito has one leg up for the Boxing Hall Of Shame.

But, if we know anything about Margarito-Pacquiao a week from Saturday in Arlington, it is that the Mexican's handwraps will be street legal, 100 percent pure for this match against the Pinoy Idol.

So now I ask you sincerely, what if Margarito shocks the world by beating Pacman, the minus 650 betting favorite?

I don't care if "Margacheato" wins on points or KOs Megamanny, would he thus be a candidate or a lock for the Hall Of Fame?

I say yes, absolutely and without doubt. If the Tijuana Giant slays the Puny Pinoy, then he deserves to go into boxing's shrine no matter how the rest of his career goes.

Dallas Examiner Matt Stolow thinks I'm out there where the buses don't run, a few sandwiches short of a picnic and like that.
"He'd have to beat Manny twice in my view," Stolow said.

I say why, when James "Buster" Douglas only had to shock Mike Tyson once?

There's no requirement that a Hall Of Fame candidate be a Boy Scout, an honest citizen or anything like that. The shrine in Canastota is not for Nice People In Boxing, it's a place for greatness and awesome feats.

Now, if it ever came out that Margarito's wraps be illegally loaded for Miguel Cotto and or Kermit Cintron or any other foe, then I say don't throw the bum into the Hall.

But we'll never know if Margarito cheated in any bout before he got caught plasterhanded before the whipping he took from Sugar Shane Mosley.

Margarito defeats Pacquiao ONCE, then he's a most serious Hall Of Fame prospect, I say.

What do you say, Mexicans, Filipinos and anyone else who cares about boxing?

In my next column, I promise a return to relative sanity.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

'Floyd Mayweather doesn't believe he can beat Manny Pacquiao,' says legend Roy Jones -- Boxing News Online

By John Dennen, Boxing News Online

ROY JONES JNR has issued a stinging rebuke to Floyd Mayweather for not taking a fight with Manny Pacquiao. The American legend in fact used to favour Mayweather as the superior of the two. But he appears to have altered his opinion.

While coaching a masterclass at London’s Real Fight Club, Jones also took the time to answer general questions. His take on the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga was revealing. “Off the top I like Mayweather. Now that has changed,” he confessed.

He explained his reasoning, albeit in a round-about way. He picked out two students from the class and stood them in front of him to form the points of a triangle. He pointed at one then the other, saying, “His name is David Haye, his name is Vitali Klitschko.” Gesturing at himself, he declared with a smile, “My name is Roy Jones.”

His thought experiment continued: “They call me and tell me, like they did the other day, at Wembley you and David Haye will sell it out. David Haye is in his prime right now and let’s say I’m back in my prime. Let’s say I’ve just won a world title in the same weight class. They decide to have a battle to decide who’s best between he and I.

“It’s going to be the biggest fight in this country, we’re just saying, this is going to be the biggest pay-per-view event ever in the history of the sport. And we’re going to find out who’s the best fighter, right? Okay, he says, ‘I’m all in.’”

At this point it begins to become clear that the fictitious Haye in this parable represents Manny Pacquiao. “I’m going to make him wait for now,” Roy explained. “I’m the boss, I’m the best, I’m going to wait. So he tells me, ‘I’m going to go fight Vitali Klitschko.’ What do you think I’m going to do?”

Jones held up his hands, answering himself, “That’s not going to happen.” He swung his finger from one man to the other, insisting, “I’m not going to let him [Klitschko] steal my glory whipping his [Haye’s] behind when he thinks he’s as good as me. If I think I can beat him, I don’t want to take that chance.”

While this example may be a worrying indicator of the heavyweight company Jones still pictures himself keeping, he made his point clear: “So why does Floyd Mayweather let Manny Pacquiao go take that chance with [Antonio] Margarito? If [Pacquiao] loses, whether through a fault, whether it’s a headbutt, that ruins this big fight. So if you really thought you could beat him, would you allow him to do this?”

His message to Floyd continued: “You talked yourself into this too. You’re claiming to be the best fighter pound-for-pound. Now that the man agreed to take a blood test, you’re still messing around. So do you really think you can win?”

Roy delivered his verdict on the matter. “I’m starting to think he don’t. Because if he did he wouldn’t let this [Margarito fight] happen. I was thinking Mayweather was the better fighter to begin with and I still think he’s the better fighter,” Roy revealed. “But I don’t think that he believes he can win. If he does think he can, he doesn’t think it’s easy.”

Jones pointed once again at the two men standing dutifully in front of him as depictions of Haye and Klitschko. “Truthfully if I let him fight him, I’m hoping I don’t have to fight. That’s what Floyd’s thinking. He’s hoping [Pacquio’s] upset so he never has to fight.”

Source: boxingnewsonline.net