Take a rest from boxing, Roach tells Pacman -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Roach wants Manny Pacquiao to take a sabbatical from boxing for six months.

Roach said that while Pacquiao scored a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito over the weekend in Texas, the Filipino took a severe pounding from the 165-lb Mexican slugger.

“He needs a nice, long rest,” Roach told Manila-based scribes at the Wild Card Boxing Club on Monday.

Pacquiao hasn’t decided when and where his next fight will be, leaving it all up to his promoter Bob Arum to make the call and it doesn’t look like that he will be in a boxing mood for the next few months.

Although Margarito’s face took the form of a mangled squash from Pacquiao’s power punches, Roach said Pacquiao was in trouble in the tenth round when he got caught with shots to the ribcage.

“That was a hard and physical shot and Manny almost went down,” said Roach, referring to the moment in that round when Margarito struck the hardest as Pacquiao was pinned on the ropes in his corner.

Still, Roach likewise felt the pain that Margarito went through and believed that be will never fight again or he will never be a threat again because the punishment that he took was too much.

Canadian Mike Koncz, who acts as Pacquiao’s adviser, echoed the same sentiment as Roach, stressing that his big boss needs to relax after all the sacrifices that he has taken the past few months and the punishment that he endured against Margarito.

“I haven’t talked to him yet about the future but I think he has to take a break for a while,” said Koncz.

While Pacquiao takes a break from boxing, he will have all the time in the world to concentrate on his congressional duties and prepare for his 32nd birthday celebration on Dec. 17.

He flew to Lake Tahoe on Monday night to fulfill a previous commitment after being cleared by doctors who checked on him.

“Manny just had a checkup and took an x-ray, that’s it,” said Koncz.

Source: mb.com.ph

In thorough beating of Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao cements himself as one of best boxers ever -- New York Daily News

By Bill Gallo, New York Daily News

You want answers, fight fans? I'll give you answers.

Just who is this guy, Manny Pacquiao?

He's every little guy's hero in this world of bullies, because he has this habit of beating the hell out of bigger guys. That's who he is.

Well, come on, didn't you see the job he did on Mexico's Antonio Margarito, an almost-6-footer who is no chump in his own right?

Just for the record, Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex., Pacquiao entered the ring weighing a neat 144 pounds, while Margarito - after making 150 pounds at the weigh-in - bulked up to a robust 165 by fight time.

As soon as the bout started, it was amazingly apparent that the difference in weight would have nothing to do with the outcome. Nor did the 4-inch height advantage Margarito had over this brash "Philippine Piston."

All right, are you getting a bit of the picture? You want more, like how good is he as a fighter?

Here it is, and you can quote: This is one hell of a fighter, the likes of which I haven't seen since Willie Pep and Sugar Ray Robinson. Yes, those two whom I've always regarded as the best ever.

High praise? Once again, Yes, indeed, fight fans.

For those who did not see the Pay-Per-View contest Saturday night, watch it next week on HBO.

You will see what I saw: By the second round, Pac already had figured out how to beat this big man, who had his right hand cocked to throw at an unprotected chin. Never happened. Nearly every time Margarita threw that right, Pac, with his shifty, inventive head moves, eluded the punch - the same one Margarito had used to score 27 knockouts.

It seemed so natural for Pac - every time Margarito would miss, like a flash came two pumps of Pac's right to Margarito's jaw, followed by a nice left half-hook, half-uppercut. Those were the kind of moves Pep and Robby used to make. To the eyes of a fight buff, it was an artful and beautiful performance.

Round by round, the slaughter continued. There was no way I could give Margarito even one round. If the officials gave him one, they had to be kind-hearted souls who felt sorry for the beat-up fighter who ended a bloody mess, with both eyes almost closed. It was a complete shutout.

With every good - let's make that, great - fighter there are always comparisons. It goes way back to Jack Dempsey: Was he as good or better than Joe Louis? Was Joe Louis better than Muhammad Ali or Rocky Marciano? Who really was the greatest? Was it Ali?

Some fight guys might say Ali, but most still won't hand him that special title. The thing in boxing is that when the greats are compared, it always winds up in some kind of a fierce barroom argument.


Baseball fans can say that Babe Ruth was the best ballplayer who ever lived, and there can't be too much of a discussion about it. But in boxing, where there are so many styles connected to exceptional fighters, the tag "best of all time" becomes subjective. I knew a boxing expert who went way back who vowed: "I've seen them all and I maintain that Harry Greb was the best fighter that ever lived."

So now we have a gym full of great lightweights - we'll just stick with this division for now - to compare with Pacquiao. Take these:

Is he as good or better than: Tony Canzoneri? My opinion - better. Barney Ross? Better. Roberto Duran? As good or even better.

What about Henry Armstrong, who held three titles at the same time? Wasn't he in the same class in throwing punches in multitudes? Didn't Armstrong fight somewhat like Pacquiao?

My answer: No. They are different fighters. While Armstrong would bury his head into his opponent's chest, firing lefts and rights to the body and head, Pacquiao is a thinking, deliberate puncher who rarely misses. I see Pac as the better fighter.

I'm going to wind this up by asking myself this question: Okay, Mr. Boxing Man, are you telling me this Philippine Dynamo is the best you have ever seen?

Yes, in a very long time. And he might just be the man who will eventually put boxing back in the upper deck of sports.

Believe me, this kid who aspires to be big in Philippine politics, with his perpetual smile and special brand of punching ability, is indeed the goods.

bgallo@nydailynews.com

Source: nydailynews.com

Not Again: Floyd Mayweather Accused of Roughing Up Security Guard -- Opposing Views

By Alex Groberman, Opposing Views

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is making headlines again. And it’s for all the wrong reasons…again.

According to TMZ,cops were dispatched to Mayweather’s Las Vegas home Monday night after a private security guard filed a complaint. According to the guard, Mayweather “poked” him in the face after words were exchanged. Sources close to TMZ say the whole thing started when the guard confronted Mayweather over a parking situation.

Apparently, because this incident was only a misdemeanor battery, the officers did not have to arrest Mayweather. Rather, they simply filed a report, told the undefeated boxer they intented to turn the case over to the D.A., and left the scene.

Mayweather’s representatives have not yet issued a statement on their client's latest PR mess.

As Manny Pacquiao sits on top of the world after beating down Antonio Margarito this weekend, Mayweather is spiraling further into the abyss. First it was the domestic battery issues he faced earlier in the year. Now this.

At what point is this guy going to start getting press clippings for what made him famous in the first place?
Or are those days over?

Source: opposingviews.com

The question of Pacquiao's greatness: Time to put the excuses to rest -- Examiner

By Lorne Scoggins, Examiner.com

It’s difficult to imagine how anyone could question the accomplishments of Manny Pacquiao since the demolition of Antonio Margarito has been added to his résumé.

Margarito, who stands more than 4-1/2 inches taller, and was a full 17 lbs heavier than Pacquiao on fight night, found himself in the greatest mismatch of his life – a mismatch that he could not overcome despite his size advantage.

Pundits argued that Margarito didn’t deserve a match with Pacquiao due to the loaded gloves scandal that resulted in his one-year suspension from the sport.

I offer absolutely no argument to that point.

However, I do believe that Bob Arum and Team Pacquiao sought out the best possible opposition available in light of Floyd Mayweather Jr’s absolute refusal to tangle with the pound-for-pound king of the ring.

In the absence of any welterweight fighter near the caliber of Pacquiao, the man actually moved up to a weight class in which he doesn’t belong just to attempt to give the fans a decent fight.

Exclusive Pacquiao – Margarito photos from Arlington, Texas

Yes, it was an extremely lopsided fight, but Margarito at 165 lbs possessed a great threat to the much smaller Pacquiao who found himself battered, and at times hurt by the powerful Mexican slugger.

The most intriguing element of the fight was the perceived possibility that at any moment, Margarito could have landed something that might have sent Pacman to the canvas, yet Pacquiao not only persevered, he excelled.

However unreasonable and ridiculous, excuses which deny the skills of Pacquiao will undoubtedly continue to be made.

Many will say that Pacquiao beat another slow-slugging schmuck, and ignore the fact that Margarito is among the most resilient and powerful punchers in the game.

They’ll ignore the fact that Pacquiao took the very best that a much bigger and extremely well-prepared Mexican warrior had to offer, unlike professional boxing trainer Stacy Goodson of Paris, Arkansas who acknowledged Margarito’s excellent conditioning, as well as Pacquiao’s brilliant performance.

“Margarito was in the best condition, and better prepared for this fight than he has ever been for any fight in his life,” Goodson said. “But he was no match for Pacman.”

Some will forget that Pacquiao, though extremely battered and bruised, had his hand raised at the end of the match, while every other welterweight boxer on planet earth would have folded like a boring book.

More excuses anyone?

Who coined the moniker “Catch Weight King”, and why on earth would anyone tag Pacquiao with such a ridiculous title while at the time, Pacquiao had only fought one match at a catch weight?

The 150 catch weight for the super welterweight Margarito bout makes a grand total of 2, and it would have been ridiculous NOT to have included a catch weight for this particular bout, don’t you think?

So now somebody will come out and say that Margarito was “weight-drained” while ignoring the obvious fact that he has fought as a welterweight for the majority of his career.

Or perhaps, they’ll use the “past his prime” excuse.

Whatever.

Margarito deserves his props for showing the heart of a lion. He could have quit, and they should have stopped it, but he continued despite suffering a broken eye socket, a completely closed right eye, a deep gash beneath it and a nearly closed left eye.

Did I mention that they should have stopped it?

Pacquiao deserves his props for having compassion for Margarito when he could have finished him during the final rounds. I mean, let’s face it. How many fighters would have been so merciful?

Pacquiao has been in the game for a while now. He knew that he could have done permanent damage had he not allowed Margarito to finish on his feet.

The bottom line is that Manny Pacquiao never ceases to amaze.

He never fails to give it his all, and even as the most exciting fighter in the world, he continues to improve with every performance.

Manny Pacquiao is not a good fighter. He is a great fighter who has carried the sport in recent years while ushering in millions of new fans.

It’s way past time to stop the ridiculous excuses.

It is what it is.

Bring on Floyd Mayweather.

mailto:scrimmer1@hotmail.com

Source: examiner.com

Hospitalized Margarito calls Pacquiao world's best -- AFP

AFP

ARLINGTON, Texas — From his hospital bed, Antonio Margarito offered his congratulations to Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, two days after the Asian fighter inflicted a punishing defeat on him.

"I gave it all I had but unfortunately I was not able to get the victory over the best fighter in the world today," Margarito said on Monday in praise of the smaller Pacquiao. "It was a tough and difficult fight for me."

"Pac-Man" took a unanimous 12-round decision to claim the World Boxing Council super welterweight crown by delivering such a lopsided beating that the Mexican's eyes were swelled shut and his face was bruised and bloodied.

Doctors scheduled surgery on a broken right orbital bone for Tuesday, once Margarito's facial swelling had subsided, and the fighter said he hopes to fly to Los Angeles on Wednesday on the way to his Tijuana home.

"I was never going to quit and tried to win this fight to the very last minute," Margarito said.

Pacquiao, a lawmaker in the Philippines, will perform a concert in Lake Tahoe on Tuesday and then fly home after stretching his win streak to 13 fights and improving his record to 52-3 with two drawn and 38 knockouts.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.

Source: google.com

Antonio Margarito: 'Gave It All I Had' Against Manny Pacquiao -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Mexican-born former world champion Antonio Margarito suffered a fractured right orbital bone resulting from damage suffered in Saturday night's unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao in their clash for the WBC's junior middleweight (154 pounds) crown. He did not attend the post-fight press conference because he was rushed to Dallas Methodist Hospital by ambulance.

But Margarito (38-7, 27 knockouts), who will require surgery Tuesday and is not likely to be released until Wednesday, issued a statement Monday regarding his loss to Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) that was televised on HBO pay-per-view.

"I gave it all I had, but unfortunately I was not able to get the victory over the best fighter in the world today. As I said before the fight, I was never going to quit, and I tried to win this fight to the very last minute," said Margarito, who is trained by Robert Garcia.

"We had a great training camp, and I want to thank Robert Garcia for a great job and everyone in Oxnard (Calif.) for their great hospitality. I am also very grateful with my wife Michelle, (manager) Sergio Diaz, and (manager) Francisco Espinoza for all their support."

Despite having a 17-pound weight advantage (165 pounds to 148 pounds) over Pacquiao, Margarito won a total of just three of the 36 total rounds over the three judges' cards, losing by the lopsided scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110.

"I would like to congratulate Manny Pacquiao for his win on Saturday Night. It was a tough and difficult fight for me and I hope the fans enjoy our battle at Cowboys Stadium," said Margarito.

"I also want to thank (Top Rank Promotions CEO) Bob Arum for always believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to fight Manny Pacquiao," said Margarito. "I also want to thank all the fans who came to see me and who watched the fight on TV and continue to support me."

Margarito was hammered by a total of 474 punches, with 411 of them being power punches from Pacquiao. Margarito's eyes were nearly closed shut by the ninth round.

Referee Laurence Cole twice stopped the action in the 10th and 11th rounds to examine Margarito's face, holding up fingers and presumably asking him if he could still see.

"Margarito leaned into an uppercut, and I think that the first cut surfaced under his eye in the fourth round," said Cole. "I want to say that it was the fourth round that he got that original cut on his cheek bone right below his right eye."

Arum told FanHouse that he expected Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to pay a visit to Margarito in the hospital.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Manny Pacquiao – Antonio Margarito: A Fixed Fight? -- Ringside Report

By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt, Ringside Report

On November 13th, RSR as it stated for months, boycotted the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio “Hands of Plaster” Margarito card. There were no boxing results as readers are used to reading and no post fight analysis right after the fight. From what I have read and of course seen in pictures, where was the tough Antonio Margarito who was going to stop Manny being that he was the bigger man?

All I saw was “Speed Kills” and looking at Margarito’s face, it sure does. There were many out there who started to proclaim that Margarito was innocent of loading his gloves, but as the fight neared, they kind of back pedaled on that. Either way, without him loading his gloves, as he did against Shane Mosley where it was proven and many others where it was not, you can unequivocally say that without “Plaster of Paris” in his gloves, he has very little if any, power in his punches.

From all accounts that I have read, it almost seemed that Margarito never had a chance to win this fight and the fix was in before it ever happened. That is a tall order to claim, but who would really win if a fix was in? The answer is Bob Arum! He is the Promoter of record for both fighters and you have to just cringe, thinking of how the conversation might have gone…

Bob: Tony, without me, you wouldn’t be back in boxing, and you wouldn’t have this payday. Manny is the man they’re coming to see and he needs to win, get it?

Tony: (In Spanish, but translated) Yes, boss, I agree, but I will want a couple of million dollars to do it.

Bob: You got it, but make it look really good and you will have to take a few bumps and bruises, but your corner can throw in the towel if you can go about six rounds!

Tony: Sounds good boss.

The conversation probably went something like that. Now Manny on the other hand, I think knew nothing about the fix being in, and went in at about 50%, but 50% of Manny was enough to beat a feather fisted Antonio Margarito.

Here are some other thoughts to ponder…

Manny Pacquiao DID NOT deserve the WBC Junior Middleweight Title

The title was manufactured because neither Manny Pacquiao nor Antonio Margarito were junior middleweights. They were established welterweights. So how do they get a shot?

The subpar training camp of Pacquiao was greatly overstated…

Manny Pacquiao did start off poorly, but he rebounded quickly and had a great training camp, but the media was still fed a line of nonsense to push the buy rate of the pay per view. The fight was built on lies.

In the end, the fight was a fix from its announcement, even if it wasn’t your traditional one where one guy is paid to take a dive outright. A mismatch sold to the public with a criminal mediocrity on one side and one of the best fighters in the world on the other. The end result was never in question, but the line of continual nonsense made the sale possible. Margarito’s non effort is alarming and should be looked into, but the investigation should go right up the chain, right to Bob Arum’s office. It won’t be the first time he’s been looked into.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Pacquiao to Mayweather: 'You don't belong in the same ring as me' -- Examiner

By Chris Cella, Examiner.com

Actions speak louder than words. Saturday night eight time world champion Manny Pacquiao made a big statement in his dominating win over the bigger and stronger Antonio Margarito, and it was directed right at Floyd Mayweather Jr. —'you don't belong in the same ring as me'.

Going into the fight there was much speculation as to how Pacquiao would handle the size difference between he and Margarito. Giving away 17 pounds and nearly five inches, some thought that would be the end of the impressive reign Pacquiao has held over the numerous weight classes.

But he showed why is champion, and not only escaped with a victory, but clearly outfought Margarito and was too much for the Mexican fighter to handle.

So if Mayweather was ducking Pacquiao prior the light middleweight championship bout, then he must be hiding under a rock now. Mayweather and his camp bought time earlier this year when they failed to sign the contract to make the 'superfight' boxing fans have been yearning for happen, but now he is out of excuses.

It is his time to step up. He has never been too shy as to tell the world that he is not only pound-for-pound the best boxer in the game, but also the best the sport has ever seen. But it's easy to talk that way when you don't have a threat like Pacquiao in your weight class.

Now that Pacquiao has been in his face and is ready to throw hands, Mayweather has done something boxing fans have never seen him do before—be speechless.

The 'superfight' may never take place because Floyd Mayweather is scared of losing his unblemished record. But if he continues to duck Pacquiao his undefeated record should have a giant asterisk next to it which reads 'COWARD'.

If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Plain and simple. That is all there is to it. So until Mayweather mans up and signs to fight Pacquaio, he has no grounds for claiming to be the best fighter, and will only continue to tarnish what was once an impressive legacy he was building for himself.

Source: examiner.com

Manny Pacquiao Bruised and 'Sore' After Beating Antonio Margarito -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Manny Pacquiao's "got bruises and bumps and nothing else," according to his adviser, Michael Koncz, after Saturday night's unanimous decision victory over former world champion Antonio Margarito.

"What do you expect? He was in a 12-round war, he's got bruises and bumps. Other than that, he's all right," said Koncz, adding that Pacquiao was examined by a doctor after the fight but did not spend any time in the hospital.

Although Pacquiao dominated the bout, he told reporters at the post-fight press conference that he felt "lucky to have survived" the sixth round, when Margarito ripped a hard left hook to his rib cage that caused him to briefly double over in pain.

"The sixth round, he got me with a good shot. I mean, it was a really good body shot," said Pacquiao, who displayed several abrasions on his face. "It was really a pinpoint shot. It was very painful."

Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum, supported Koncz's assertions.

"The only injury that Manny had was to his ribs, and they were sore," said Arum. "Manny's hands were swollen, but that's to be expected with all of the punches he threw. So overall, there was nothing but superficial stuff."

Margarito's manager, Sergio Diaz, said that he suffered a fractured right orbital bone resulting from the damage of absorbing 474 punches overall, 411 of which were power punches, according to ringside statistics. Margarito (38-7, 27 knockouts) did not attend the post-fight press conference after losing to Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs).

Magarito was rushed by ambulance to Dallas Methodist Hospital, according to Arum, where the massive cut and swelling beneath his right eye socket were examined; Magarito will remain there through Tuesday, when he is expected to undergo surgery to repair the damage, Diaz said.

"Antonio suffered a broken right orbital. Unfortunately, the eye muscle is lodged in that fracture and needs to be surgically repaired," Diaz said in a text message to FanHouse.

"The doctor mentioned that it is a common injury and that there is nothing to be worried about," said Diaz. "Due to the swelling around the injured eye, the doctor cannot perform the surgery until Tuesday. He'll be hospitalized until Wednesday."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Manny Pacquiao fast, furious -- Boston Herald

By Ron Borges, Boston Herald

ARLINGTON, Texas - Speed, when properly used inside a boxing ring, is lethally destructive. It robs an opponent of any other advantage he might possess and strips him bare, exposing every technical flaw to an embarrassing extent.

If the difference is wide enough and the faster man possesses punching accuracy as well, an opponent’s face can end up looking like Antonio Margarito’s did Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium: swollen, bloodied and with eyes reduced to slits that made him look like someone nervously peering through closed venetian blinds at a menacing force against whom he knew he was defenseless.

The freakish force of nature that battered the three-time welterweight champion was Manny Pacquiao, a fighter so quick and powerful it seems the size of his opponent is immaterial.

By the time the two of them entered the ring to fight over the World Boxing Council super welterweight title, Margarito outweighed Pacquiao by 17 pounds. Since he also stood 4 inches taller and held a six-inch reach advantage, it seemed as if Pacquiao had no physical advantage. This was true only if you dismissed the leveling effects of hand speed, agility and superior footwork and boxing technique. In each of those areas it was no contest. Because of that, so was the fight.

Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) was dominant from the opening bell, winning a unanimous decision in which judge Jurgen Langos gave Margarito not a single round and judge Oren Schellenberger gave him only one. The third judge, Glen Crocker, scored it 118-110, a bit of kindness Margarito neither deserved nor earned. The Herald card read 119-109, giving only the ninth round to Margarito.

What Margarito did deserve was better from his cornermen, who refused to stop a one-sided assault that had his right cheek split open by the fourth round and both his eyes closing so tightly he could not see the punches coming in the final few rounds.

Referee Laurence Cole stopped the bout several times to ask Margarito how many fingers he saw. Cole’s fingers were not the problem. Pacquiao’s fists were and after a time Margarito could neither avoid them nor answer their call.

It has been said many times that Margarito is blessed with one of the best chins in boxing. That was proven again in front of 41,734 witnesses but rather than allow him time to wear down his opponent this time its sturdiness became a co-conspirator with Pacquiao in a savage beating that sent him to the hospital.

“He’s a very tough guy,” Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said. “I’m surprised how tough. I wish they had stopped the fight. He has the worst corner in the world. His corner probably ruined his career. I thought Manny carried him the last few rounds. Manny is a very compassionate person.”

His handiwork seemed to argue against that, but Pacquiao tried to convince Cole to protect his opponent even though Margarito’s corner refused to. In the 11th round, he turned to Cole and implored him to stop what had become legalized assault before buckling Margarito’s knees with a combination.

“My opponent looked bad,” an unmarked Pacquiao said. “I wanted the referee to stop it. I told the referee, ‘Look at his eyes! Look at the cuts!’ I didn’t want to damage him permanently. That is not what boxing is about.”

Immediately after the fight, however, Margarito (38-7, 27 KO) insisted the right thing had been done despite visual evidence to the contrary.

“There was no way I was going to quit,” he said. “I’m a Mexican. We fight until the end.”

Said Robert Garcia, Margarito’s trainer, “Manny is the best fighter in the world. He’s just too fast. Very, very quick. But Margarito is a warrior. He would not allow me to stop it.”

Who asked for his permission? As Margarito’s chief second, it was Garcia’s responsibility to protect his fighter. In that area he failed him miserably for this was the kind of beating that does not go away. It leaves a piece of you behind in that arena and it never returns.

As for Pacquiao, he headed to Lake Tahoe where he will continue a budding career as a cabaret singer. Then it’s back to Manila to renew his work as a newly elected congressman while awaiting a bigger challenge.

“I have a job to do in the Philippines,” he said when asked if his future might include a showdown with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Twice efforts to make what would be the biggest fight in recent history have failed. Now Mayweather faces a Jan. 24 court date in Las Vegas to answer domestic abuse charges that carry a maximum 34 years in prison. Promoter Bob Arum said he would look to make the fight but needed assurances a trial would not interfere with the promotion.

Many have insisted the reason the fight hasn’t happened is because Mayweather is afraid of Pacquiao. If he is, after Saturday night who could blame him?

Source: bostonherald.com