GRAPEVINE, Texas—Don’t blink when Manny Pacquiao tangles with Antonio Margarito on Saturday (Sunday in Manila). The fight for the vacant World Boxing Council super welterweight title could be over in less than three minutes.
Revising his earlier prediction that Pacquiao will win by stoppage either in the seventh or eighth round, renowned trainer Freddie Roach now hints at an abrupt ending—one that will be short and sweet.
“Don’t be surprised if this fight ends in the first round,” Roach said during Wednesday’s prefight press conference at the gigantic Cowboys Stadium in Arlington City.
Roach has cited the reasons for believing in a Pacquiao victory by knockout in his earlier statements, but this time he added yet another quotable one.
“He’s slow motion to me,” Roach said of Margarito, implying that the Mexican three-time champion will telegraph his punches and won’t be able to hit Pacquiao, who is noted for his blurring speed.
After scrutinizing the tapes of Margarito’s past fights, Roach noted that the Mexican “throws wild punches, makes too many mistakes, has too many bad habits” that Pacquiao could exploit.
Though Pacquiao, a seven-time champion looking for his eighth crown, is giving away 4 1/2 inches in height, 6 inches in reach and at least 10 pounds in weight, Roach said the 12-round showdown wouldn’t be difficult to win at all.
Roach said Briton Ricky Hatton showed the same flaws when Pacquiao demolished him in May 2009 in two rounds to rule the 140-pound division.
Although peeved by reports that Margarito and rising Robert Garcia Boxing Gym star Brandon Rios made fun of him as a Parkinson’s disease victim, Roach said they were not the reasons he was predicting a swift end.
He said Pacquiao had shown tremendous improvement in three weeks of training at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and at the Longhorn Exhibit Hall of the Gaylord Texan Hotel here.
“He (Pacquiao) fooled us,” Roach said. “Usually, he needs three weeks (to reach peak form). This time, it took him a little longer because of the distractions (in Baguio City). ”
Distasteful twist
Roach is convinced Pacquiao is 100-percent ready to add Margarito to his expanding list of Mexican victims.
The impressive victims’ roster includes Hall-of-Famers Erik Morales, who beat Pacquiao in their first fight but bowed in the next two; Juan Manuel Marquez, who held Pacquiao to a draw and a split decision in their two meetings; Marco Antonio Barrera, and Oscar De La Hoya, the face of boxing before Pacquiao came along.
The build-up to the fight took a sad and distasteful twist when a video surfaced showing Margarito mocking Roach.
The video, which was shot several weeks ago and appeared on Wednesday on YouTube, shows Margarito’s camp making fun of Roach, who shakes uncontrollably at times because of Parkinson’s disease.
In the video, Margarito makes a twisted face and raises a shaking hand for the camera before it pans to Rios, who also makes faces and stutters while saying Pacquiao’s name.
Half-hearted apology
The video has since been edited to remove Rios and make it appear as though Margarito is doing a scared impression of Roach, who has routinely questioned Margarito’s integrity following a hand-wrapping scandal nearly two years ago.
Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia, also takes part in the mockery by holding up a thick chunk of metal and telling Roach he’d better watch as Margarito’s hands are wrapped so that it doesn’t end up under the tape.
With Roach and Pacquiao sitting just a few feet away, Garcia took the podium at Wednesday’s news conference and issued a half-hearted apology, saying no one in the Margarito camp knew Roach suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
“This was nothing personal. Nothing to do with his disease,” Garcia said. “I apologize for people who think we are making fun of people with that disease.”
Keep Pacquiao calm
Pacquiao said he had not seen the video but found the idea distasteful.
“For me it is not good,” Pacquiao said. “We have to respect people. I am the kind of person that doesn’t like people talking about the personal lives of others.”
Roach said he didn’t confront Garcia on Wednesday for Pacquiao’s sake.
“I am doing it (staying calm) for (Pacquiao),” Roach said. “We’ve got a big fight coming up and I can’t get excited. He can’t get excited.”
“I’m not going to bother Manny Pacquiao with that,” Roach said. “Manny doesn’t hate anybody and so forth, but I do hate those guys.”
Roach has vowed to ban Garcia from his Wild Card gym. “(Garcia) certainly didn’t apologize,” he said. “I won’t speak to him ever in my life.”
Tarnished reputation
According to Roach, Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) and American Rios (25-0-1, 18 KOs) should watch what they say because he believes he got the disease as a result of his own boxing career.
“The thing is that this is something that boxers can get because it is trauma-related,” Roach said. “They (Margarito and Rios) are in the sport and they both don’t have good defenses. I just hope it doesn’t happen to them the way I have to live my life.
The mocking incident is another blow to Margarito’s already tarnished reputation.
On Saturday, the former world champion will step into the ring for the first time in the United States since he was slapped with a one-year suspension for using illegal hand wraps against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) has asked officials to allow him to send an extra person from his camp to Margarito’s dressing room prior to the fight to observe the taping.
‘He’s a cheater’
“I will watch him (Margarito),” Roach said. “I asked the (Texas) commission to have a person from my camp in their training room from start to finish, and they can do the same with me.”
Roach said his request had been approved. “I don’t trust those guys. He’ll do anything to win. He’s done it before. He’s a cheater.”
The bout will be Pacquiao’s second at Cowboys Stadium, where more than 50,000 fans are expected to attend along with an expected pay-per-view audience of 1 million or more.
In March at the $1.2-billion showplace, Pacquiao dominated Joshua Clottey from the opening bell to retain his welterweight title with a unanimous decision.
Pacquiao has since been elected a congressman, a job that initially seemed to be affecting his training for this fight. He even missed a day of workouts.
“Everything is back to normal,” Roach said, declaring Pacquiao ready for the fight. “It was never physical. It was all mental. His mental focus wasn’t there.”
Stripped of license
Both Pacquiao and Margarito fight under promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank banner.
Margarito, the former welterweight champion, was approved to fight in Texas after being denied a license in California and having another application in Nevada tabled.
Margarito hasn’t fought in the United States since January 2009, when a plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps before his fight with Mosley.
Margarito’s license, along with that of his former trainer, Javier Capetillo, were revoked for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision that was upheld by other states.
Margarito has repeatedly said he wasn’t aware of the substance found in his hand wraps.
“I wrap guys every day,” Roach said. “Believe me, if I put a rock in their hand, they would know it.”
Revising his earlier prediction that Pacquiao will win by stoppage either in the seventh or eighth round, renowned trainer Freddie Roach now hints at an abrupt ending—one that will be short and sweet.
“Don’t be surprised if this fight ends in the first round,” Roach said during Wednesday’s prefight press conference at the gigantic Cowboys Stadium in Arlington City.
Roach has cited the reasons for believing in a Pacquiao victory by knockout in his earlier statements, but this time he added yet another quotable one.
“He’s slow motion to me,” Roach said of Margarito, implying that the Mexican three-time champion will telegraph his punches and won’t be able to hit Pacquiao, who is noted for his blurring speed.
After scrutinizing the tapes of Margarito’s past fights, Roach noted that the Mexican “throws wild punches, makes too many mistakes, has too many bad habits” that Pacquiao could exploit.
Though Pacquiao, a seven-time champion looking for his eighth crown, is giving away 4 1/2 inches in height, 6 inches in reach and at least 10 pounds in weight, Roach said the 12-round showdown wouldn’t be difficult to win at all.
Roach said Briton Ricky Hatton showed the same flaws when Pacquiao demolished him in May 2009 in two rounds to rule the 140-pound division.
Although peeved by reports that Margarito and rising Robert Garcia Boxing Gym star Brandon Rios made fun of him as a Parkinson’s disease victim, Roach said they were not the reasons he was predicting a swift end.
He said Pacquiao had shown tremendous improvement in three weeks of training at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and at the Longhorn Exhibit Hall of the Gaylord Texan Hotel here.
“He (Pacquiao) fooled us,” Roach said. “Usually, he needs three weeks (to reach peak form). This time, it took him a little longer because of the distractions (in Baguio City). ”
Distasteful twist
Roach is convinced Pacquiao is 100-percent ready to add Margarito to his expanding list of Mexican victims.
The impressive victims’ roster includes Hall-of-Famers Erik Morales, who beat Pacquiao in their first fight but bowed in the next two; Juan Manuel Marquez, who held Pacquiao to a draw and a split decision in their two meetings; Marco Antonio Barrera, and Oscar De La Hoya, the face of boxing before Pacquiao came along.
The build-up to the fight took a sad and distasteful twist when a video surfaced showing Margarito mocking Roach.
The video, which was shot several weeks ago and appeared on Wednesday on YouTube, shows Margarito’s camp making fun of Roach, who shakes uncontrollably at times because of Parkinson’s disease.
In the video, Margarito makes a twisted face and raises a shaking hand for the camera before it pans to Rios, who also makes faces and stutters while saying Pacquiao’s name.
Half-hearted apology
The video has since been edited to remove Rios and make it appear as though Margarito is doing a scared impression of Roach, who has routinely questioned Margarito’s integrity following a hand-wrapping scandal nearly two years ago.
Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia, also takes part in the mockery by holding up a thick chunk of metal and telling Roach he’d better watch as Margarito’s hands are wrapped so that it doesn’t end up under the tape.
With Roach and Pacquiao sitting just a few feet away, Garcia took the podium at Wednesday’s news conference and issued a half-hearted apology, saying no one in the Margarito camp knew Roach suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
“This was nothing personal. Nothing to do with his disease,” Garcia said. “I apologize for people who think we are making fun of people with that disease.”
Keep Pacquiao calm
Pacquiao said he had not seen the video but found the idea distasteful.
“For me it is not good,” Pacquiao said. “We have to respect people. I am the kind of person that doesn’t like people talking about the personal lives of others.”
Roach said he didn’t confront Garcia on Wednesday for Pacquiao’s sake.
“I am doing it (staying calm) for (Pacquiao),” Roach said. “We’ve got a big fight coming up and I can’t get excited. He can’t get excited.”
“I’m not going to bother Manny Pacquiao with that,” Roach said. “Manny doesn’t hate anybody and so forth, but I do hate those guys.”
Roach has vowed to ban Garcia from his Wild Card gym. “(Garcia) certainly didn’t apologize,” he said. “I won’t speak to him ever in my life.”
Tarnished reputation
According to Roach, Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) and American Rios (25-0-1, 18 KOs) should watch what they say because he believes he got the disease as a result of his own boxing career.
“The thing is that this is something that boxers can get because it is trauma-related,” Roach said. “They (Margarito and Rios) are in the sport and they both don’t have good defenses. I just hope it doesn’t happen to them the way I have to live my life.
The mocking incident is another blow to Margarito’s already tarnished reputation.
On Saturday, the former world champion will step into the ring for the first time in the United States since he was slapped with a one-year suspension for using illegal hand wraps against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) has asked officials to allow him to send an extra person from his camp to Margarito’s dressing room prior to the fight to observe the taping.
‘He’s a cheater’
“I will watch him (Margarito),” Roach said. “I asked the (Texas) commission to have a person from my camp in their training room from start to finish, and they can do the same with me.”
Roach said his request had been approved. “I don’t trust those guys. He’ll do anything to win. He’s done it before. He’s a cheater.”
The bout will be Pacquiao’s second at Cowboys Stadium, where more than 50,000 fans are expected to attend along with an expected pay-per-view audience of 1 million or more.
In March at the $1.2-billion showplace, Pacquiao dominated Joshua Clottey from the opening bell to retain his welterweight title with a unanimous decision.
Pacquiao has since been elected a congressman, a job that initially seemed to be affecting his training for this fight. He even missed a day of workouts.
“Everything is back to normal,” Roach said, declaring Pacquiao ready for the fight. “It was never physical. It was all mental. His mental focus wasn’t there.”
Stripped of license
Both Pacquiao and Margarito fight under promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank banner.
Margarito, the former welterweight champion, was approved to fight in Texas after being denied a license in California and having another application in Nevada tabled.
Margarito hasn’t fought in the United States since January 2009, when a plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps before his fight with Mosley.
Margarito’s license, along with that of his former trainer, Javier Capetillo, were revoked for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision that was upheld by other states.
Margarito has repeatedly said he wasn’t aware of the substance found in his hand wraps.
“I wrap guys every day,” Roach said. “Believe me, if I put a rock in their hand, they would know it.”
