I have spent some time with Antonio Margarito and his team in October, and there is no doubt that they are focused and working hard. Tony Margarito knows all too well the magnitude of this fight and what a victory would do for his career. The gym atmosphere was great and trainer Roberto Garcia has his fighter about as ready as he can possibly be.
Defeating Manny Pacquiao is no small order though. Even with a training camp littered with distractions,
Manny Pacquiao will show up on November 13th, and he'll be looking to put the former 3 time world champion to sleep. Margarito will have to weather the storm in the early rounds, and he will have to use his defense to minimize as much damage as he can. If Margarito can survive with minimal damage and get into the middle and later rounds, he has a small window of opportunity to pull off a monumental upset. Pacquiao relies on his speed and he throws those quick combinations that wear down his opponents. Margarito has a solid like a rock chin, so it will take a plethora of punches that will have to land on their mark to wear him down.
Margarito is no Joshua Clottey. When Joshua Clottey fought Pacquiao he did not fight to win, he fought to survive. Antonio Margarito will not enter the ring with this mindset. When Margarito enters the ring he will have victory on his mind and he will fight hard, and he will throw a lot of punches.
How will he deal with Manny's speed? This is no small task, and the speed of Manny Pacquiao will be a big issue. If Margarito does not have success in blocking Pacquiao's onslaught of punches it will not bode well for him. He must utilize his defense, and he must get out of the early rounds with minimal damage. If Margarito is bloodied up and swollen by the 5th round, it's going to be a long night for him. If he can make it into the middle of the fight and have his legs, he has a chance to use his size and reach to throw Manny off of his game. Margarito will need to make this a street fight of sorts.
I spoke to Charles Lindsey, a 79 year old boxing fan from Mendenhall, Mississippi yesterday. He still follows the sport of boxing, and had some interesting points. Lindsey feels that Margarito can win this fight, but he will have to use his size and strength. Lindsey explains, " If I were in Margarito's corner, I would tell him to bust Manny Pacquiao on his hips, his elbows, his chest, his stomach, everywhere. Margarito needs to slap the nice out of that guy! If he can muscle Pacquiao and lay some leather on him, he has a shot."
Yes, yes, this is all well and good on paper, but when you try to apply these tactics on a killing machine like Pacquiao, it's easier said than done. Manny is going to be moving in and out, in and out, and while he's in, Margarito is going to eat leather each time. He must, must, must be able to block these shots as much as possible.
November 13th is the day the boxing fans have been waiting for. A Pacquiao win will just add another notch to his already hall of fame career. A win for Margarito will turn boxing on its head, and really stir the pot.
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