Antonio Margarito was one opponent that others would have loved to hate. He was caught loading his hand wraps in 2003 and lost his license to box in California. In the days leading up to his title bout with Manny Pacquiao, Margarito's camp even made a video making fun of trainer Freddie Roach's Parkinson's Disease.
Yet in the end, Manny Pacquiao stayed true to character and took mercy on a bloodied opponent by pulling his hardest punches. His legion of fans wanted a knockout. Pacquiao settled for a unanimous decision.
Manny Pacquiao had already won seven world titles in seven weight divisions to achieve boxing immortality.
And on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Pacquiao annexed his eighth world title by battering Antonio Margarito to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight championship in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The fight went the distance, a full 12 rounds, but Pacquiao was in control from the opening bell until his last punches to Margarito's swollen, bloodied face.
Filipino gathered around the world to root for a knockout against Pacquiao's biggest opponent ever, the drama heightened by pre-fight suspicions of loaded hand-wrapping and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach's demand for a drug test for the Mexican.
Pacquiao staggered Margarito early, notably in the third and fourth rounds when a cut opened under the Mexican's right eye. But Pacquiao couldn't bring down his slower, bearish opponent, who possessed advantages in weight, height, and reach.
Margarito seemed to trap Pacquiao several times in the ropes or in a corner, but the Filipino would counter with a flurry of punches and dance away as if it was all part of the strategy.
Facing a brave but pitiful opponent in the last rounds, Pacquiao coasted to victory without going for a final-round knockout. Afterward, he even said that he had hoped the referee would stop the fight in the 11th round.
"Yeah, I took it easy," Pacquiao said after the fight, before plugging his next concert. - OMG/HS, GMANews.TV
No comments:
Post a Comment