The first two episodes of Pacquiao-Margarito 24/7 dealt with distractions in the Manny Pacquiao camp due to Pacquiao’s obligations to his politics and celebrity and Margarito’s quest for redemption.
In episode three the camera is zoomed out a bit and behind Margarito’s redemption bid we are shown in boxer Rashad Holloway what could be some of the lasting effects of Margarito’s hand-wraps scandal.
Holloway, who is currently working as a Pacquiao sparring partner training for his own fight on the undercard, was brought in to spar with Margarito in preparationfor his 2008 bout against Shane Mosley, a bout that would be known for Margarito being caught before the bout with an illegal substance, likened to plaster of paris, in his gloves. Holloway, in one sparring session preparing Margarito for Mosley was hit with a potentially career-ending punch to the right eye.
“I remember when I got hit,” Holloway said. “I can’t describe the feeling I felt but I remember that everything scrambled and I know something was wrong. I broke my orbital bone; the nerves and the muscles were damaged to the point that they were smashed.
Holloway, not sure if he would ever be able to fight again, then describes the feeling he had when information started coming out about Margarito’sillegal wraps. Holloway intimated that although he knew Margarito very well could have been using illegal hand-wraps in the sparring session that he (Holloway) wasn’t bitter or spiteful about it and also was not going to go around pointing fingers.
“It is what it is,” Holloway said.
As we are shown a close up of Holloway’s face, Antonio Margarito is voiced ominously over the shot.
“They can say what they want,” Margarito replied. “I have already had two years of it. My reply will always be the same. I don’t cheat and I’m going to prove it on November 13.”
Two things here.
Holloway seems honest in his recollection of the sparring incident. In the past Holloway has said that Margarito’s damaging punch “didn’t feel like a padded glove hit me. It was like a hard, solid impact. I felt like I had been hit with a bag of rocks.”
Holloway stated that “It is was it is” but he also seems to know what it wasn’t.
Secondly, Margarito’s claim that beating Pacquiao will somehow prove that he never cheated is akin to taking a test in high school with the student body watching you because you have been caught cheating in the past, claiming that this highly surveyed test will prove you never cheated on any test, never threw a stink bomb into the girls bathroom and never slipped a flask-full of whiskey in the prom punch bowl.
Basically, it is a ludicrous claim, and Margarito’s insistence that “my reply will always be the same” makes it seem that Margarito has hypnotized himself into believing that he never cheated.
HBO has shown in the first two installments of 24/7 a prideful Margarito ready to prove he is worthy of the sport he love, a family-oriented Margarito sharing time with loved ones and a funny Margarito who derides the hand-wraps incident as something farcical.
The Margarito shown in the third installment is a much different character. In the face of Rashad Holloway we see an Antonio Margarito who may have permanently ended or possibly derailed more than one career.
In the face of Holloway we see Miguel Cotto and Kermit Citron.
In the face of Holloway we see that maybe Margarito shouldn’t be given this chance. Maybe he is not deserving of redemption in the ring.
It is what it is?
Other Musings From 24/7:
– It seem Alex Ariza’s irritation from the last installment of 24/7 has boiled over. Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach is shown combative with Pacquiao prior to the fighter’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“Jesus Christ, Why did I even say anything man, I should have stayed here and kept quiet,” the clearly perturbed Ariza said after complaining of the heat spurring a response from Pacquiao telling Ariza to use common sense and take his coat off.
Ariza is shown later in the episode pontificating on the condition of Pacquiao.
“I think he is about 80 percent,” Ariza said. “Am I confident that I did all that I was supposed to do, no I am not.”
– Freddie Roach seems to have regained all his confidence in Manny.
“I thought this was going to be a tough fight,” Roach said during a training session. “I don’t think so anymore.”
–Margarito’s camp is seen bringing in a bunch of southpaws to imitate Pacquiao and trainer Robert Garcia talks a bit about different strategies to use against a southpaw. The strategies are then thrown out the window when it is revealed Margarito’s focus in the fight will revolve around pressure and physical dominance.
With the lack of strategy, Margarito’s camp might consider substituting the Vaseline in the corner with liquid cement.
–Line of the episode easily goes to Freddie Roach: “He thinks he’s a tornado, the fucking real tornado is coming.”
Source: boxingdispatch.com
