US experts speak on Pacquiao-Margarito fight

BY JUN MEDINA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Boxing historian Bert Sugar is picking World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao over former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito in their November 13 fight at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Sugar, 73, and former publisher-editor of Boxing Illustrated and Ring magazine, told FanHouse.com’s Elie Seckbach in a brief video interview that Pacquiao is “too fast” for the bigger Margarito, a former three-time world welterweight titlist.

Sugar also thinks that Marga-rito “throws a lot of wild pun-ches,” which would create openings for Pacquiao to deliver his power punches.

But boxing commentator and trainer Teddy Atlas thinks Margarito would pose serious problems for Pacquiao because of his size advantage and power.

“As far as the fight goes with Margarito, I think that’s a dangerous fight for [Pacquiao],” told Percy Crawford of FightHype.com.

“I personally think Pacquiao could lose this fight. I think that you’ve got a naturally bigger guy. He is really the bigger guy because Margarito is a big welterweight. He’s a horse,” Atlas said in breaking Pacquiao-Margarito.

He said the 5’11” Margarito throws a lot of punches and is capable of hitting and hurting Pacquiao.

“[Margarito] presents a lot of areas of danger and real potential problems for Pacquiao that he hasn’t faced for awhile . . . The opportunity is there to hit this guy [Pacquiao],” Atlas said.

Atlas said that although Pacquiao has fought bigger foes before—Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey—none of them is as big as Margarito, who enjoys a five-inch height advantage and seven-inch reach edge over Pacquiao.

Atlas—a trainer who has worked with the likes of world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer, light heavyweight titlist Danny Lalonde and featherweight champion Barry McGuigan—said he finds the
Margarito fight too risky at this point in Pacquiao’s career, adding that there were less dangerous opponents available for him to fight and still make as much money.

“I’m not sure that if I was managing Pacquiao, that I would be saying, ‘You know what, at this point in his career, he needs to fight Margarito,’” Atlas said.

The HBO pay-per-view televised Pacquiao-Margarito will be for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight title (154 pounds) at an agreed catch weight of 151.

Source: manilatimes.net

Pacquiao to spar with Margarito clones

Act, look and box like Antonio Margarito.

These were the requirements trainer Freddie Roach had in mind while selecting the core of sparring partners he will be bringing in when he arrives in Manila on Sunday for the start of Manny Pacquiao’s training camp for the November 13 title fight with Margarito.

So far, all four fighters – from Vanes Martirosyan to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – appeared to be in the mold of the controversial 32-year-old Mexican who is a two-time world champion.

Martirosyan, Rashard Holloway and Glen Tapia are flying over with Roach. They will immediately proceed to Baguio City, where Pacquiao is going to hold fort for the first four weeks of his two-month-long training camp.

Chavez Jr. is expected to follow two weeks later.

Already in the country as early as Tuesday was conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Holloway, Martirosyan, Chavez Jr. and Tapia were carefully scrutinized by Roach, primarily for having the same built and height of Margarito, who at 5-foot-11 is the tallest opponent the 31-year-old Pacquiao will be facing in the ring.

With a 73-inch reach, Margarito also holds a six-inch advantage over the Filipino.

The 24-year-old Martirosyan is a Roach protégé from Armenia who carries a perfect 28-0 record, with 17 KOs. He stands 6-feet and like Margarito, also has a 73-inch reach.

At 5-foot-10, Tapia is the youngest of the four at 20 and is just beginning to embark on a boxing career with a 7-0 record (5 KOs).

A native of New Jersey, Tapia sparred with Joshua Clottey at the time the Ghanaian was training for his 2009 World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight duel with Miguel Cotto.

"Freddie was looking to give Manny a different look in this training camp," said Top Rank vice president of operations Carl Moretti.

"He was looking for a young, aggressive kid to give Manny something to think about, so that it’s not the same old thing. Glenn was the first kid that came to my mind. He’s built a little like Margarito. He’s right-handed, he throws a lot of punches and he’ll give it his all."

Holloway has sparred with Pacquiao several times and even served as the world pound-for-pound champion’s chief sparring partner during his 2008 showdown with the great Oscar De La Hoya.

The 29-year- old American is 11-1 (5 KOs) and stands 5-feet-10.

'Junior’, the son of legendary warrior Julio Cesar Chavez, who is regarded as one of the greatest boxers Mexico ever produced, was originally dropped as one of Pacquiao’s sparmates since Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was arranging a December 4 fight for him against Cotto.

But after negotiations broke down, Chavez Jr. was given the green light to follow the group in the country’s Summer Capital.

Chavez will still see action on the same date in December but opposite a lesser-known opponent. Now being trained by Roach, the Mexican stands 6-feet and boasts of a record 41-0, with 30 KOs. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV

Source: GMANews.tv

Margarito in Top Shape

By NICK GIONGCO
September 18, 2010, 9:09pm

MANILA, Philippines — The past couple of weeks, Antonio Margarito has been giving his trainer Robert Garcia a wide grin.

“His weight and his conditioning is remarkable,” Garcia told the Bulletin from Los Angeles on Saturday where they have been holed up at the South El Monte Boxing Gym.

Garcia is helping Margarito rev up for a Nov. 13 showdown with Manny Pacquiao and he is more than optimistic of pulling off a surprise come fight night at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Margarito starts the day jogging in the mountains and by next week, he will also do roadwork at the beach as the training camp shifts to high gear in Oxnard, which is about 40 miles north of Los Angeles.

Even the choices for sparring partners have been finalized and one of them would be Sergio Martinez, the Argentine world champion, said Garcia.

Pacquiao, whose last fight was a lopsided win over Joshua Clottey of Ghana last March, is a huge favorite going into the scheduled 12-round bout for the vacant World Boxing Council super-welterweight crown.

Meanwhile, Freddie Roach is arriving this morning from Los Angeles in preparation for training camp in wwBaguio City sometime in this coming week.

Roach will have two sparring partners with him.

Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz said Pacquiao, who is in General Santos City and should be back in Manila on Monday, plans to travel to the City of Pines either Wednesday or Thursday.

Source: mb.com.ph

Manny Pacquiao: Boxing is my passion, my life and my first love

In his regular column on Philboxing.com written in the local dialect, popular Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao says boxing is his passion, his life and his first love.
Pacquiao says he feels differently whenever he steps into the ring. He recalls when he watches his brother Bobby Pacquiao fights, he feels nervous and uneasy. But once he steps into the squared ring, he feels unusually different.
"Once I am up in the ring, my fears are transformed into excitement and joy because this is really the sport where I started my career and eventually built my fortune", Pacquiao said in his column.
"Boxing changes me", Pacquiao said. "Being a congressman and being able to help and inspire other people around me, completes me", he added.
In his regular column, Pacquiao talked about his forthcoming fight with giant Antonio Margarto in the junior middleweight division.
Pacquiao is aiming for his 8th title in eight different divisions, a feat that no other boxer in history has achieved in his professional career. Pacquiao is determined to be the first to break into this prestigious title.
Margarito is much superior than Pacquiao in terms of height, reach and general body built. The Mexican boxer enjoys five inches advantage in height and four inches in reach over the Filipino boxer.
Pacquiao's weapon against the giant boxer from Mexico is his speed and power. Pacquiao is currently a 4-1 favorite to win over Margarito despite his superior built and equally superior punching power.
In his message to boxing fans, Pacquiao said, he needs to take nutritious food and to maintain a balanced diet. because he needs to gain more weight for the junior middleweight division fight.
"My plate should always be full otherwise, my weight will fall and Margarito's edge will even get bigger on top of his reach and height advantages.
In boxing, taking care of my health is very important and a good foundation for my victory in the sport," he said
As he touches on the health issue of boxers, he shifted to his friend and former opponent Ricky Hatton of England who is currently having problems with drug addiction.
"When I learned about Ricky Hatton's addiction to illegal drugs, I felt sad because I considered him a friend. I know he is a kind friend and a joyful person outside the ring.
I wish Ricky can sort out his own life", Pacquao said. Don’t tell God that you have a big problem, but tell your problem that you have a great God".Pacquiao advises his friend Ricky. If we put God at the center of our lives, there's nothing impossible.
"Like in every training that I go through and whenever I put God at the center of whatever I do, I feel happy and I eventually get over the hardship even if I have to face a giant opponent," Pacquiao added.
Pacquiao is scheduled to face Antonio Margarito on November 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The popular Filipino boxer has started training in Manila ahead of the arrival of his trainer, Freddie Roach who is scheduled to arrive over the weekend to start formal training in Baguio, a mountain city located around 300 kilometers north of Metro Manila.

Source: digitaljournal.com

Pacquiao vs. Margarito the Fight that Fans are Most Eager For… Really?

ProBoxing-Fans.com has been running a poll to see which fight fans are most excited about for the fall. The results will come as surprising to many hardcore boxing fans, particularly those based in the United States. In overwhelming numbers, the results show that fans are most excited to see the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito bout. Could this really be true? According to our very unscientific survey, yes.

Here are the full results of the poll as of September 17th:

* Pacquiao vs. Margarito: 248 votes - 64%
* Miguel Cotto vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.: 51 votes - 13%
* Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez: 31 votes - 8%
* Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Michael Katsidis: 20 votes - 5%
* Arthur Abraham vs. Carl Froch: 19 votes - 5%
* Andre Ward vs. Andre Dirrell: 10 votes - 3%
* Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal: 9 votes - 2%

Of course, the Abraham vs. Froch bout is now postponed, and the Dirrell vs. Ward bout is in jeopardy, but nonetheless, the results are very surprising. Two thirds of boxing fans chose Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito as the fight they want to see most!

However, the numbers probably don't represent what most American boxing fans are interested in. In full disclosure of the poll, over the past 10 days, ProBoxing-Fans.com has received a very good share of its website traffic from users in the Philippines, who of course are all diehard Pacquiao fans. As boxing enthusiasts know, Pacquiao fans around the Internet certainly seem more likely to make their voice heard as well, posting comments, expressing ideas, and yes, voting in polls.

They are one of the most faithful and loyal fan bases there is. So while Pacquiao vs. Margarito gets the most fan support in our poll, there are still doubts as to whether this really represents the pulse of the boxing community elsewhere around the world, including in the United States, the UK and so on. This is just a fun, unscientific poll, but the fans' voices have been heard loud and clear.

Another surprise with the poll results was that Cotto vs. Chavez Jr. came in second place. For many American fight fans, the number 1 and 2 winners are more likely to be the number 1 and 2 fights in the "least looking forward to" category. However, the results are what they are, and the numbers don't lie. Those numbers overwhelmingly show that Pacquiao vs. Margarito is what fans are waiting to see.

So if you disagree with the results of this poll, then make your voice heard and vote, available on the right sidebar of this website. If you agree with the poll results, then go ahead and vote anyway and increase the huge lead that Pacquiao vs. Margarito holds on the other bouts. Thanks for participating in the poll, and we'll have another one up shortly.

Source: proboxing-fans.com

Pacquiao vs. Margarito tickets on sale Saturday at Cowboys Stadium Box Office

ARLINGTON, TX - Tickets for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito fight November 13th go on sale officially Saturday September 18th at the ticket office of Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Tickets range from: $700, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50.

Tickets can also be purchased by phone at 800-745-3000 or on line at
WWW.ticketmaster.com.

About 50,000 tickets were sold for the last Pacquiao card at the stadium March 13th and a bigger crowd is anticipated for this one because of the large Hispanic following of Margarito in North Texas.

In a 10 round fight, Kelly Pavlik will face Haitian Daniel Edouard. Pavlik, 36-2 (32 KO's) is a former middleweight champion while Edouard is 23-2-3 (14 KO's).

Dallas' own Roberto Marroquin, 15-0 (12 KO's) featherweight will face TBA.
Other fights are to be announced.
# # #

Source: Examiner.com

Chavez among Pacquiao’s sparring partners

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:01:00 09/16/2010

Filed Under: Boxing, Sports Events

MANILA, Philippines -- Unbeaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will join the training camp
of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in two weeks’ time, according to Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz.

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer after joining Pacquiao on a flight to his hometown of General Santos City on Thursday, Koncz said three spar mates have been scheduled to arrive with trainer Freddie Roach on Sunday morning.

The sparring partners are 29-year-old Rashad Holloway (11-1-2, 5 KOs), a welterweight prospect and a regular during Pacquiao’s training camps; unbeaten 24-year-old junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan (28-0, 17 KOs), who stands 6 feet tall; and 20-year-old prospect Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KOs) of New Jersey.

Koncz said the 6-1 Chavez made himself available after his Dec. 4 fight against WBO light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto was called off.

A different opponent for the 24-year-old Chavez (41-0-1, with 1 no contest) had been lined up by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum on the same date.

Koncz said he had spoken to Arum by phone and was told “Chavez will follow in two weeks. He will fight in December but it is not going to be against Cotto.”

Koncz said he had asked Arum to provide him with Chavez’s flight information and that he would meet him at the airport “so he sees a familiar face.”

Koncz said Pacquiao has scheduled his return to Manila on Sunday, in time for Roach’s arrival.
Team Pacquiao would set up training camp in Baguio City as originally planned.

“It is not working out here in Manila,” Koncz said.

Pacquiao’s congressional chief of staff lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal told Koncz that Pacquiao could skip some sessions in order to train for his Nov. 13 battle for the vacant WBC super welterweight title against Mexican Antonio Margarito.

Even House Speaker Sonny Belmonte had indicated it would be all right if Pacquiao missed some sessions.

Source: sports.inquirer.net

Team Pacquiao to Boost Baguio Tourism

By DEXTER A. SEE
September 16, 2010, 9:18pm

BAGUIO CITY — The upcoming four-week training in this city of boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, is a tourism-booster for the country’s so-called Summer Capital.

In an interview Thursday, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan told the Manila Bulletin that he believes Pacquiao’s return in this city to train for his fight against Mexican boxer Antonio Margarito in Texas on November 13 will attract tourists.

Domogan said Team Pacquiao’s stay in this city is a testament that it is safe to tour the Philippines, particularly this city, following the setback absorbed by the local tourism industry following the Manila hostage-taking last August 23.

Being the Pambansang Kamao and a well-loved boxer, the city mayor claimed wherever Pacquiao spends his training will be an added bonus in the promotion of his training venues, thus, the city government is thankful for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion’s decision to hold the first phase of his training in Baguio for the second time in his illustrious boxing career.

Last year, Team Pacquiao, with American trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, held a five-week rigid training in the city in preparation for Pacquiao’s showdown with then WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, whom he dethroned.

Domogan disclosed the city government will provide the necessary security preparations for Pacquiao’s upcoming training.

Considering that Cordillerans are also avid fans of the pound for pound king and are peace-loving individuals, the local chief executive assured the Pacquiao camp that they will make sure that he will smoothly conduct his training in the city in the next four weeks.

Source: mb.com.ph

MANNY PACQUIAO: I THINK HE [MARGARITO] KNEW

By Charlene May

Earlier today, Official Scorecard was in attendance for the kickoff of the press tour for the upcoming bout between Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) and Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO) slated for November 13, 2010. The bout, which remains untitled, is promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions. Top Rank Promotions has been bringing championship boxing to fans for over six decades. This bout continues the tradition into a new decade. Pacquiao versus Margarito will be held at Cowboy Stadium located in Arlington, Texas. The winner will claim the vacant WBC Super Welterweight title.

The shocker of the day occurred during the one-on-one interview sessions, when the quietly-reserved Pinoy idol, Manny Pacquiao, spoke freely in regard to Antonio Margarito's suspension. Without reserve, Pacquiao responded openly to a targeted question from a member of the press. Members of the press surrounded Congressman Pacquiao silent, as he responded, "of course, I believe he knew. He's (Margarito) the one who wraps his hands. This was in response to a question regarding Margarito's possible knowledge of the illegal knuckle pads in his handwraps prior to his bout with Shane Mosley in 2009.

Pacquiao, one of the Philippines’ newest politicians, put his newly-acquired political skills to use in softening his stance on the matter. Tracking back on his original statement, Pacquiao stated that Margarito may have, “made a mistake.”

Pacquiao did, however, say he would designate a representative to supervise the wrapping of Margarito’s hands on the night expected to be the biggest fight of twenty-ten.

Stay tuned for more coverage of today’s press conference from Beverly Hills, California. Be sure to follow Official Scorecard's Texas Showdown: Pacquiao vs. Margarito Blog, Updated Daily to keep fans informed of every hook and jab thrown by two gladiators of the sweet science.

Here's to hoping you're picking up what I'm putting down!

Source: officialscorecard.com

Pacquiao needs size to handle bigger Margarito

MANILA, Philippines – Seven-division world champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao said that things are going well for him despite his busy schedule of training for his upcoming fight and fulfilling his duties as a congressman.

“So far, so good naman ang scheduling at nagagampanan ko ang aking tungkulin sa aking mga nasasaklawang kinatawan sa Sarangani province (The scheduling is so far, so good and I am able to fulfill my duties to my constituents in Sarangani Province),” he wrote in his September 16 “Kumbinasyon” column on PhilBoxing.com.

Pacquiao kicked off his preparations early this week but his formal training will begin when boxing coach, Freddie Roach, arrives in Manila on Sunday.

He has been jogging and doing several rounds in the mitts to get ready for Mexican Antonio Margarito whom he will face on November 13.

“Excited na ulit akong lumaban sa magara at malawak na Cowboys Stadium sa Arlington, Texas kaya naman araw-araw na ang aking pagjo-jogging sa umaga upang magkaroon pa ako ng oras na kumain ng marami at magpahinga para sa sessions sa Congress sa hapon,” he said.

(I am excited to fight again in the massive Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas that is why I hold my jogging sessions everyday in the morning so that I will have time to eat a lot and rest for my afternoon sessions in Congress).

The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king also revealed that he is packing the pounds since he and Margarito will fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight belt. The catch weight limit for the two boxers will be at 151 pounds.

“Kung hindi ako kakain, babagsak ang aking timbang at lalaki ang kalamangan ni Margarito sa laki, taas at timbang. Sa boksing, ang pangangalaga sa aking katawan ang pundasyon ng tagumpay.”

(If I will not eat, my weight will drop and Margarito will have a huge advantage over me in terms of size, height and weight. In boxing, taking care of one’s body is the foundation of success).

The Filipino boxing superstar will be gunning for his record 8th title in 8 different divisions.

“Masaya ako dahil nagagawa ko ang dalawa sa passion ko sa buhay: ang boxing at ang manilbihan sa aking kapwa (I am happy because I am able to do two of my life’s passions: boxing and serving others),” he continued.

“Of course, boxing is my passion. This is my life. This is my first love… Boxing changes me. Being a congressman and being able to help and inspire other people around me completes me.”

Source: ABS-CBNNews.com

Donaire: Manny will last longer than Margarito

By Marjorie Gorospe, loQal.ph

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA— Though Antonio Margarito may be bigger, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire predicts Manny Pacquiao will prevail over the Mexican in the latter rounds of their November 13 title fight.

Pacquiao and Margarito will dispute the WBC super welterweight in their Las Vegas megafight. The Mexican is reportedly taller by about four inches over and has a longer reach than the Filipino ring hero.

“Magaling din si Margarito, malakas at matangkad but Manny has the intensity and speed and he will dominate the fight on the latter rounds,” says Donaire, who currently holds the WBA Super Flyweight interim title.

Donaire is a native of Bohol but he grew up in General Santos City like Pacquiao. Earlier this year, he expressed his willingness to fight in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Margarito bout but never heard word from his supposed opponent, Mexican bantamweight king Fernando Montiel.

Should this be the last fight for the “People’s Champ”, is Donaire ready to take on Pacquiao’s boxing legacy?

“Someone’s never ready for such big responsibility like Manny’s legacy but I would say that it is such an honor to represent the country. In every fight, I always say out loud that I am a Filipino and I will always be proud of being Filipino and a fellow of Manny (Pacquiao).”

At the moment, Donaire is taking time off to relax and indulge in his hobbies, including photography. “Right now, I’m just relaxing but once I have a date (of fight), I would go to gym and just focus,” he says.

Donaire also shares he is always willing to help promote Filipino boxers and wishes them all the success like him and Manny.

“You must always have the discipline because without it, nothing is accomplished. You must also have the heart to fight and work on it, believe that you can work for the things where you want to be.”

Photo by AP

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Glen Tapia: A Look At Pacquiao’s Chief Sparring Partner

Rising junior middleweight sensation Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. was supposed to make a trip to the Philippines along with Freddie Roach and crew to help seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao get into shape for the latter’s junior middleweight beatdown against former welterweight titleholder Antonio Margarito. But with Chavez’ looming bout in December versus WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, the Mexican superstar is advised to concentrate on his own training camp.

Chavez would have been the perfect sparring partner for Pacquiao for this particular fight, as the Mexican packs power and has the height that would really help Pacquiao and Roach to devise a plan on how to approach the Tijuana Tornado. With Chavez no longer part of the Pacquiao training camp, Roach tapped on rising light junior middleweight prospect Glen Tapia to take Chavez place.

Glen who?

Truth be told, this writer do not know anything about this young 20-year old kid from Passaic, New Jersey. So again, the cat took a look at Tapia and here are some of the tidbits about the guy whose main responsibility right now is give the Pacman serious sparring sessions for that November 13th date with Margarito.

Tapia’s professional boxing career spans nearly two years in a seven-fight winning streak, seven wins with five knockouts. As an amateur, Tapia’s record boasts of 143 matches, 130 wins against 13 losses. He also won the US Junior Olympics. He might be raw as a professional, but as a boxer, he certainly has the sport in his veins.

Despite his young age and less than 10 professional fights under his belt, Tapia is a sought-after sparring partner by the stars. Among the elite contenders who have tapped him to be their sparring partner include former champions Yuri Foreman, Joshua Clottey, Kendall Holt, Paulie Malignaggi, and the late Vernon Forrest. That’s a clear indication that this kid is going to be a somebody someday.

“Manny Pacquiao is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” said the young Tapia. “Going there and to spar with him is a blessing.”

Tapia is a come-forward fighter who also happens to be a volume puncher, which is the reason why he is chosen by Coach Freddie Roach to replace Chavez.

“I could pick a lot of things from him, like fight a strong lefty like him,” Tapia said on the kind of experience he expects from sparring with Pacquiao.

Tapia hopes that he could be like Pacquiao, and that fans would someday see him as Glen Tapia, a great boxer, and not just follow him for the moment because Pacquiao hired him.

“I fight hard. I go in there and give it my all, just like him (Pacquiao). I fight to give your money’s worth.”

From where I stand, this kid is brimming with promise.

Source: filipinoboxingjournal.com

Sergio Mora puts Mayweather vs. Mosley, Pacquiao vs. Margarito into perspective

A lot has been made of the fact that Shane Mosley dismantled Antonio Margarito prior to facing Floyd Mayweather earlier this year, and it is one of the most frequently referenced points made by those critical of the upcoming Margarito vs. Pacquiao bout in November.

But glancing at Mosley's record aside from his admittedly impressive win over Margarito reveals that really he hasn't done that much over the last couple of years to warrant the number three welterweight ranking that he has consistently held onto. More than anything overtly impressive Mosley has done, seemingly the fact that everyone below him in the division has done even less had kept him where he is, even after being dominated as he was in May.

Aside from the stylistic advantages Mosley already had over Margarito, the fact that the then WBA champion was staring down the barrel of a possible lifetime ban for having been found with loaded wraps has to have affected him during the fight to some degree. That isn't to say many fighters could have punished Margarito as thoroughly as Mosley did that night, but also that wasn't a Tijuana Tornado anywhere close to his very best either.

Setting Margarito aside for the moment, Mosley's last fight before that was a hard fought win over an aging Ricardo Mayorga, which was much closer than most were predicting. Before this, Mosley was beaten by Miguel Cotto, which takes us back all the way to 2007. So his recent resume isn't exactly packed full of huge wins.

Compare for example Antonio Margarito's record since 2007 and there isn't a huge amount of difference. While he has lost the same amount of fights, one to Mosley and the other to Paul Williams, Margarito has also picked up wins against Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron. Yet him fighting Manny Pacquiao is being called a disgrace by some while Mayweather against Mosley was celebrated and lifted the former back to the top of several pound for pound ranking polls.

Enter Sergio Mora, a fighter nowhere near Mosley in the rankings and also someone he should have a big stylistic advantage over if the 'Latin Snake' stays true to previous form and starts exchanging at some point.

If Mosley loses to Mora however, and looks as tired and apprehensive as he did against Mayweather, talk will undoubtedly turn to just how impressive that particular win was for Floyd.

Even if Mosley looks past his best against Mora, Mayweather's win will still have been an impressive one, and regardless of merit, he was still the number three ranked welterweight at the time. Aside from facing Manny Pacquiao, which still appears to be on the agenda for both fighters at some point but not without more mind numbing negotiations, there wasn't a higher ranked opponent he could have faced.

But if Mosley looks to be well past his best and loses to a fighter barely in the top 50 according to some ranking systems, then surely Mayweather will be in need of another impressive win in the near future in order to maintain his current ranking?

And equally shouldn't Pacquiao and Margarito be given the same kind of praise that Mayweather and Mosley were, given the striking similarities between Mosley and Margarito's recent records?

Bradley Thomas, Pittsburgh: "Ive been saying for ages that Mosley vs. Margarito didn't mean anything, I think people who don't like the fight are just pissed about the loaded hand wrap thing still"

Sean Phillips, Phillly: "Floyd vs. Mosley was a great fight and Pac and Margo is going to be a slaughter, they are in no way similar in the slightest"

Source: Examiner.com