Follow 'dSource' on Twitter @itsDSourceBaby and on Facebook.
As promised, here is my full interview with Antonio Margarito's trainer Robert Garcia who took over Javier Capetillo after the latter's suspension over Margarito's hand wrapping controversy prior to his fight against Shane Mosley in January of 2009.
Check out the video below as Garcia revealed his reasons on taking on the disgraced Margarito. The well-spoken Garcia also talked about Margarito's Texas boxing license, the California commission mess, his game plan against Pacquiao and several other topics relating to their showdown in Dallas on November 13.
***
dSource - Good day Robert, thank you for taking my call on such short notice.
RG - No problem.
dSource - Alright, let's get down to business. Congratulations on Antonio Margarito getting his license in Texas, and what's your thoughts on that?
RG - You know, Texas did the right thing. He had his suspension in California for a year. A year went by. He (Margarito) respected the decision California had made and now this fight is happening. I believe California should've done the same thing but they decided not to so that's why Bob Arum and Top Rank went to Texas and is having the fight there.
dSource - You're one of the top trainers in the game right now. Tell me why you decided to take on Margarito who was coming off a very controversial situation and do you really believe he had no clue regarding those hand wraps from Capetillo?
RG - That's the reason why I did it. If you've fought before and if you've trained fighters, you know how the system works. People can comment and say that he's a cheater and he should've known, well I've fought 37 professional fights and my father was my trainer at the end of my career I had another person wrapping my hands, not one single time did I question the wrapping. I never asked what's in the wraps -'can I feel', 'can I see what's going on' - not one single time. 37 fights and I never questioned. Now that I'm a trainer, I've trained world champions like Steven Luevano, Brian Viloria, Nonito Donaire, Joan Guzman, I've wrapped so many times and again you know, not one single fighter have asked me that [...] I know that little by little we'll get back and maybe with good wins and good performances, people will come back and believe in him and believe that yea, there's a possibility that the fighter does not know what's going on in the hand wraps when the trainer is wrapping them.
dSource - Let's talk about the California hearing. They brought up the training and sparring license. Is that common and what do you think about that?
RG - You know what, it's the first time I ever heard about it and everybody I talked to, all the reporters, all the trainers, everybody was just laughing about that you know because it's something they just brought up. Obviously they were prepared and they already knew that they weren't gonna license him and make us feel bad with the laws they presented to us which like I said not one single person there knew about it and not one single person in the state of California know about it- having to have a license to spar. I guess they were prepared for that. They already knew their decision. I don't even know why they had him show up if they already knew their decision, but hey, they did that and now it looks like California will take another year before they can try him again.
dSource - How is Antonio doing right now? Have you guys started any training at all for the Pacquiao fight?
RG - Margarito never stops training. After his fights he takes a few days off, maybe a week off but then he goes back to the running and back to the gym right away. He's not back in my gym yet. We start are press conference here on Tuesday in LA and then go to New York, finish up in Texas, but following that we will start training camp. That would be 10 weeks before the fight, I think that would be enough [...]
dSource - There's some sentiments out there by fans that it's almost as if they're writing Margarito off against Pacquiao. What are your thoughts on that? I personally think it's going to be a war and by no means is Pacquiao a sure win.
RG - Like I said you know, after what happened with Margarito and the hand wrap thing, people just didn't like him or didn't like what he did so they just don't give him any chance. They think that (illegal hand wraps) was why he won his fights. What I learned from Margarito the last camp he was with me: He's a hard worker. He trains like it was his first world title opportunity. He trains harder than anybody. Man, it's unbelievable the way he runs and in the gym, so that's going to be a big advantage. He will be ready for the fight. Plus, I've been watching a lot of Manny Pacquiao's fights since his first losses, to Morales, to his last few wins. I've been studying him everyday, so I honestly, honestly see us having a big chance of pulling it out. Margarito is a bigger man. He has a big heart, he's got condition, he's got a good chin. Even though he lost to Mosley, people think that Mosley beat him up, people don't know him. The way I see Margarito, he had to come back down to 147, he had a hard time. Just walking to the ring you could see it in his face, it wasn't Margarito against Mosley. I think right now Margarito would beat Mosley.
dSource - What do you think is Margarito's best chance to beat Pacquiao? What does he have that might give Pacquiao a hard time?
RG - Margarito has the strength, the power, he's hungry to be the best and prove everybody wrong. He's the bigger man. He will get hit but he will just keep coming and coming and Pacquiao will get tired of just having Margarito on him and landing good shots and eventually you start landing good shots and start breaking him down.
Source: Examiner.com
