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Bob Arum has been talking up Manny Pacquiao's November clash with Top Rank stable mate Antonio Margarito lately, going so far as to say that the Tijuana Tornado will be Pacquiao's 'toughest opponent' yet.
To some extent it is of course Arum's job to say that every opponent his fighters are taking on will be their toughest opponent to date. Without at least the semblance of fights being competitive few casual fans would be interested in watching. But in this case though, he doesn't seem to be convincing too many people.
Antonio Margarito was a great welterweight at one time and might still be against most competition, but the fact of the matter is that his style and abilities simply don't match up well against Pacquiao.
Margarito has always been very easy to hit, and coupled with that he is a lot slower than Pacquiao. He does have a height advantage at his disposal but tends to plod forward hunched over rather than using it to his advantage. As the fight wears on Pacquiao will probably find he is fast enough to get in close, land from all angles and not take much back in return, as Margarito struggles to throw much back with any accuracy.
To make matters even worse, it doesn't sound like much progress has been made with regards to game plans in the Margarito camp. Speaking to Philboxing recently, trainer Roberto Garcia said:
"The world will see a different Margarito this time around. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to change him completely. If Manny wants to go to war, we will help him get his wish. Our focus is to box, but we are ready for a war if Manny wants to go there.”
Using Margarito's big height and reach advantages against Pacquiao would sound like a sound game plan if not for the fact that he has spend the rest of his career looking to brawl and pressurize. He had clearly been working on his technique against Roberto Garcia in his last outing, but there is a world of difference in a tune up fight and taking on one of the best fighters in the world.
Whether he has the patience, movement and ability to box Pacquiao for 12 rounds is far from certain, and if or when he does get caught the big question is whether he will revert to his old self again.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. tried something similar with Ricky Hatton in that he seemingly changed too much too soon, and the British brawler was finished within two rounds against the Filipino as a result. Granted he didn't really do as he was told and try to box Pacquiao that much but trying to fight differently to how you would instinctively is a lot harder than it sounds.
Margarito does have a great chin, as you can see from the fight above, and took some huge punches from Shane Mosley before eventually being stopped in the 9th.
The question for many fans is whether Manny Pacquiao can stop Margarito or merely win by decision, rather than who will win the fight. Anything less than an impressive stoppage given the style clash will not sit well with many people, although given the abuse Margarito can take that is still an impressive feat that not many could achieve.
Speaking to Ronnie Nathanielsz, Arum said:
“I really think Manny is going to win the (Margarito) fight but it will be the toughest, the most grueling fight he’s ever had and its going to be a sensational fight. This kid (Margarito) is going to throw a million punches from all different angles. He’s much bigger than Manny is, he has a great jaw and its going to be a great, great fight.”
The one thing Margarito will have is a big size advantage, and as the tallest fighter Pacquiao has ever fought coupled with the first in another new weight class, he will likely be much heavier on the night. Those championing Margarito's cause are saying that the key will be his ability to walk through Pacquiao's punches and keep him under pressure.
Source: Examiner.com
