Margarito training like a mad man ahead of Pacquiao fight

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Training for the fight of his life, Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito will step up his sparring to 10 rounds this week, up from the eight-round schedule he had every other day last week.

Robert Garcia, Margarito’s chief trainer, said that the Mexican-American brawler is so focused on his preparations, he has not missed any of his tough daily routines—one hour road work Monday to Saturday, and at least two-hour gym workouts in the afternoon, including sparring with four different sparmates every other day.

“I’ve never seen a fighter train this hard,” Garcia told The Manila Times by phone from Oxnard, California. “He’s pushing himself to the limit and we expect him to be in the best shape ever for his fight with Manny Pacquiao.”

“Last week we were doing eight rounds every other day, but on the last day of sparring, Tony wanted an extra round so he went nine rounds. Next week we’re ready to go 10 rounds,” said Garcia, with just four weeks before the November 13 Pacquiao-Margarito showdown at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

He said that Margarito trains Monday to Saturday and takes Sundays off, almost the same routine as Pacquiao’s.
Garcia said that Margarito knows what it takes to be up against Pacquiao, considered the the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound.

“Tony [Margarito] has very high respect for Pacquiao, but we are not intimidated by him. We know he is fast and he has power, and we are preparing for whatever he brings to the table,” said Garcia, who is best remembered by Filipino fight fans as the trainer of Filipino world champions Nonito Donaire Jr. and Brian Viloria.

He said that their answer to Pacquiao’s speed and explosiveness is to keep him under constant pressure from the opening bell.

“Margarito will get hit, but he can hit back as well. I know [Pacquiao’s trainer] Freddie Roach is devising strategies for Pacquiao, but we have our own strategy. We’ll see. The better man wins” said Garcia, a former super featherweight (junior lightweight) world champion.

“That’s why boxing is so exciting because it is full of surprises, and I think we are ready to shock the world on fight night,” he added.

Ready for war

If Margarito’s almost daily one-hour road work are any indication—two days in the beach, two days in the park and two days in the mountains—the Tijuana Tornado is ready for a long night.

He said that a key component to their preparation is improving Margarito’s defense by moving his head and keeping his hands up all the time.
Garcia said that they want to take Pacquiao to the middle rounds, gradually break his game and then stop him in the 10th or 11th round.

“But when you put Margarito and Pacquiao in the same ring, you can’t really say what to expect,” said Garcia. “One thing I’m sure of, Tony has a big heart, he knows the stakes and he’s ready for war.”

Garcia has nothing but good words for Roach, who he said is the best trainer in the world today.

“Freddie is a real professional. My fighters and I have worked with him during workouts at Wild Card Gym and we have no complaint,” he said. “This fight against the best fighter in the world and the finest trainer in the game is a real challenge to us.”

The 35-year-old trainer also has very high regard for Pacquiao and what he has done for his country.

Garcia said that he has been to Manila twice—first when his top fighters Donaire and Viloria scored convincing wins on April 19, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum, and again in January.

“I like the Filipinos. They treated me well when I was there twice,” Garcia said. “Maybe they will hate me when we shock the world on November 13. But it’s my job [to train Margarito to win], nothing personal, really.”

Source: manilatimes.net

Antonio Margarito's Filipino Fan Favors Him Over Manny Pacquiao

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

As he prepares in Baguio City of his native Philippines under four-time Trainer of the Year, Freddie Roach, WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) is the pride of his nation heading into his Top Rank Promotions, HBO pay-per-view televised Nov. 13 clash with ex-titlist Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) for the vacant WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) crown.

But as Margarito trains for their bout in the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy run by his trainer by the same name, the Mexican-born fighter has the support of at least one Filipino fan who believes that he will defeat Pacquiao and prevent him from earning his eighth crown in as many different weight divisions.

That fan is Master Garcia, who is not related to Robert Garcia, who runs a martial arts studio adjacent to the boxing academy. FanHouse spoke exclusively with Master Garcia, a martial arts instructor who also trains the USA National Team.



Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Pacquiao vs. Margarito Face-Off Preview: Tension Builds Between Roach and Margarito

Before every big HBO fight, HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman has a meeting with the boxers during the press tour to get their opinions on the upcoming fight and their thoughts on their opponent.

In this installment of HBO Face-Off: Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito, Kellerman also interviews the trainers Freddie Roach and Robert Garcia, who sat side by side with their fighters.

During the face-off, Kellerman touches on a particular subject that remains controversial, the issue of the illegal handwraps that Antonio Margarito was caught with before his loss to Sugar Shane Mosley, which later caused him to get a year long suspension by the state of California. Margarito says he didn’t know the handwraps were loaded by his former trainer, but his opponent Manny Pacquiao thinks otherwise and believes Margarito knew what was in his wraps.

The preview ends off with an awkward moment, as Freddie Roach looks at Antonio and tells him Manny Pacquiao will knock him out inside of 8 rounds, causing Antonio to laugh at Roach’s prediction. The full segment of Face-Off Pacquiao-Margarito will air on HBO in the coming days.

HBO 24/7 Pacquiao/Margarito premieres October 23, 2010. The Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight is on November 13, 2010 on HBO PPV at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Watch HBO Face-Off Pacquiao-Margarito with Max Kellerman:


Source: nowboxing.com

Roar is fading for old lion Bob Arum

There is a heaviness to Bob Arum these days, to his walk and his voice, as if a cassette recording was just a touch low on juice.

On Monday, he was at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A., doing what he has done since 1965, trying to sell tickets and pay-per-view buys for a boxing card.

This one features Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and two other title fights in Anaheim on Dec. 4.

"And, don't forget, we've priced these seats right because of the way the economy is," Arum said, dutifully rasping into the microphone. "Almost every seat will be either $50 or $30. So I think it's going to be a great crowd and a great night of boxing."

Arum had a decent audience in the ballroom, but not like the old days. No longer does every major newspaper in the nation employ a full-time boxing writer. It is a website-media sport now. ESPN, which sets the agenda that most sports editors heed, basically ignores boxing.

There are two real stars now, and thanks to Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s erratic and allegedly lawless behavior, they are not scheduled to meet.

The other is Manny Pacquiao.

He will fight Antonio Margarito in Cowboys Stadium on Nov. 13. That fight, although not Pacman-Mayweather, was significant enough to prompt the requisite 24/7 preview series from HBO, and a nationwide media tour, just like the old days.

The tour began at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Aug. 31.

Two days before, someone at Top Rank, Arum's promotional company, took a call from Seattle.

It was a Monday, and the news was that John Arum, Bob's 49-year-old son, had been missing all weekend.

He was an environmental attorney, and he had been climbing Storm King, in his campaign to climb the 100 tallest mountains in the state of Washington. Sunday was his 11th wedding anniversary.

The Top Rank employee who took the call went to Bruce Trampler, the company's matchmaker.

"We're going to have to take care of The Chief," Trampler said.

Through the shock, Arum kept asking two questions. What's the best-case scenario? What's the worst-case scenario? He was told that John might have gotten hurt and was waiting for help. That was the best case.

Arum immediately flew to Seattle to be with John's wife, Susan. On Wednesday, searchers found the backpack and on Friday they found the body.

The memorial service was last Saturday.

"It was wonderful," Bob Arum said at the Biltmore, sitting at a table, making sure that his companion sat by his right ear, the one that hears.

"He had done a lot of work with Indian tribes. There were representatives of four of them. Usually, each one has a different person to pay tribute to that they adopt. All four had designated John."

John Arum devoted much time to securing fishing and hunting rights for various tribes. Bob remained proudly bemused over his son's original career choice.

"He grew up on 72nd Street and Seventh Avenue in New York," Arum said. "Then, when he was a teenager, he went to a wilderness camp one summer. That was it. He wanted to be outside from that day on. He went to Reed College, in Portland, and began working on his career. I don't know where he got it."

Arum is 78. To stay atop the treacherous boxing game for that many decades takes a level of ferocity that recedes with age.

But without Mayweather-Pacquiao, where does he go?

"With all his legal problems and after that ridiculous, racist rant of his (on video), I don't know if it happens," Arum said. "It certainly looks like Floyd doesn't want to fight him. I just think he would feel a lot of emotional trauma if he lost his zero (as in his 41-0 record)."

For the first time Arum is not completely dismissing a Pacquiao-Paul Williams fight, although he isn't endorsing it, or a fight with Tim Bradley, provided Bradley gets healthy and beats Devon Alexander.

But at some point Pacquiao will walk out of the room. That might be the day the lights finally go out.

In 2002, Arum survived a plane crash at Big Bear Lake and then boarded another plane to Las Vegas because "the odds are with me. It can't happen twice in one day."

A couple of years ago, he described Edwin Valero and Hugo Chavez "as two idiots from Venezuela," and when the audience gasped, he bellowed, "I'm 76 with a bad ear. I can say anything I want."

Perhaps that lion will roar again. On Monday, Arum passed Trampler in the hall and asked if he wanted a lift to Vegas.

"Private plane," Arum said, temptingly.

"Nah, I enjoy driving four hours in the rain," Trampler said.

Arum grinned and waved him off, then slowly walked down the hall, 12 rounds at a time.

Source: ocregister.com

Price of knocking Manny Pacquiao down just went up 100 percent

The price of knocking Manny Pacquiao down has just gone up.

After Coach Freddie Roach offered any and all Pacman sparring partners in Baguio a bounty of $1,000 if they can score a knockdown with the big gloves and protective headgear in the Shape Up Boxing Gym inside the cozy Cooyeesan Hotel in the strawberry capital, agent Michael Koncz decided to match the trainer's offer.


"I raised the stakes, the ante a little," Koncz just told me by phone from Baguio, where it was late Saturday night.


"I pushed Freddie's bounty up to $2,000, so let's see if any of these guys can collect."

This is said to be the second training camp in which Coach Roach has offered the bonus money but so far no one has cashed in.

In camp with Manny noware Michael Medina, Glen Tapia, Vanes Martirosyan and world champ also trained by Roach, Amir Khan. (Actually, Glendale, Calif., based Martirosyan, who fights Pawel Wolak Dec, 4, is said to be in the air.)

Martirosyan, who is trained by the ubiquitous Roach and is angling for a big bout, proclaimed himself most likely to grab the bonus money.


"I respect Manny a lot and I have learned a lot from him. He is a great fighter but I feel I am up to the challenge," Martirosyan continued. "That is why I always say I want to fight the best. I want to prove how good I am. It doesn't get much better than sparring with Manny Pacquiao. I hope some of these other champions man up and accept my challenge," Martirosyan told Boxingscene.

There continues to be skepticisim as to whether Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is flying to the Philippines to join the happy campers.
Koncz said that Baguio Media Day remains set for Monday, Oct. 18 and that Bob Arum, winding up a humanitarian visit with a group from his Las Vegas temple in Cuba, will be in attendance.

Right now, though, Arum is playing Our Man In Havana.

The Canadian agent also said will leave the mountain air of Baguio Oct. 22 and shoot down to Manila where he may train just one day before flying to Los Angeles. Baguio is a five hour drive from Manila.

Pacquiao will wrap up his training at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and then just taper off when they get to Arlington, Texas, for the Nov. 13 Cowboys Stadium bout against Antonio Margarito.

Koncz also reported that Pacman's previously sore left foot is fine and that a sinus headache/cold has subsided.

"It's been a solid camp so far," Koncz said. "Trust me, Manny is not taking Margarito lightly, not at all. Manny is very focused, as focused as I've ever seen him."

Unlike their previous camp in Baguio, before the Miguel Cotto bout, Koncz and conditioning guru Alex Ariza have not engaged in any "unofficial sparring" of their own.

No one gets any bonus for knocking Mr. Koncz down, especially if he is wearing his Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens goalie's mask which is made of reinforced vulcanized rubber mixed with bulletproof Kevlar.

Source: Examiner.com

Pacquiao beats virus, continues to train

It was Manny Pacquiao’s turn to allay fears of trainer Freddie Roach and his team that he was in no shape to complete his second week of altitude training in Baguio City.

Showing all is well following a brief bout with flu that cancelled his scheduled workout Wednesday, the Pacman appeared at the Shape Up Gym inside the Coyessan Hotel yesterday for his scheduled sparring that had Roach smiling from ear-to-ear after a three-hour session.

“He was still gasping for air, but that’s explainable after suffering from cold and slight fever the day before,” Roach said. “He’s okay and I’m sure we can recover lost time by week’s end.”

Pacquiao, who will be facing Mexican Antonio Margarito Nov. 13 in Texas for the vacant World Boxing Council superwelterweight title, sparred three rounds each against junior-welter Glen Tapia and junior-middleweight Michael Medina and looked still tired.

As Roach promised, a stricter measure to avoid fans entering the gym despite having the doors closed, was implemented with no allowed one inside, except his handlers.

Even the HBO television team filming the training for its 24/7 program was barred from entering the gym during sparring.

The four-time ‘trainer of the year’ honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America did not say whether he will push through with his plan to impose curfew on all members of Team Pacquiao to avoid anyone from contacting virus prevalent in the rainy season.

Roach blamed Pacquiao’s contact with so many persons inside and outside the gym as well as in basketball court as reason for suffering from slight flu.

That raised the seven-division champ’s total sparring rounds to 14 counting the eight he did in the first two days with Tapia and Medina, which Roach said was just enough to reach their target before the slated date for his duel with the tough, hard-hitting Mexican set at the Texas Cowboys’ Dallas Stadium in Arlington.

“That’s just right. We don’t intend to cover 150 rounds which we did last year in our preparation against (Miguel) Cotto anyway,” Roach said. “We’ll be making less than 150 rounds in this fight. Maybe 110 or a bit more.”

Short stretching session with physical conditioning coach Alex Ariza and a brief shadow boxing completed the day’s work. To preserve his ward’s strength, Roach canceled doing the routine mitts.

Among those admitted during the workout was Pacquiao’s Wild Card stablemate Amir Khan who flew in yesterday from Los Angeles.

Contrary to earlier reports, Khan will be here to train with Roach for his coming fight this December and not as one of Pacquiao’s sparring partner, although if and when the need arises, he might also utilize his younger ward.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao back in training

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is back in the gym after missing his workout Wednesday due to a cold. Pacquiao did four rounds of sparring with super welterweight prospect Michael Medina and another two rounds with the undefeated Glen Tapia. A contented Freddie Roach said there was no cause for him to be concerned after seeing Pacquiao do his usual routine which lasted for nearly three hours. And based on the testament of one of his sparring partners, Pacquiao will be a tough opponent for the physically bigger Antonio Margarito of Mexico once they meet on November 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Medina said the Filipino sensation possesses not only the speed but also the power that will lead him to success in his first-ever stint as a 154-lb fighter. Pacquiao has dominated the sport of boxing by being a skinny world champion at 112lbs to a dynamic 147-lb kingpin. According to Medina, he was awed with Pacquiao’s tremendous timing in throwing punches that is made more potent by the Filipino’s ability to combine it with blinding speed.

Dennis Principe

Meantime World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight champion Amir Khan arrived in the Philippines Thursday morning and immediately went to Baguio City to be at the Pacquiao training camp. Khan said he will be in Baguio primarily to train under Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Khan is preparing for his title defense against the once-beaten Marcos Maidana of Argentina on December 11 in Las Vegas. The 23-year-old British sensation however would be willing to spar with Pacquiao if Roach asks him to do so.

Source: fightnews.com