Antonio Margarito, Still Not Completely Out Of the Hand-Wrap Scandal
Antonio Margarito has not been completely out of the hand-wrap scandal yet which had earned him a ban from the boxing. However, the Mexican fighter is hopeful for sprucing up his image with a win against Manny Pacquiao from Philippine.
This is the first time that Margarito would be entering into the ring since he had been caught using illegal gloves, now the guy would be facing Pacquiao on November 13 for world boxing council 154-pound title in the Cowboys stadium.
“The time I have spent out of the ring had been quite hard, but I am happy that I have been given a great opportunity. All along these times I had great challenges to face, but they have also helped a lot in turning me into the boxer what I am today”
said Margarito while he was there at a boxing gym on Sunset Boulevard.
The spectators are hopeful to have an interesting fight between Pacquiao and Margarito. Though Margarito has an advantage in height (he is five inches taller than the rival from Philippine), in reach and in almost every tale of the tape category, except
in matching the past performances. Pacquiao has a record of 51-3-2 where 38 fights ending with giving the opponents knockouts. On the other hand, Margarito has 38 wins and 6 losses.
After the ban which was imposed on Margarito in 2009 amid using the illegal gloves against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles, this would be the first fight of the boxer which would take place on American soil. Though the boxer still cannot fight in states like
California, but the Texas has decided to give him a chance.
Pondering upon the preparations for the big event, Robert Garcia, the coach of the Mexican boxer said that his fighter was doing everything he could do to get ready for Pacquiao.
“Though we are left with just two weeks to go, we have done with all the trainings and we could be ready tonight. Margarito is right where I want to see him physically and mentally, and this is probably the best he has ever felt. Every day when we drive
back after running or training in the club, he confidently tells me that he is going to win the fight, I have never seen him like that ever before” Said Garcia.
On the flip side, situation is quite contrary for Philippine’s national hero Pacquiao as last week his coach Freddie Roach had said that his fighter was not completely into his training sessions, rather he was eager to give more time to the politics after
winning the elections for a seat of the congress. However, he was of the view that Margarito should not take Pacquiao lightly as this time he would not be allowed to enter into the ring with loaded hand-wraps.
Margarito, who has always taken the issue of illegal hand-wraps rather seriously, claimed that the illegal substance was put into his gloves by his then coach Javier Capetillo, while he himself was oblivious of their presence. However, these remarks of his
could not wave off the doubts of Pacquiao and Roach.
Airing his doubts before the media personnel Roach claimed that in many fights gloves of Margarito were loaded. “After a fight, what is the first thing that a fighter wants to do, it is to get rid of his gloves as quickly as possible, however, against
Cintron, he did not remove his gloves until he got to the dressing room, this was perhaps something which made me wonder,”
said Roach.
Margariot had beaten the favoured Cotto in just eleven rounds in a competition held in July 2008; it was just after knocking out Cintron in sixth round.
The fight between Pacquiao and Margarito would mark just the second world championship event at Cowboys Stadium, where Pacquiao had successfully defended his World Boxing Organization welterweight title by defeating Joshua Clottey.
The promoters of the fight are hopeful to sell over 50,000 tickets for the big fight which is going to be organized on 13th of November.
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