Former champion Brian Viloria worried about Manny Pacquiao
Former world light flyweight ruler Brian Viloria expressed his concern with compatriot Manny Pacquiao who is set to face Mexican warrior Antonio Margarito in a 12-round WBC super welterweight
title bout on 13 November at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
Viloria, who scored an emphatic seventh-round knockout win against Liempetch Sor Veerapol on 5 November in the Philippines, said that Margarito will not be an easy prey for Pacquiao because
the Mexican slugger is a workhorse like the Filipino champion.
“I’m worried,” said Viloria. “I’ve trained and jogged with Margarito. We used to work out together with trainer Robert Garcia. He is like Manny in the gym. He punishes himself to the limit.”
Viloria also believes that Margarito is very eager to vindicate himself after he was punished for an alleged cheating during his fight against Shane Mosley, when a plastic-like substance
was found in his hand wraps. And a fair-and-square win over the pound-for-pound king will definitely vindicate him.
“Margarito is determined, possessed and obsessed,” said Viloria. “He knows a win over Manny will turn his life around. Manny should not think this fight would be like his fight against Oscar
de la Hoya. Margarito may be as tall as Oscar but he’ll be a lot more competitive.”
Viloria’s corner-man, Ruben Gomez, also had the same assessment, saying that Pacquiao will be in a big trouble if he will take Margarito lightly on Saturday 13 November.
“I see this as the toughest fight in Manny’s career,” Gomez said. “I recently saw Margarito training in Los Angeles and he looked good. He was running up and down the hills to build his stamina.
He’ll be in good shape.”
Gomez also added that Margarito will not have any problem reaching the 150-pound weight limit because he has already learned a lesson during his fight against Mosley, where he had to shed
a lot of weight after gaining 40 pounds since defeating Miguel Cotto in 2008.
Although he had good words about Margarito, Gomez believes that if Pacquiao will stay focused and will be in good shape come fight night, there’s no way the “fighting congressman” will lose
in one of the biggest fights of his colourful boxing career.
“This is a 50-50 fight and I think it’ll end in a knockout, but if Manny’s in shape, there’s no way he’ll lose,” Gomez said.
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