Freddie Roach and Robert Garcia make up following dispute
Trainers Freddie Roach and Robert Garcia have reconciled followed a bitter video that saw Garcia making fun of Roach’s Parkinson’s disease.
The story tore through the boxing world in recent days in light of an upcoming weekend bout between Manny Pacquiao, trained by Roach, and Antonio Margarito, trained by Garcia.
The two will face off at the Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the year’s most anticipated boxing match.
Both camps have engaged in verbal assaults on HBO’s 24/7 television program, but few felt lines were crossed as they were after team Margarito’s recent comments.
Chagrin was compounded by the fact that Margarito originally said he didn’t know about Roach’s Parkinson’s, inspiring insiders like Bad Left Hook’s Scott Christ to suggest he meant to dupe the boxing world.
For many the response was a bit too similar to one made after a 2009 hand wrap controversy.
Hardened inserts were found to Margarito’s wraps prior to a bout with “Sugar” Shane Mosley in January 2009. Margarito has maintained his innocence and ignorance in the matter, shifting blame on former trainer Javier Capetillo.
When asked how the inserts got in his wraps, Margarito effectively said the equivalent of ‘I don’t know.’
Against Pacquiao, Margarito hopes to utilize his height and reach advantage. Pacquiao will be the heavy favourite, and for justified reasons. He is the pound-for-pound top fighter in the world, following monumental wins over the likes of Oscar De la Hoya,
Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and Joshua Clottey.
Margarito, not known his speed, will have to tire the energetic Pacquiao and punish him with heavy shots to stand a chance. It is likely he will have a hard time doing it, and will absorb his fair share of leather by the end of the night.
Margarito believes that a win will redeem him in the boxing world for controversies of the past.
Tags: