Freddie Roach thinks Antonio Margarito is finished
Legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach believes that his fighter, Manny Pacquiao, may have closed the door on Antonio Margarito’s boxing career for good.
Following their weekend clash, Roach suggested Margarito will likely never fight again: ““I feel Margarito will never be a threat again because the punishment he took was too much for him to ever make a comeback," Roach told the Alternative Press from his
Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Roach, chosen as a four-time trainer of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, knows what he’s talking about. Not just from a training perspective, but a fighting one too.
Roach was advised by his own trainer, Eddie Futch, to hang up the gloves after losing a slew of bouts in his career. However, he decided to put on the gloves five more times, a decision he now regrets due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
In their bout, Pacquiao punished the bigger Margarito for twelve rounds, ultimately giving him a broken right orbital bone. While Margarito was expected to come out and be incredibly aggressive, his game plan was entirely erased by “Pacman,” who stood his
ground in the middle of the ring and simply outpointed Margarito.
Margarito was released from the Dallas Methodist Hospital Wednesday after facial surgery. He was reportedly in good spirits and couldn’t wait to return to the ring.
Immediately after the fight Roach suggested Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia, ought to have thrown in the towel after the eighth round. By round ten and eleven Pacquiao was gesturing at the referee to examine Margarito’s cuts and decide if the contest
should continue.
With the win Pacquiao took home his eighth-division title. The accomplishment made him a class unto himself in the boxing world.
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