HBO Faceoff reveals strained Pacquiao-Margarito relations
In countdown to Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito’s November 13 bout, a recent episode of HBO’s Faceoff featured the two camps and revealed strained relations, with Margarito asking if Pacquiao trainer
Freddie Roach perceived him as “crippled.”
In a discussion between the two camps mediated by analyst Max Kellerman, Margarito was asked if he knew about the illegal inserts that were found in his wraps prior to a Shane Mosley bout last year.
“Thousands of times I have said I don’t know,” Margarito replied, obviously sick of answering. “I’ll say it again, I had no idea. I never felt anything. Never had the idea I had anything on my hands.”
Earlier last month while on a press tour to promote the bout, Pacquiao said he believes Margarito must have known about the wraps. He added, however, that obsessing over the past offers no answers and
that all should instead focus on the future.
“What is my concern is he needs to train hard, I need to train hard and we have to do our best to make people happy. That’s what people want to see. The best fight, right?” Pacquiao said.
In characteristically blunt fashion, Roach said that he believes his fighter is going to knock out Margarito inside of eight rounds. The comment drew a smirk from Margarito, who said in response: “What,
does he think I’m crippled or something?”
Roach closed discussions by saying: “I saw your last two fights.”
Margarito was stopped by Mosley in the ninth round of a fight last year and more recently beat Roberto Garcia in a 10-round decision. Against Mosley, Margarito was visibly outpointed and beat to the punch
all night. The fight was in supreme contrast to Margarito’s previous fight against Miguel Cotto, where he handed the boxer the first defeat of his career.
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