Mayweather and Steward question authenticity of Margarito-Pacquiao bout
Yesterday a 13 November bout between seven-division titlist Manny Pacquiao and former titlist Antonio Margarito was confirmed by a number of boxing websites. While Margarito is still not permitted to box in the United States, it is expected that a ruling from the State of Texas, due Monday, will grant him a license. Reportedly a press tour for the fight is slated to begin in Los Angeles on 30 August.
Now that the bout is officially formalised, there’s some questions that are worth asking: for one, should this be a title fight, and two, what have these fighters done to deserve it recently?
Officially the bout will be for the vacant WBC light middleweight title, though, ironically, neither man will weigh the 154 pounds definitive of the division.
Robert Garcia, Margarito’s trainer, confirms: “We will weigh in at 151lb and I believe that Manny (Pacquiao) will actually come in at around 149lb.. But this is a good thing; we will be very strong and solid at 151 and I think that Manny will be good at 149 too. I just don’t want any excuses or people having a problem about the weight issue.”
The reality is, though, many people have problems with the weight issue. No less than well-known trainer Emmanuel Steward and Roger Mayweather, “Money” Mayweather’s uncle, weighed in on the topic and expressed dissent.
“Catch weights should be looked at especially with Pacquiao,” Steward explained. “He has been fighting guys, but doesn’t weigh in at the weight limit that he challenges them at. I think this should be addressed.”
The criticism is this: if a fighter wishes to move up to take on a heavier titlist, shouldn’t he have to fight him at the weight corresponding to his title? What Pacquiao has been doing isn’t necessarily a new trend in boxing, in the sense of a lighter guy challenging a heavier guy. But what is new is that Pacquiao is winning titles against guys that come down at meet Pacquiao at a “catchweight,” so neither weighs what they should for the division title. So how could they possibly fight for it?
Roger Mayweather discussed Pacquiao’s ascent: ““154 (pounds) is 154. Junior middleweight is junior middleweight. Period. Anyone saying anything different don’t know boxing. [Pacquiao’s] been fighting under weights that he challenges at. He didn’t fight Oscar (de la Hoya), Ricky (Hatton), or Cotto (Miguel) at 147. He’s always weighing in less and had them drain their bodies to make weight. It’s like cheating.”
The point is well-taken: Pacquiao did make these guys come slightly down in weight to a relevant catchweight. But could fighting at a catchweight be called cheating? If there are disadvantages for the heavier guy, there should also be for the lighter guy. In each case Pacquiao has had to put on some pounds himself, which means he should be a little slower and sluggish.
Mayweather laid it down. “Look. If you’re gonna challenge a [expletive] that’s in a higher weight class, then fight at the required weight or don’t challenge him at all and if you’re gonna fight for a title at a bigger weight class then respect that weight and title and fight at 154.”
“Catch weights don’t belong in title fights at all.”
Notwithstanding the catchweight issue, there are other legitimate concerns with this being a title fight. Mayweather was right on the money with addressing them as well. As he noted, Pacquiao has never fought in the division, not once, and Margarito’s only fought once (his last fight) at 154. Moreover, Margarito has spent the better part of a year fighting off a suspension for cheating.
Steward asked critically: “So how is this a title fight? How are they even ranked to have this opportunity to win a title at junior middleweight?”
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