MARGARITO’S TIME HAS COME, HE WILL KO PACQUIAO!

By Chuy Marco

Manny Pacquiao, the man they call the “Mexecutioner” will no longer be proud to carry that nickname because he will be wiped out by the “Tijuana Tornado” Antonio Margarito on November 13 in Texas.

I boldly say this as a fan of boxing that the Mexican to defeat Pacquiao is Antonio Margarito.

Juan Manuel Marquez is too small for Pacquiao, but Margarito’s size and power will be his key to victory over the Filipino fighter who made a name for himself by beating up aging Mexican legends.

I saw the stream of the Los Angeles “Pacquiao vs Margarito” press con and Manny Pacquiao looks like a Kindergartner compared to Margarito. The size alone was enough to make my prediction on the outcome even more solid.

Also the strategy that Team Pacquiao, specifically Freddie Roach is trying to use of dehydrating the fighters or draining them will not work on this fight because Margarito can easily make 151-pounds catchweight.

The smile and confidence on Pacquiao during the press conference was almost disrespectful to his opponent. Margarito will wipe the smile off of his face for sure when they step in the boxing ring at Cowboys stadium.

Remember, the Pacman has never had someone who will move forward to him, everyone he fought was scared to push him back, Margarito fears no man in that ring and he runs from nobody.

This fight will be a replay of the Antonio Margarito vs Miguel Cotto fight and after the fight it will clear Margarito’s name and bring honor back to Mexican boxing when they see Margarito slay the Mexecutioner Pacquiao, and that Antonio didn’t have any plaster in his gloves on November 13 and he beat the best pound-4-pound fighter in the world without cheating.

Next, bring on Floyd Mayweather Jr.! Stop running from the Tijuana Tornado!

credits: nowboxing.com

Pacquiao vs. Margarito on Nov 13, 2010 The Big Event Of The Year

The latest news of Pacquiao vs Margarito give intense to the people since finally Congressman Manny Pacquiao will fight Antonio Margarito of Mexico on Nov 13, 2010 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. They square off for the vacant junior middleweight crown.

Pacquiao will be seeking his 8th title in as many weight division against the Mexican. Pacman will train in Manila in the meantime but will have to travel to the US to continue his preparation for the fight.

This is the big event of the year and people will eager to see the fight of the two ring warriors. The Pacman and The Tornado will fight for victory. Who will win? The answer is on Nov 13, the final judgement day.

Manny Pacquiao Mobbed by Fans in LA

Manny Pacquiao arrives in Los Angeles, California Monday night for his Tuesday Big Conference in Beverly Hills, CA. On November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Pacquiao takes on three-time World Champion Antonio Margarito. Pacquiao vs Margarito is promoted by Top Rank in Association with MP Promotions and Cowboys Stadium. The Pacquiao vs Margaritotelecast will be available live on HBO Pay Per View. People are so much exited to watch this 2010 boxing big event against the Pacman and the Tornado. As you can see in the pictures that Pacquiao mobbed by real supporters.

Photo Credits: Chris Farina - Top Rank and boxingscene

Pacquiao vs. Margarito Press Conference Open To Public in New York

This Wednesday September 1st, Top Rank will be holding a press conference open to the public publicizing the fight between Congressman Manny Pacquiaoand Antonio Margarito. Both the fighters and their respective trainers (Freddie Roach, Robert Garcia) will be present. The news conference, which is open to the public, will be held at the Chelsea Piers – Pier 60 (23rd St. & The Hudson River, New York, NY 10011) at 11:30 am ET.

The planned media tour for the fight will begin in Los Angeles on Tuesday, will conclude on Friday with a news conference, open to the public, at Cowboys Stadium-East End Zone Platform, beginning at 11:30 a.m.CT. Pacquiao and Margarito are also scheduled to attend Thursday night’s preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium.

With Antonio Margarito being granted a license to box in Texas the fight will now take place at Cowboys Stadium on November 13 in Arlington, TX.

credits: fighthubtv.com

Margarito Will Receive Further Punishment In The Ring || Margarito vs Pacquiao

Some people embraced the news that Antonio Margarito was licensed in Texas and will face Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium.


They believe him when he says he didn’t know his gloves were loaded before his fight against Shane Mosley –- even though it seems every fighter in the world says he had to know -- and that his 15-month banishment from boxing was sufficient punishment.

Others are angry that a fighter who did the unthinkable -– attempt to fight with hardened knuckle pads -– will have missed two fights at the most and now earn a seven-figure payday that will more than compensate for any lost wages.

To these people, boxing has reached a new low.

However, I suggest here that no one boycott this fight because those aghast that it’s happening will receive a substantial consolation prize on fight night: Margarito will receive the beating of a lifetime.

In terms of competitiveness, this is a terrible matchup. In terms of action, it’s a dream come true –- although the action will be brutally one-sided.

We saw what happened when Margarito, minus the doctored gloves, fought Mosley in January of last year. A 37-year-old who soon afterward showed that he has declined destroyed the rugged Mexican, brutally knocking him out in the ninth round.

Mosley was too fast and too good even in old age.

And now he’s fighting Pacquiao? The Filipino marvel is 31 and in his prime. He might or might not punch as hard as Mosley at welterweight -- Miguel Cotto would probably lean toward the former -– but he clearly is faster and better than Mosley at this point in their careers.

And forgive the cliché but styles really do make fights. Could Margarito have a better style for Pacquiao? He knows how to fight one way: He stalks his opponent, walking directly into danger. Somewhere Pacquiao is licking his lips in anticipation.

Some might point to Margarito’s pummeling of Cotto as an example of what the Mexican is capable of doing to a quick, talented fighter. That was more than two years ago, though. Margarito looked ordinary against journeyman Roberto Garcia in his only fight since California revoked his license.

And we wonder about his gloves in that fight. Plus, Cotto is no Pacquiao.

Many will point out the size factor: Margarito is a big, strong welterweight while Pacquiao is probably a natural junior welterweight.

How many times do we have to go over this? Size is only a factor when the talent level of the fighters is roughly equal. In this case, the gap in talent is wider than the ocean that separates Mexico and the Philippines.

Pacquiao probably can’t take Margarito out with one punch -– who could? -– but the sacrificial lamb will be hit by an accumulation of punches that almost assuredly will leave him a bloody heap on the canvas before the end of the scheduled 12 rounds.

Imagine a man walking into the whirling propeller of a plane. That’s what’s in store for Margarito.

For the record, I don’t wish this on Margarito. The fact he was about to fight Mosley with loaded gloves was borderline criminal and certainly reprehensible but he’s a friendly guy. You want to believe him when he says he didn’t know –- even if you’re convinced he did.

No one in their right mind wants to see him suffer serious injuries.

However, when Pacquiao tears him to pieces, a part of all the angry people who don’t believe he deserves this opportunity, will smile and think to themselves: “He had that coming.”

Credits::
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Pacquiao-Margarito ticket prices from $50 to $700

By Jason Kim: For boxing fans that are interested in traveling to Arlington, Texas to watch the November 13th bout between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito at the Cowboy Stadium, they got good news because the tickets will go for the same prices as Pacquiao’s recent March 13th fight against the little known Joshua Clottey, which also took place at the Cowboy Stadium. Tickets will go for $50, $100, $200, $300, and $500. You got to figure that the $50 tickets will be way up in the nosebleed section of the stadium where visibility might be poor without a good pair of binoculars. The reason the tickets are priced so affordable is because the stadium fits 100,000 boxing fans and there’s no way that the Pacquiao-Margarito fight will bring in those kinds of numbers. A fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. might if they make the fight soon while boxing fans are still somewhat interested in it, but if they wait too much longer, it’s likely that the interest will die down to the point where it might not do much better than Pacquiao’s fight against Margarito. The Pacquiao vs. Margarito bout will likely be driven by Pacquiao’s Filipino and Margarito’s Hispanic boxing fans. That’s where the huge interest is for this fight.

Those fans will back their fighters regardless. For the rest of the boxing fans, they’re not particularly interested in this fight because of a combination of factors, such as Margarito’s recent hand wrap suspension, his loss to Shane Mosley last year and subsequent poor performance against Roberto Garcia, Pacquiao never having fought at junior middleweight before and Margarito only having fought once at that weight in the past six years. Pacquiao and Margarito will be fighting for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title and will be leaping over a lot of other contenders in the division with much more experience in that weight class than either Margarito or Pacquiao.

Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys football and stadium, will be advertising the Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight on his stadium billboard during the Cowboys football teams home games before November 13th. This should help in selling more tickets and creating more interest for the fight. Also, HBO will be putting together a four-part HBO Pacquiao-Margarito 24/7 to hype the fight and get more people interested in paying the $49.95 to watch the fight on pay per view. Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Margarito, will be looking to add to of his star fighters in his Top Rank stable Guillermo Rigondeaux and Kelly Pavlik to the undercard in separate bouts. That could help a little to get fans of Pavlik and Rigondeaux to purchase tickets and buy the fight on PPV.

credits: boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao vs Margarito Tale of the Tape

The upcoming fight between Pacquiao vs Margarito this November 13, 2010 will be one of the best fights that will happen this year. Even though fans were expecting a Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight after the Mayweather vs Mosley match, a lot are still happy that Pacquiao chose Margarito over Miguel Cotto. Another Pacquiao vs Cotto match is not very interesting.

In these Pacquiao vs Margarito Tale of the Tape we will be expecting some differences and mostly are in favor for Antonio Margarito.

For the information of everybody the Tale of the Tape is a term used mostly in boxing matches to measure the different parts of the body of both fighters; in this case, Pacquiao vs Margarito.

Here are Pacquiao vs Margarito Tale of the Tape:

The Mexican Antonio Margarito is way taller than Pacquiao measuring 5’11” in height while Pacquiao is only a typical Filipino height at 5’6 ½”. The reach is also Antonio’s advantage, measuring 73” while Pacquiao is at 67”. Pacquiao and Margarito have similar neck at 16” which is not really a factor in a boxing fight. Margarito is 2” bigger in terms of Normal Chest at 40” while he is 1 ½” bigger when the Chest are Expanded at 42”. Biceps are almost similar but Pacquiao is 1” less compared to Margarito at only 13”. Forearms have really no significant difference in both fighters but Manny Pacquiao is bigger at 12” while Margarito at only 11 ½”. In terms of wrist measurement, Manny Pacquiao is bigger than ½” compared to Margarito’s 7 ½”. While in fist, Margarito is 1” bigger than Manny Pacquiao’s 10”. Manny Pacquiao has 2” bigger thigh than Antonio Margarito’s 18”. The waist is a big difference with Manny Pacquiao having only 28” while Margarito at 32”. The calf is closely similar, with Manny Pacquiao having a ½” advantage at 15”.

The ages of both fighters are close. Manny Pacquiao is only 31 while Antonio Margarito is already 32.

Let’s expect the changes of the Pacquiao vs Margarito Tale of the Tape in final weeks before the November 13 fight happens. Let’s expect a brawl of a lion against lion in a fight which both are expected to never back down.

credits: pacquiao-vs-margarito-update.blogspot.com

JAMES TONEY, MANNY PACQUIAO, AND ANTONIO MARGARITO ARE EMBARRASSING BOXING

By Conrad Primero

I watched the UFC 118: Penn vs Edgar 2 card and the “Boxing versus UFC” Toney vs Couture fight with some buddies at the local bar near my work and it was a total embarrassment to boxing and James Toney made himself look like a complete joke. James Toney humiliated himself and boxing by going into the UFC.

James Toney was a bad ass boxer in his day, who would take on all comers and went from middleweight to heavyweight, but he isn’t the brightest guy away from the ring, he has more balls than brains, the guy came into a gun fight with a knife.

What was Toney thinking? Why didn’t he get with some good MMA guys like BJ Penn or Nick and Nate Diaz and train with those guys? I bet he probably did it for the paycheck, which was reported by Yahoo! sports as anywhere from $750,000 to $1 million, a hefty payday that he (an over the hill boxer) can no longer get in boxing.

I’ve seen a few Mixed Martial Arts fights and even I know this is a wild fight with grappling and jiu-jitsu holds. This UFC stuff is like a real life street fight, where a guy can actually die in there if they let the fight go on to long. James Toney came in there overweight, out of shape, and super confident. Toney looked like he was ready for a hot dog eating contest, rather than, and MMA fight. Randy Couture took Toney’s overweight butt down and submitted him without even breaking a sweat.

Toney was way out of his element. I bet, even, one of those 155 pound fighters like that little Frankie Edgar, who beat BJ Penn in the Main Event, could probably submit or destroy the 237-pound James Toney, heck, even that muscular Cris Cyborg Santos chick, who whopped sexy ass Gina Carano, could probably destroy Toney in MMA.

The sport of boxing is taking some huge hits. First, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao super-fight doesn’t get made for the second time. Bob Arum, Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao all opt to fight disgraceful Mexican boxer Antonio Margarito for November 13, and reward him with a big fight and a huge payday. I guess you can cheat and load your gloves and get reinstated in the State of Texas if you do your time and submit a $20 dollar application to their commission.

Boxing is my favorite sport, but it is looking like a complete joke right now. You have James Toney getting choked out after talking so much crap about UFC, Manny Pacquiao killing the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, twice, by not fully agreeing to the random blood Olympic drug tests for steroids and other performance enhancement drugs, Bob Arum giving Antonio Margarito a shot at Manny Pacquiao and the State Athletic Commission of Texas granting cheater Antonio Margarito a boxing license for that fight.

The UFC President, Dana White, was right when he said UFC wasn’t hurting boxing, it’s boxing that’s doing it to (killing) themselves.

credits: nowboxing.com

Texas Demonstrates Independence, Makes way for Mega-Fight

IB - There are leaders then there are followers, the Texas Combative Sports department has taken a major step in showing the world of Boxing they are leaders an independent agency that will make decisions based on the laws, rules and regulation of the state of Texas.

Short of a Federal Boxing Commission being formulated, Texas will not allow outside organizations or media to influence nor dictate how they should follow their own laws, rules and regulations. Making a strong and independent statement, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has issued professional boxer Antonio Margarito a license to participate and compete in the sport of professional boxing.

Granting a license to Margarito has paved the way for the mega fight between the Mexican great and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao.

Now boxing fans around the world will be able to see this highly anticipated contest between two of the best fighters in the world. The contest scheduled for November 13th of this year and to be held at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Pacquiao continues to make concessions to his opponents that make him an underdog. Pacquiao took on boxing great Oscar DeLaHoya and gave up weight to the bigger fighter, coming up to a contracted weight of 147 lbs. After a long and lengthy ordeal with Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao agreed to the demands of Mayweather, mainly the drug testing but still the fight did not happen. Now, Pacquiao will climb up another weight class and fight Margarito at a catch weight of 150lbs.

You just have to give Pacquiao all the credit in the world for doing what he has to do in order to make the big fights. With all the notables in boxing that say they will do whatever it takes to revive the sport of boxing, Pacquiao walks the walk and leaves the talk to others.

Margarito throughout his boxing career has been known as the most feared boxer, evident as he had been ducked by boxing greats such as Oscar DeLaHoya and Floyd Mayweather. It was not until Shane Mosley stepped up to the plate and exposed imperfections in Margarito’s style of fighting. Mosley defeated Margarito in convincing fashion on January 4, 2009 by stopping the feared fighter in round number nine.

Since the defeat, Margarito has only fought once, on May 8, 2010 in Mexico, defeating Roberto Garcia by way of unanimous decision in ten rounds of boxing. The inactivity was due to Margarito being suspended from boxing for one year by the California Boxing Commission due to an illegal hand wrapping.

The suspension was enforced upon Margarito even though he never fought nor entered the ring with the illegal wrap. The representative from the opposing team (Shane Mosley) brought to the attention of the California Commissioner overseeing the hand wrapping, there was liquid on the wrap of Margarito. The commissioner then had the wraps removed and the hands of Margarito re-wrapped. The fight went on as scheduled with both corners satisfied and in compliance.

The wraps in question were confiscated by the California commission and it was determined the wet substance was some type of hardening liquid that would harden when dry, somewhat like that of plaster of Paris.

Margarito said he knew nothing of the substance and continues to claim innocence. Margarito accepted the suspension and did not engage in any boxing contests throughout the one year period. The California Boxing Commission continues to renege on the sentence served by Margarito as they continue to deny Margarito a license to box in the state of California.

An abnormal amount of pressure has been put on boxing commissions throughout the United States to not license Margarito by the Association of Boxing Commissions, Oscar DeLaHoya and unproven web journalist. The crusade by these people and organization continues for a lifetime ban of Margarito, even though it has never been proven Margarito ever entered the ring in any of his contests with illegal wraps. You simply cannot take away a person’s livelihood and career based on a “maybe” or “What if”.

One thing for sure, from here on out Margarito will be watched very closely by the governing bodies in each and every state that issues him a license to box, especially when it comes time to wrap the weapons.

Next week Top Rank and Bob Arum will launch the promotion of Pacquiao Vs Margarito with a coast-to-coast tour beginning with a Los Angeles Media Only event followed with public events on Wednesday, September 1st in New York and Friday, September 3rd in Dallas. The New York event will begin at 11:30AM at Chelsea Piers – Pier 60, 23rd St. & The Hudson River while the Texas event will begin at 11:30AM at Cowboys Stadium in the East End Zone Platform, 900 East Randol Mill Rd.

Ticket prices will range from $50 to $700.

credits: philboxing.com

Pacquiao-Margarito: Manny goes after another paper title

Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO’s) has become the quite the collector of paper titles in recent years. For some reason, he seems intent on collecting as many as he can before he retires from boxing. On November 13th, Pacquiao will be fighting Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title. This will be Pacquiao’s 8th world title if he’s successful in beating the disgraced Margarito. But what’s the point in Pacquiao collecting all these titles if he’s not fighting the best champion of each division? Back in November, Pacquiao fought then WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at a catch weight. Instead of fighting WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley – the fighter considered to be the best of the welterweight champions last year – we got to see Pacquiao go after Cotto. Of course, Pacquiao beat him. There was no question he was going to beat Cotto, because Cotto hasn’t looked the same since being taken apart by Margarito in 2008.

When Pacquiao fought for the lightweight title in 2008, he fought WBC lightweight champion David Diaz instead of IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Nate Campbell. I don’t know of too many people who thought that Diaz was better than Campbell. But why is Pacquiao fighting the weaker champions instead of the very best fighters at each weight? It seems to me that if Pacquiao is going to be collecting trinkets, he should at least fight the best fighters. What point is there to be collecting titles if the knowledgeable boxing fans seem them without much value?

Sure, the ignorant boxing fans will admire Pacquiao for having won eight world titles, but what value is there from someone who doesn’t have much of a clue about the sport? If Pacquiao wants the respect of boxing fans, he should go after the best fighters in each weight class when he’s looking to add another title to his collection. I don’t count Pacquiao’s title wins in the flyweight, super bantamweight, super featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions.

I think Pacquiao lost his fight to Juan Manuel Marquez when he defeated him by a controversial 12 round decision in 2008 for the WBC super featherweight title. And I wasn’t impressed with Pacquiao’s wins at flyweight, super bantamweight, super featherweight, lightweight and welterweight because I feel that those wins didn’t come against the best of the champions at the time.

Basically, I see Pacquiao as never having won a legitimate title where he beat the best in the division, and I won’t count his win over Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title on November 13th. I don’t see Margarito as a fighter that deserves to fight for the title because he’s only fought at junior middleweight once in the past six years. And I don’t see Pacquiao as a worthy challenger for the title because he’s never fought at junior middleweight before.

If Pacquiao wanted to fight for a title at junior middleweight, then he should have done it while Sergio Martinez was still the champion instead of waiting until he had vacated the title to go after it. That’s weak. But if Pacquiao is going to go after one of the junior middleweight titles, he should fight Sergeii Dzinziruk, the WBO champion, because he’s probably the best fighter in the division right now. I don’t consider Cotto being better than him. Cotto is another paper champion in my view.

credits: pacquiaovsmargarito.net

Pacquiao vs. Margarito: A cheater with a license, another catchweight and another title

The Texas State Athletic commission has granted a license to former world champion Antonio Margarito, or "Margacheato" as he is so affectionately referred to by some. This is despite the fact that California denied him the right to fight in their state. Now a fight between Pound-for-Pound king Manny Pacquiao and Margarito is a certainty.

The matchup is being heavily criticized. Many feel that it's wrong on several different levels.

1. Margarito is an (attempted) cheater and doesn't deserve the opportunity to fight Pacquiao.

Jose Silva of Lowell, Arkansas said, "They should really make an example of Margarito. He shouldn't be allowed to fight anymore. That would show boxers who are tempted to cheat what happens when you get caught."

Many boxing fans that I've spoken to agree with Silva on this point.

Dale Pippin of Seligman compared Margarito's attempted crime to the incident that occurred during the 1983 Louis Resto vs. Billy Collins Jr. fight. After Collins took a horrendous beating for 10 rounds, it was discovered that Resto's trainer Panama Lewis had removed some of the padding from his fighter's gloves. In 1986, Lewis and Resto were found guilty of assault, criminal possession of a weapon (Resto's hands) and conspiracy. Resto served 2 1/2 years in prison. He was never allowed to fight again.

Fast forward to January 24, 2009. Margarito was preparing to step into the ring with Shane Mosley. It was discovered that there was some hard, "Plaster of Paris" like strips in his handwraps. Hands were rewrapped, the fight went on, and Mosley preceded to beat Margarito half to death, stopping him in Rnd. 9. Margarito was suspended from boxing in the United States.

There is one clear difference in Resto and Margarito. Resto was caught after he cheated, while Margarito was caught before committing a crime. Margarito also maintains that he wasn't aware that anything was being placed in his handwraps by former trainer Javier Capetillo. Still, it is the opinion of many that Margarito should be banned from boxing for life. Instead, Margarito is being rewarded with a huge payday in a fight with the current king of boxing.

This is yet another black eye to the sport, and boxing afficianados ain't diggin' it. Yahoo boxing columnist, Kevin Iole recently penned "Margarito’s return should make fans nauseous". The respected scribe obviously isn't happy about the decision to give Margarito the opportunity to fight Pacquiao.

2. Manny Pacquiao is the "Catchweight King" and this is how he manages to beat bigger, stronger fighters.

At this point, Manny Pacquiao has only fought one fight at a catchweight. Did you get that? That's his grand total of catchweight fights. One. Uno. (1) He certainly doesn't deserve to be referred to as the "Catweight King".

Catchweights actually do serve a purpose. They sometimes allow fights to be made that otherwise wouldn't. Catchweights make it possible for a smaller fighter and a bigger fighter to compromise, and it should be noted that some great fights have been made as a result of this type of compromise.

Catchweights weren't invented by Manny Pacquiao or Bob Arum. They are nothing new.

In 1940, Henry Armstrong fought Law Jenkins at a catchweight of 140 for a welterweight fight. Sugar Ray Leonard vs Donny Lalond, Roy Jones Jr. vs Felix Trinidad, Jose Luis Castillo vs Diego Corrales and Julio Cesar Chavez vs Pernell Whitaker were all fought at catchweights.

Does Pacquiao actually need a catchweight for the Margarito fight? No.

Allowing Margarito to weigh in at 154 instead of 150 wouldn't change the outcome of the fight.

Tomasz Adamek weighed in a full 44 lbs lighter that Michael Grant last Saturday night. If Adamek wasn't worried about 44 lbs, Team Pacquiao doesn't need to be worried about 4.

The fact of the matter is that Pacquiao has never fought at light middleweight and even has to drastically increase his caloric intake during training just to keep from losing weight.

Margarito has fought at welterweight for most of his career, so making 150 lbs obviously won't be a problem for him.

3. How can this be a title fight for the vacant WBA light middleweight division when neither fighter has established himself in the weight class?

W.M. is a Pacquiao fan who asked not to be identified. He said, "I don't like it at all. I know for sure this is just a way to give Manny another title. I am 100% sure of this."

It is up to the sanctioning body to choose who deserves the honor of fighting for a vacant title, and while Pacquiao's acheivments are momentous, and Margarito is a former world champ, neither of them are actually light middleweights. There are plenty of fighters who have toiled in the light middleweight division who would love a chance to fight for that title.

Boxing fan Raye Santiago said, "To be honest, I want them to fight in 147 so there's no catch weight. They are both welterweights. it's just unfair to the other light middleweight contenders, but Manny just wants to fight who's being lined in front of him. We want Floyd but he doesn't seem interested as of now."

4. It is what it is, and fans will make the best of it.

Whether you agree or disagree about Margarito being Pacquiao's next opponent, the inclusion of a catchweight or the fight being a WBA title fight, the matchup itself is actually a pretty good one.

It's not Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, but it's Pacquiao vs. a strong, resiliant, hard-punching opponent. It's sure to be a tough night for both pugilists.

The fight will take place at Cowboy's Stadium in Dallas, where 50, 994 fans showed up last March 13 to witness the lackluster Joshua Clottey serve as Pacquiao's mobile punching bag for the full 12 rounds.

Bob Arum and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones are confident that Pacquiao - Margarito will far exceed the numbers of the previous bout.

Right or wrong, the fight is going to happen, and it's going to give Pacquiao the opportunity to fight for an 8th world title.

Boxing fans might as well sit back and enjoy the show.

It should be a good one.

credits: examiner.com

Pacquiao vs Margarito Goes for Real

Former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito was licensed to box by Texas regulators on Thursday, paving the way for him to meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight belt.

Margarito's application for a license in Texas was approved despite California denying him a license on a 5-1 vote earlier this month. Margarito's license was revoked in the wake of his January 2009 knockout loss to Shane Mosley in which Margarito's hand wraps were found to be illegal before the fight.

Margarito and Pacquiao will meet Nov. 13 on HBO PPV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. It will be Pacquiao's second consecutive fight at Jerry Jones' $1.2 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys, but against a far more controversial opponent than Joshua Clottey, whom Pacquiao easily outpointed there on March 13 in defense of his welterweight belt on the arena's first boxing card.

"I want to thank the state of Texas for granting me a boxing license which enables me to continue my passion for the sport of boxing in the United States," Margarito said in a statement. "I have dedicated my life to giving the fans of the sport entertainment and excitement. On Nov. 13, this great opportunity will ultimately be fulfilled when I battle Manny Pacquiao."

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, on vacation in France, was happy with the news.

"For me, it was like a terrible nightmare, this whole thing, and now the sun is shining," Arum told ESPN.com. "I really believe that it will be a very competitive fight. One guy is much bigger and stronger [Margarito] and the other guy [Pacquiao] is quicker and hits with both hands. It will be a fascinating fight to watch."

If Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), who will be fighting for the first time since being elected to a congressional seat in the Philippines, wins, he will collect a title in a record-extending eighth weight class. He has already won titles at welterweight, junior welterweight, lightweight, junior lightweight, featherweight, junior featherweight and flyweight.

Arum said Top Rank is planning a media tour to promote the fight beginning Tuesday in Los Angeles followed by a stop in New York on Wednesday and one in Dallas on Friday.

The fight will be Margarito's first since he outpointed Roberto Garcia in May in his home country of Mexico, where he waited to fight until after the license revocation period in California had expired.

Pacquiao's fight with Clottey drew a crowd of 50,994, one of the largest in U.S. history. Arum believes the fight with Margarito will draw an even bigger crowd.

"I think the crowd will be much bigger and Jerry [Jones] thinks it will also," Arum said. "The last fight was not during football season. This one is, and we have all the Dallas Cowboys assets they use during the season to help this time. We have a lot of stuff that we didn't have for the Clottey fight. With Margarito being Hispanic, and this is North Texas, which has a huge Hispanic population, that will make this even bigger."

Jones said: "This is a good one because we know Margarito -- with our fan base, in our area -- if we do the fight, then it'll be a big draw."

Arum said he expects Margarito to sign the contract over the weekend and for Pacquiao, who is scheduled to arrive in the United States from the Philippines on Monday, to sign then.

Arum said the undercard could include the return of former middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik in his first bout since he lost the title to Sergio Martinez in April.

Also ticketed for the undercard is junior featherweight Guillermo Rigondeaux, the two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist who recently signed with Top Rank, as well as welterweight prospect Mike Jones of Philadelphia.


Dan Rafael - ESPN