Margarito will be Pacman’s toughest foe!

If speed is one thing going for Filipino boxing superstar Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao, strength is on the side of his opponent Antonio Margarito. Reports have it that some tough fighters who have sparred with Margarito swear that the Mexican-American can hit guys with the power of a mule—with or without loaded hand wraps.

They also have it that Pacquiao’s rival has got a great chin.

The reports remind ring fans that nobody had knocked out Margarito before Shane Mosley sent him to the canvas for the first time in his career.

Eighteen days before PacMan fights Margarito for the world super-welterweight crown in Arlington, Texas, on November 13, he remains the overwhelming favorite to emerge the winner and further etch his name in boxing history as the only man to win eight world titles in as many weight divisions.

Experts have cited the way they saw the reigning Filipino welterweight champion reduce Joshua Clottey into pulp, raining his opponent with more than 300 punches a round all throughout their 12-round duel.

In his last fight, Margarito was equally impressive, getting past Roberto Garcia in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Too bad that the clash was not covered by television, owing in part to the Mexican-American having difficulty in getting a license to fight in the United States after it was found out he loaded his gloves with plaster of Paris inserts to give additional power to his punches during his match with Mosley.

The alleged cheating stained the career of the “Tijuana Tornado” and he has since been trying to prove his accusers wrong by getting back to the mainstream of the international boxing scene.

Margarito denied having knowledge of the shameful hand wraps.

Granted that he did not know anything about the inserts, therefore making him clean, would he be capable of turning the tables on PacMan?

Well, for one thing, Margarito is taller and heftier than Pacquiao.

Still, the answer would be known only a little more than two weeks from now at the Cowboys Stadium.
Unlike the Mexican-American pretender, Pacquiao has little proving to do.

He has fought the best fighters of his era—Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Clottey.

Critics, however, scoffed at the victory over Hatton (who supposedly was overrated) and that over Cotto (too slow for the Filipino champion).

Unlike Cotto, the Tijuana Tornado is used to being the slower guy in the ring, meaning that he is used to adjusting to faster fighters.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is not used to being hit by a big welterweight, an apparent weakness of the Filipino boxing icon that Clottey brought home when Pacquiao’s face got swollen from the very few punches that he was able to connect.

He and Margarito are fighting at 151 pounds.

Usually, a catch weight fight favors the smaller man (Pacquiao).

But since Margarito has campaigned almost exclusively as a welterweight, there would not be any advantage for either man.

It just means that the Mexican-American can come in several pounds heavier than usual.

Then there is the question of Pacquiao’s condition.

The November 13 fight would be his first fight since being elected as congressman representing his wife Jinkee’s home province of Sarangani in southern Mindanao, spending many weeks campaigning for office in May this year.

The doubting Thomases aside, Pacquiao will win, being too fast for Margarito and his speed will see him through. BY EDDIE G. ALINEA