Boxer Antonio Margarito has been tapped to fight world pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Pacquiao has set his sights at a record eighth world title in as many weight classes. Pacquiao and Margarito are scheduled to fight for the vacant WBC super welterweight crown. With the fighters and a date marked for the bout, a venue is yet to be finalized because of Margarito’s revoked license to fight in the U.S.
In Margarito’s bout against Shane Mosley on February 11, 2009, it was discovered that he had illegal material in his hand wraps. Mosley eventually won that fight while Margarito was suspended for a year by the California State Athletic Commission, his license revoked.
Now that negotiations for a mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fell through, Top Rank promoter and Team Pacquiao are looking at Margarito as Pacquiao’s next opponent. The other option was to fight Miguel Cotto for a shot at the Cotto’s new WBA super welterweight belt but Pacquiao picked Margarito instead, hoping that it would be a more challenging fight.
It seems that the most difficult part in making a Pacquiao-Margarito fight a reality is finding a state and venue that will reinstate Margarito’s boxing license.
The states of Nevada and California are out of the picture. Margarito and his lawyer are now eyeing Texas as their next possible stop for a boxing license.
And Freddie Roach doesn't see the Filipino boxing superstar losing the 12-round fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight title against a sluggish, slow-footed opponent.
"Manny will start fast with this guy, and we will finish with him fast," said Roach.
Ever since invading the welterweight rank, Pacquiao has bewildered just about anybody he met in the ring, from the great Oscar De La Hoya to the ordinary Joshua Clottey.
"I couldn't handle his speed," said former two-time world champion Miguel Cotto after suffering a brutal 12th round technical knockout against Pacquiao, a sentiment he shared with the rest of the Filipino's ring victims.
Roach sees Margarito joining that list.
"He (Margarito) is a big, strong guy. I'm not overly worried about him. I'm not a big Margarito fan. Manny will have too much for him," said the Hall of Fame trainer.
Margarito's size – the Mexican stands 5-foot-11 – and the weight where the bout will be fought are the only concerns Roach is thinking about.
