San Francisco, CA– You know there is little doubt that on paper, Manny Pacquiao’s win over Antonio Margarito is a significant accomplishment. But in reality, is beating the Mexican cheat round after round something to really rail about? Yes and no. What was beyond impressive to me was the manner in which Pacquiao throughly thrashed his foe.
SOME GREATS CAME IN LIGHT TOO!
Although he was outsized, Pacquiao, like “Sugar Ray” Robinson fighting Joey Maxim at 157 1/2 lbs. for the light heavyweight (175) title, or Henry Armstrong, holding the featherweight (126), lightweight (135) & welterweight (147) titles at the same time, Pacman decided to come in under the special “catch” weight of 150 at 144 and change.
IS PAC IN ROBINSON’S LEAGUE?
Having just mentioned Pacquiao in the same paragraph as Robinson and Armstrong, is he worthy of being included in fistic royalty of the highest level? How can you not? While I believe that Margarito was nothing more than a durable guy, never a great fighter, against Pac he tried about as hard as he could and failed to win a round here.
REMINISCENT OF DURAN-PALOMINO
When lightweight champ Roberto Duran arrived at welterweight (147) in 1979, you knew it by the way he took apart Carlos Palomino for the #1 WBC slot and a fight with the winner of Wilfred Benitez-Ray Leonard (Ray TKO 15) clash. Not quite as vicious as Duran, Manny doesn’t show a whole lot of joy or snarl while he works you over.
PAC’S GREATNESS IS OVER TIME
No, Antonio Margarito is not a fighter that makes you great, not even after licking him like a stamp. You need to take into account Pac has beaten everybody for almost 12 years. In addition, the manner in which he has beaten people like Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, hell he dribbled Ricky Hatton across the canvas like a basketball.
DETRACTORS WILL INVOKE MARQUEZ FIGHTS
Beyond a doubt, both of Manny’s fights with Juan Manuel Marquez could’ve went the other way. But they didn’t, and to compare Marquez with the 2010 version of Manny Pacquiao is simply not fair. They are not in the same league today.
WHAT ABOUT KENTUCKY FRIED FLOYD?
All that being said, there is still that 147 lb. chicken in the room, Floyd Mayweather. This same guy who turned down $6 million, which was $4.5 million more than he ever made to date, to not fight Margarito. Although I used to think Floyd’s skill would carry him to victory over Pacquiao, that no longer is the case.
MAYWEATHER BETTER SIGN & SHUT UP!
Pacquiao, he is sans any question the “pound for pound” king of boxing, the man carrying the sport on his shoulders. Floyd Jr., much like Roy Jones did, has fought “soft” guys for so long that anytime Mayweather gets into a fight he now stands a very good chance of losing. Use it lose it, Floyd’s lost it!
Pedro Fernandez