After more than two weeks of rigorous road work and preliminary gym work in the mountains of South El Monte, California, three-time world welterweight champion Antonio Margarito shifts training to high gear in preparation for his November 13 showdown with Filipino boxing icon Manny ?PacMan? Pacquiao.
Head trainer Robert Garcia said he is satisfied with Margarito?s progress and expressed supreme confidence his fighter will be in tip-top shape for his biggest fight against Pacquiao, the acknowledged best fighter in the world pound-for-pound.
?We got a lot done in the first two weeks and Tony [Margarito] looks great. I love his focus and intensity, and our first phase of training camp was an eye opener for him and for me,? said Garcia as Team Margarito moved training camp to the coastal Southern California city of Oxnard.
Garcia said Margarito is already in ?great shape? after over two weeks of hard training which included early morning high altitude runs, followed by gym work intended to build stamina for his prized fighter, known by the nickname ?Tijuana Tornado.?
In Oxnard, Margarito will continue with his early morning run, this time alternating with runs at the beach, mountains and track, and sparring every other day, said Garcia, a former world featherweight champion.
Margarito said he is focused and ?hungry? for a title, which motivates him all the more to train for what he called ?the biggest fight in my career.?
?I know how important this fight is to my career and to all of M?xico. That is why I will prepare like never before and will defeat Manny Pacquiao, proving to everyone that I am one of the best fighters in the world,? the Mexican-American fighter said from Oxnard.
The bigger Margarito, 33, will be battling Pacquiao, 31, for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight (154 pounds) title.
?The belt is very important to me, but the most important thing is to give the fans a great fight and one that they will remember for a long time. I love to fight and Manny has proven that he is a warrior. This fight is going to be a war,? Margarito said. JUN MEDINA
