MANILA, Philippines ? Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao said he expects his opponent Antonio Margarito of Mexico to come down hard on him on fight night in an effort to reclaim the respect of the boxing community.
In his Philboxing.com column, ?Kumbinasyon,? the pound-for-pound boxing champion said he is aware of the dangers in facing a hungry lion like Margarito.
?Alam kong matindi ang motibasyon ni Margarito upang mabura sa isipan ng marami ang masamang reputasyon na nakaugnay sa kanyang sarili nang labanan niya si ?Sugar? Shane Mosley,? said Pacquiao, who is also the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.
(I know Margarito is strongly motivated to erase the bad reputation he has been labeled with since fighting ?Sugar? Shane Mosley).
The 5?11? Mexican was involved in an illegal hand-wraps controversy when Margarito was caught having plaster of Paris-like substance in his hand-wraps prior to his fight against Mosley in January 2009.
This prompted the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to suspend Margarito?s boxing license for a year.
The Mexican has secured a license to fight in Texas a year later and is now reportedly training like a work horse for his November 13 World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterw
