Preparation and not Antonio Margarito?s advantage in height and reach nor Manny Pacquiao?s edge in speed will determine the winner of the much-awaited Nov. 13 duel in Dallas.
Margarito, who has been training like hell the last nine weeks under the tutelage of Robert Garcia, said in his diary on ESPN that training will be the key in the scheduled 12-round super-welterweight title fight, hinting that it is himself, and not the Filipino, who is more prepared.
?People talk a lot about height and reach, but I think the advantage in this fight will go to whoever prepares himself better in the gym for this fight, because he has already shown that he has the power to fight in these divisions, and I don?t think there are any advantages to anyone. The fighter who prepares harder for this fight will win,? said Margarito, who is a 5-1 underdog.
Margarito was already doing his roadwork and attending afternoon sessions in the gym when Pacquiao was still attending to his duties in Congress and the subject of buildup would be put to a stern test as soon as the two fighters answer the bell at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao had a not-so-impressive stint while spending four weeks in Baguio and Manila and this gave Freddie Roach a lot of worries.
But with Pacquiao back in the familiar confines of the Wild Card in Hollywood, Roach said Pacquiao is back in his element, doing what is expected of him in this crucial stage of training.
Margarito?s training, meanwhile, is buzzing with confidence.
?I only have two more weeks of training here at the gym, and on Saturday we will fly to Dallas one week before the fight. We?re not going to train as intensely in Dallas; we?ll just jog a little bit just to stay in weight. The rest of the training stays the same: I hit all the bags, mitts and all that,? said Margarito who, like Pacquiao, is tapering off after logging 12 rounds of sparring in just one day.
Even if Margarito cuts down the number of rounds of sparring in the final three or four sparring days, he will still have the likes of Ricardo Williams, Austin Trout and Casey Martinez on call to help him study Pacquiao?s style being southpaws themselves. In contrast, Pacquiao has welterweight Rashad Holloway and lighties David Rodela and Ray Beltran at his disposal.
