Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao will square off against Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC World Super Welterweight title on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In the weeks leading up to the fight, Margarito, who was vilified within the boxing community when the CSAC caught his corner tampering with his hand wraps prior to his January 2009 bout against Shane Mosley, has sparked a firestorm of controversy for his actions on HBO?s 24/7 series.
Margarito mocked Pacquiao?s trainer, Freddie Roach, and made tasteless jokes about his Parkinson?s disease. The Mexican boxer?s trainer, Robert Garcia, promptly apologized for his fighter?s actions.
Roach fired back by clarifying that he will have a trusted observer on hand in Margarito?s dressing room to watch the entire hand-wrapping process. ?I don?t trust those guys,? the highly respected trainer told the AP. ?He?ll do anything to win. He?s done it before.?
Saturday night?s main event promises to be an action-packed fight due to the stylistic matchup, but Pacquiao is an overwhelming 4-1 favorite and few boxing observers are giving Margarito much of a chance.
While there is a belt on the line, the winner of the fight between Pacquiao and Margarito will not be considered the No. 1 boxer in the world at 154 pounds.
That distinction will be given to the winner of next Saturday?s much-anticipated WBC Middleweight Title bout between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams, who reign supreme at both junior middleweight and middleweight.
