Promoter Bob Arum reached out to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports to announce that Manny Pacquiao will be facing former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito on November 13th, either in Las Vegas, Nevada or Monterrey, Mexico. This comes on the heels of the recent fallout in attempting to make a fight between Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The fight will be for the vacant WBC Jr. Middleweight championship of the world, a title that was vacated by Argentina?s Sergio Martinez after he moved up to 160 pounds and won the WBC and WBO belts with a gritty decision victory over Kelly Pavlik this past April. Pacquiao will attempt to win an unprecedented title in an eighth weight class while Margarito finds himself simply trying to pull out a victory in his still-persistent effort towards redeeming himself to the boxing public.
Margarito was once regarded as one of the premier welterweights in the world and his stock was at an all time high following TKO victory over Miguel Cotto two years ago in which he captured the WBA championship. Margarito?s world came crashing down six months later after he was caught with elements of plaster of paris in his hand wraps prior to his January 2009 loss to Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Margarito was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission and scathed by the boxing community following the incident.
Cotto was also in the running to face Pacquiao but the Puerto Rican fighter suffered a loss to the Filipino icon this past November at the MGM Grand, a fight in which he started strong before being dropped in the 3rd and 4th rounds and ultimately stopped in the 12th. Cotto did bounce back with a solid showing against Yuri Foreman this past June in which he netted the WBA Jr. Middleweight bauble via 9th round TKO but Arum still feels the Caugus fighter?s loss is still fresh in people?s minds.
?Cotto was beaten,? Arum stated. ?Even with Emanuel Steward now with him, I don?t think people believe that it?s enough to make a difference and I?m not sure they would buy it as competitive.?
While Margarito is far from the ideal choice of an opponent the Tijuana slugger still has tremendous size, an iron chin, and an aggressive style. Arum isn?t trying to hide the fact that Margarito was suspended but feels the fighter obviously should get a second chance.
?But putting aside the controversy about the wraps, the one thing you know for sure with a Margarito fight is that it will be a hell of a fight for however long it lasts,? Arum praised. ?Margarito knows only one way to fight and that?s coming forward. They?re going to get in there and fight. That?s what people want to see.?
Arum would love to stage the fight at the MGM Grand, the home to many of Pacquiao?s greatest victories as a prizefighter, but those hopes may be in vein. Margarito applied for a license in Nevada earlier this month but was tabled by a 4-1 vote and advised to return to California, the state that had initially suspended him. It was later reported that Arum and Top Rank are now seeking a one-fight approval for their fighter in hopes that the Pacquiao fight can land in Nevada. Otherwise the contest is likely headed to Monterrey, Mexico with representatives from the United Arab Emirates still pushing for the contest.
With the Margarito fight now a reality, it has been reported that Pacquiao will likely be sparring with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in preparation for the contest. Chavez Jr. worked under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym before his June 26th victory over John Duddy, one of the year?s best fights. The Sinaloa, Mexico native has already shown improvement as a fighter and will likely give the Filipino icon some spirited work.
