It’s Aug. 19 now and Manny Pacquiao still has no ?worthy opponent? for a fight on Nov. 13.
Antonio Margarito is rough, he is tough and he could be formidable but, in the court of public opinion and in front of the California State Athletic Commission, he has been adjudged as unworthy, at least at this particular time.
Only a blind man like promoter Bob Arum can’t see that.
I think Pacquiao should call his Congressman and tell him or her to “deport” Margarito and “import” a really worthy foe such as Timothy Bradley.
Oh, wait…you mean Pacquiao is a Congressman.
Then he should speak to himself and quickly
Putting the incredible, unyielding hubris of Arum aside, I think it’s high time for Congressmanny Pacquiao to take charge of his own boxing affairs.
What Pacman should?but won’t?do now is to issue some marching orders to both his promoter and to his agent, Michael Koncz.
The stinging repudiation and rejection of Antonio Margarito by a 5-1 vote before the California State Athletic Commission Wednesday was a shot heard the round the world.
Karen Chappelle, the California AG’s office attorney who ?prosecuted? the Mexican fighter, was not subjected to any ?Nazi? catcalling or ?Heil Hitler? arm salutes by Arum as she was when the 78 year old went bonkers in February, 2009, when the CSAC handed down the one year suspension to Margarito.
But she and the five commissioners who voted thumbs down on his license application said they wanted to send a message.
They certainly did and the message is that they don’t feel Margarito, with his totally insane appeal of the suspension and his lack of visceral remorse, is not “rehabilitated” in their critical eyes.
In her forceful, persuasive summation, Chappelle said, in part:
?Mr. Margarito has not taken any responsibility for what happened.
He sought to gain an unfair advantage?.
He knew very well what was happening and he should have conducted himself as a gentleman.
He blames his trainer of wrongdoing, but Mr. Margarito has never accepted full responsibility or offered forgiveness.?
I could be crazy but I do think these words might have done wonders for Tone Loc:
“I want to personally apologize to Sugar Shane Mosley for potentially putting his health, his very life, in danger.”
But neither Margarito nor his lawyer ever mentioned the guy who was nearly victimized by those knuckle inserts.
?Margocheato? against Megamanny isn’t a slow starting fight promotion any longer, it’s a stink bomb which should be thrown into the toxic waste dump from which it came.
Monterey, Mexico, said ?adios? and Abu Dhabi said not now, maybe later. Now Las Vegas is a non-starter and the interest of Jerry Jones in Dallas may have turned off by the sneaky aspects of the Margarito license machinations as well, the running to Mexico, to Texas and then to Las Vegas.
Arum can’t cobble together the necessary three of five votes for Margarito to get a license in the promoter’s home state. Nevada won’t expectorate in neighbor California’s face like that, now now.
Why doesn’t the passive Pacquaio, so aggressive between the ropes, start calling some shots for his own career? What is he waiting for?
Do you leave Captain Bob as the sole engineer after this legal train wreck?
First, Manny should tell Arum to drop Margarito like the hot potato with no foil wrapper that he has become.
Second, instead of rewarding a guy who did it the wrong way, Pacman should instruct Arum to go get Tim Bradley, a fresh and unbeaten face who seems to be a good citizen of boxing.
Margarito won’t suffer much because Arum can put him in with Miguel Cotto in their revenge match or just defer the situation and let the Mexican battle the Puerto Rican after Cotto humbles Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in December.
Pacquiao is at the peak of his powers.
It’s past time that he started throwing his weight around outside the ring and this is a dire situation.
What’s best for Arum is not always best for Pacquiao.
Uncle Bob likes to say he works for Manny so now his top client can put him to the test.
He wants to be a leader in Filipino politics, this we know, but what about in the occupation which produced the incredible popularity that led him to a landslide electoral victory in Sarangani?
Arum won’t contradict Pacquiao’s wishes, not at the point he won’t.
Dump the troubled Margarito, who stills seems most upset about getting nabbed in this inglorious affair than he is remorseful.
Now Margarito owes Pacman an apology as well, having dragged him into the swamp of shady dealings in boxing.
Bring on Bradley or another truly worthy opponent, Manny.
Passive Pacquiao just goes along for the ride.
Father Bob does not always know best.
But a take charge Pacquiao can make positive things happen.
I hope it doesn’t take a Congressional Order before Pacman figures this out.
