s Antonio Margarito a worthy opponent for pound for pound king and a newly elected congressman Manny Pacquiao? Is Shane Mosley in a no win situation fighting Latin Snake Sergio Mora on November 18th in Los Angeles?
Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank
Media members packed Rodeo Room at a plush Beverly Hills Hotel on early Tuesday afternoon as Top Rank’s boss Bob Arum announced the upcoming WBC super welterweight championship bout between pound for pound king Manny”Pacman” Pacquiao and former welterweight king Antonio” The Tijuana Tornado” Margarito.The twelve round contest, where Manny will have a chance to earn his 8th world title in as many weight divisions, will take place on November 13th, 2010 at the newly built Dallas Cowboys stadium and will be televised live in United States, Canada and Puerto Rico via HBO Pay Per View.
Since previous WBC super welterweight champion Sergio Martinez moved up to win a middleweight crown, the World Boxing Council sanctioned Margarito-Pacquiao as a world title bout and displayed a special edition belt that will be presented to the winner. The WBC issued a statement :
“It gives great pleasure to the World Boxing Council to see the honest, respectful and positive attitude of the Texas Boxing Commission as they issued Mexican fighter, Antonio Margarito, a boxer?s license, and he will be able to fight Manny Pacquiao this coming November 13th, at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, in Texas. The bout between Pacquiao and Margarito will be a fight that will stir up interest in all the world, as both of them are elite boxers.”
“Cowboys are setting up the stadium for 70,000 seats,” said Bob Arum, who believes it will be sold out: “Which would make this the biggest live gate in U.S. in recent times.” That would break a record set in 1978 in Muhammad Ali- Leon Spinks rematch at Superdome in Louisiana that drew 63,350 fans.
Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters, has been showing special support for Antonio Margarito in connection with the illegal hand wrap scandal that resulted in Margarito loosing his license to box in California early last year. In lieu of the way Southern California Athletic Commission treated Margarito, Arum refuses to promote any fights in California. “Antonio Margarito did not know that there was anything illegal in his wraps,” stated Arum from the podium:” There was not one shred of evidence about his knowledge. Evidence determines guilt or innocence and there was not one shred of evidence that Antonio Margarito knew anything about hand wraps and I am very pleased that we brought up justice.”
“I believe he knew,” said Pacquiao when asked about his opponent after the press conference: “He’s the one who wraps his hands.” Pacman called the “Tijuana Tornado’s” problem with illegal hand wraps “a mistake.” “People are worried about me fighting this guy because he’s a dirty fighter because of the hand wrapping,” Pacquiao said. “I said, ?Give him one more chance, one chance to be straight.’ ? He’s just human and he made a mistake.”
And when asked why he chose to fight Margarito, whose name has been marred with controversy, Pacquiao said; “I am just a fighter doing my job. He is a tough opponent, much bigger and stronger than me and it is going to be a great fight. His style is very aggressive. Both of us will train very hard to give a good show on November 13th.”
Manny’s long time trainer and confidant Freddie Roach was not present at a press conference due to him being in the corner of Viacheslav Senchenko, who was fighting for a WBA welterweight title at Lenin Square in Donetsk Ukraine. Instead, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning Coach Alex Ariza promised a fight of the year on November 13th. “I think this fight will boil down to speed again,” Ariza said. “Manny won’t sit in front of him. Margarito doesn’t move well; everyone knows that. Manny said Margarito throws a punch on Tuesday and it gets there on Friday. If Manny sees it like that, he already knows what he’s going to do.”
When I asked Manny what he thought about boxers coming out of Russia and Ukraine, he said: “I met a few of them at the Wild Card Gym. They come from a good school and they are hungry. I know I have a lot of fans in Russia. I thank them for their support and I hope they will get to see my fight with Margarito on November 13th, because there will be a lot of action in the ring. All I can say is please watch. It is going to be a great fight.” Talking about Russian fighters I mentioned that great Kostya Tszyu once said that if he returned to boxing he wanted to face Pacman. I asked Pacquiao how he felt about that.” He is too old,” replied Manny with a shy smile:” he shouldn’t fight any more. I don’t want to hurt him.”
Pacquiao did not want to talk about Mayweather and when asked if he would be OK if he never fought him, said: “I would be more than OK!”
Margarito’s new trainer, former world champion Roberto” Grandpa” Garcia exuded a quiet confidence and praise for his for both combatants.” Pacquiao is a great fighter,” said Garcia, who has been training Margarito in Oxnard, California: “But we are going to surprise everyone and make history.”
“This is going to be a huge fight!” concluded Tony Walker of HBO, the company that will promote the event with their famed 24/7 series that will follow the lives and training of both fighters.
Mosley-Mora
Sugar Shane Mosley hosted an open media work out on Wednesday afternoon in Hollywood, California at the Justine Fortune Boxing Gym to promote his upcoming bout with Sergio “Latin Snake” Mora. A twelve round light middleweight contest is scheduled to take place on November 18th at the premiere Los Angeles venue, Staples Center. It will be a main event of a huge Golden Boy Promotion night dubbed “200: Celebrate and dominate”. HBO Pay per View will televise live beginning at 6:00 pm Pacific time. Last time Shane fought at Staples Center was in January of last year when he dismantled Antonio Margarito in front of the largest crowd ever assembled there for any event, which were over 21,000 fans.
“I have a lot of success at the Staples Center,” said Mosley surrounded by reporters:” I promise you on November 18th, a fight will brake out. It will be a great fight for fans to watch.”
Eighteen days away, judging by the interest it created with the local media (channel 4 and ABC news vans were on hand to interview the future Hall of famer), the event that will celebrate 200 years of Mexican Independence will turn into a huge night of boxing in Los Angeles. Tickets for Mosley vs. Mora, priced at $200, $125, $75 and $20, are on sale now and available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
The biggest question on everybody’s mind was what went wrong in a fight with Floyd. “Mayweather is a great fighter and a great champion with a lot of skills,” said Mosley who will turn thirty nine on September 7th, 2010: “And that night in Las Vegas just wasn’t my night.”
“I am in great shape; I have been training very hard. I feel great for this fight,” continued Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs): “I think Naazim has been punishing me for my poor performance against Mayweather. He wants to make sure I am in shape for this fight, so he has been pushing me extra hard.”
Even though this fight is intriguing, some might consider it a lose-lose situation for Mosley. He is facing much bigger guy, who is younger and taller and stronger; a bad match up. Should he beat Mora, he will not get any special recognition; he is supposed to beat him. Should he lose, it will put the rest of his career in jeopardy. I asked Shane how he felt about that.
“I just want to be in the ring,” said Mosley:” He will give me a great work out and I will not be inactive for a year and a half, like it happened last time. I like to fight a lot. This was the only fight available for me at this time. He is a worthy opponent. I know it’s a tough fight and I know he has something to prove. I have to be on top of my game. He is a lot bigger than me and might not be easy for me to get to him. Yes, Sergio is a bigger guy. He has been in there with big guys and he is going to push me to the limit.”
When asked about what Sugar Shane are we going to see on November 18th, the one that destroyed Margarito last year or the one that got dominated by Mayweather earlier this year, Pomona superstar replied with the smile: “You are going to see Sugar Shane Mosley that fought Margarito. My trainer is making sure of that. This may not be a good thing for Sergio Mora, but what can I do? I am excited to be performing at Staples center again.”
The ageless warrior is not contemplating retirement any time soon; instead he is looking at this fight as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
“I want big fights,” said Mosley:” I am looking to fight Cotto, Pacquiao, and rematch with Margarito or Mayweather. It doesn’t matter what weight. I feel comfortable at both 154 and 147.”
