As much as everybody wants Floyd Mayweather to man up and prove his greatness by sharing the ring with Manny Pacquiao, boxing fans, both hardcore and casual, are now officially treated to a Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito showdown. And there are a lot of things not to like about this match-up, mostly coming from a moral standpoint. But there are still a lot of reasons why this fight deserves some love and anticipation.
Here are five good reasons why Pacquiao-Margarito promises to be a good fight.
1. Margarito is the tallest, biggest, and probably the heaviest opponent Pacquiao has ever faced so far in his long boxing career. Pacquiao is known to take on a challenge and Margarito may pose the stiffest obstacle Pacquiao has to take on in terms of size, reach, and height. Size do count in the sport of boxing.
2. First trip to the junior middleweight division might be Pacquiao’s last. The Filipino champion, as this writer mentioned in previous articles, has not yet been tested as a junior middleweight. On the other hand, Margarito already had a title shot in the said division on top of numerous fights. Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach already said that Pacquiao’s at his best if he fights as a welterweight. Could it be that Pacquiao bit off more than he could chew this time?
3. Can Pacquiao carry his speed and power when he climbs the scales? Pacquiao’s style heavily relies on his speed and punching power. At the junior middleweight landscape, it’s hard to tell if Pacquiao will be able to retain both elements of his game while gaining weight. Former sparring partner Amir Khan said Pacquiao has knocked out bigger guys while in training. It would be exciting to see if the Filipino will still have his trademark speed. And if he does, would it even matter?
4. Margarito can easily blow up to more than 160 lbs on fight night. That means Pacquiao might face off with a super middleweight once the opening bell sounds. There will be a huge disparity in weight. A very heavy Margarito may be slow, but one with dynamite punches in both hands.
5. With Pacquiao coming in as the smaller man, the huge question every boxing fan should ask themselves is, “can Manny Pacquiao hurt Margarito?” Sure, his power toppled legendary guys who are also bigger such as Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and Oscar dela Hoya. But can he hurt a VERY BIG Margarito, who also happens to have an iron-cast chin?
Anyone can present a great argument why Pacquiao-Margarito is going to be an exciting boxing event. But what needs no more arguing is that both men are in a fight of their careers – one who is looking to extend his title run and one who seeks redemption amidst cries of foul. That is certain.
Photo credits to Chris Farina / Top Rank
Source: http://filipinoboxingjournal.com
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