Look who saw the ghost of Antonio Margarito
WILL MANNY PACQUIAO be small and insignificant—meaning a poor match—or will he be lightning-sharp, quick as a whirlwind when he duels with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13?
Before fears could be openly expressed that the Pacman might end up reporting for the grand ball in Texas in flimsy, wrong attire—meaning poorly armed—one concerned Filipino lawyer called up from Lucena City to say Pacquiao handlers did wrong in suddenly abandoning the muscle-building regimen for the RP boxing superhero.
Pacquiao will need all the heft and muscle he can put on against his monumental foe, cried Atty. Rudy Medenilla, undoubtedly a Pacquiao diehard.
Medenilla, definitely not alone, was readily reminded Pacquiao had to keep his true fighting weight because the extra poundage had visibly dulled his reflexes and slowed him down.
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The concerned lawyer was further told a heavier Pacquiao could easily be trapped in a slow, dragging battle, definitely not his win-win turf.
Yesterday, one dismayed reporter said conditioning coach Alex Ariza has found Pacquiao’s weight “too low” (at 146 lbs).
There were also earlier apprehensions Pacquiao was not focused and properly motivated in training.
Assured the Pacman: “If I’m not properly motivated, I won’t be here.”
He would be elsewhere contemplating retirement if he were not motivated, Pacquiao stressed.
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In his weekly column posted by philboxing.com yesterday, Pacquiao answered detractors and claimed he has never lost focus and is, in fact, pursuing a sure, sharp track against the taller, bigger Margarito-“Mas malaki nga ang kalaban, mas mahaba ang kamay, nguni’t ang naihanda naming strategy ang pipigil sa dambuhalang si Margarito.”
Actually, the concerned Atty. Medenilla said he was principally bothered by Pacquiao’s mental conditioning. He said the socializing, political, showbiz concerns and other detractions could go deep in the realms of the subconscious, his greatest concern.
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Well, this may no longer be necessary, but in keeping with the spirit of All Souls’, allow me to quote again from the great Michael Marley of Examiner.com who surmised it must’ve been the ghost of Antonio Margarito he saw when he visited the gym last week.
“The bookies were being too kind to make him a 7-1 underdog,” Marley reported.
You see, in earlier reports, Team Margarito claimed they have done all the necessary repairs and were, in fact, winding up the finest camp ever for the former three-time world champ.
But, both amused and amazed, Marley said he did not have to take a second look to confirm that what he saw in Margarito was more of a ghostly dilapidated road truck.
“His cheeks were sunken, and he kept sitting down, exhausted, after each round of training,” Marley said.
Needless to say, Marley has predicted a mismatch.
Needless to say, Marley has predicted a mismatch.
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