Prefight Pacman cool, suave

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—Living up to his new status as a congressman, Manny Pacquiao showed up in coat and tie for the prefight press conference of his WBC super welterweight showdown with Antonio Margarito on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

He looked dapper despite the beard and moustache, and was a gentleman when he spoke of the bout slated Nov. 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington City, a 25-minute drive from the Gaylord Texan Hotel here were the protagonists were billeted.

Pacquiao did not say anything that riled Margarito when he addressed the horde of media at the facility put up by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at a cost of $1.2 billion.

Pacquiao even included Margarito and the other boxers featured in the undercard in his prayers that nobody gets hurt in the fights.

Margarito, who towered over the Filipino, showed up in denim pants and long sleeves.

Robert Garcia, Margarito’s trainer, said his ward is ready to meet Pacquiao head-on. 

Though Garcia noted that Pacquiao is fast and strong, the former world super flyweight titlist insisted that Margarito is ready to shock the world and regain his tarnished reputation. Photo by Associated Press