The gentleman from Sarangani will be ready
Reports from Baguio, where Manny Pacquiao is training for his Nov. 13 super welterweight title bout against Antonio Margarito, reveal that trainer Freddie Roach has instructed his star fighter to stay away from the ropes against the lanky fighter known as the “Tijuana Tornado.”
The advice is prudent given that Margarito frolics with a nasty left uppercut when his prey is pinned on the ropes. A peek at the Margarito-Miguel Cotto fight on YouTube shows how successful the 5-foot-11 Mexican has been once an opponent’s running space has been substantially reduced. Margarito stopped Cotto in the 11th with a TKO. Cotto’s left eye was a bloody mess and was trounced clearly with a barrage of punches. Against the plodding Joshua Clottey, who opted to slow-drag with Pacquiao, Margarito kept jabbing to break down Clottey’s familiar two-armed defense to cover his face. Margarito went on to win by unanimous decision. Interestingly, Clottey threw more punches in this fight than he did against Pacquiao.* * * So Pacquiao-Margarito will be an intriguing strategy showdown, which is the fight we get since Floyd Mayweather Jr. has so many issues and personal problems. Margarito has to contend with Pacquiao’s speed and power which has stopped 12 straight opponents since 2005. He will have to use his length unceasingly to keep the Fighting Congressman at bay. Once Pacquiao manages to make a point of order by breaking down Margarito’s defense, the Tornado will be in trouble. Roach is also not worried about Margarito’s nearly five-inch height edge because Pacquiao’s speed will allow him to get inside. Cotto was also slightly taller than Pacquiao but definitely a lot bigger. Pacquiao just knew where to strike once he penetrated any wall Cotto came up with. Battling Margarito won’t be a walk in the park for Pacquiao, and he knows it. Roach and Pacquiao are already so accustomed to each other that they know how much time they need to prepare, and when to close the gym to choreograph tactics.
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Still and understandably so, all of us following Manny are trying to spot any slip in his preparation, any distraction or physical discomfort like the foot injury that was reported. His playing basketball has also been pointed out, but that’s Pacquiao’s cross training and way of dealing with the stress of the fight preparations. Besides, it’s more fun playing sports with teammates. He has four other pals to rebound the ball in case he misses those three-point shots he loves to heave. The worry stems from the possibility of an injury while playing hoops. But no Filipino fighter trains quite like Pacquiao, and even before he departs for the final stretch of training in the United States, he will be ready to wage battle. Pacquiao will have his physical conditioning and strategy down pat by the time the press conference before the fight takes place. As long as the congressman stays away from the hassles of the ropes, he should be able to catch the tail of the tornado and whip it good.
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