By Chris Williams: In the latest boxing news, WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (26-0, 20 KO’s) describes the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito fight as a “Toss up” fight, according to an article from writer Chris Robinson at Examiner.com. Berto, 27, says “If Margarito brings that pressure, it could be too much for Manny.” I totally agree with Berto. This fight boils down to Margarito, and what he does in the ring. If he fights like his old self from two years ago, throwing 100 punches per round, then he’ll simply steam roll over the little Filipino without too many problems. But if Margarito looks tired and lets Pacquiao get off first all night long, he’ll end up losing and probably get stopped. The good thing that Margarito has going for him in this fight is that Pacquiao doesn’t tend to clinch a lot.

That’s what really seemed to throw Margarito off his game against Shane Mosley last year in his 9th round TKO loss in January. Mosley was using the old punch and grab technique to perfection and Margarito didn’t know how to adjust to it. What he needed to do was jab and move to keep Shane from landing and immediately grabbing him. But instead, Margarito stood in one place and made it very easy for Mosley to attack and grab. Against Pacquiao, Margarito probably won’t have to worry about those kinds of things.

He just needs to be the one that’s coming forward and throwing his punches nonstop. He can’t give Pacquiao an opportunity to throw his own punches, because that will lead to Margarito taking too much punishment. Instead, Margarito needs to just keep throwing shots to Pacquiao’s midsection, head and wherever he can land.

Pacquiao tends to go on shut down when facing guys that throw a lot of punches. Pacquiao keeps waiting for them to stop to begin his own shots, but if they keep throwing for extended periods of time, Pacquiao just looks to cover up and ride out the wave of shots. If Margarito doesn’t stop throwing punches, he very well could turn Pacquiao into another Kermit Cintron-like victim. Pacquiao can take a lot of head shots, but he looks very uncomfortable when you tag him in the bread basket. I think that’s where Margarito needs to aim his shots. He’s wasting his time if he goes after Pacquiao’s head. It doesn’t work, because his head is like granite and just stops the shots without him getting hurt.