By Chris Williams: Maybe I’m the only one that is less than impressed with the catchweight fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title on November 13th, but I think Pacquiao’s catchweight fight makes the win less credible as far as I’m concerned. This is for the World Boxing Council junior middleweight title, and not some exhibition bout. I know Pacquiao is into collecting titles, but can’t the guy do it at the full weight without a catchweight? I can’t see Pacquiao as any kind of champion if he beats Margarito at a catchweight, can you? Pacquiao already won the WBO welterweight title using a catchweight in his fight with Miguel Cotto last year, and now he’s about to do it again.

I personally couldn’t live with myself if I was given an advantage like that. I would feel guilty about it and wouldn’t do it in the first place. I would be alright with fighting Margarito, but I wouldn’t fight him at a catchweight. I take that back. I wouldn’t fight Margarito. Instead, I’d go after Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams, both of whom are considered to be better fighters than Margarito. By picking Margarrito, that would be like choosing an easy mark and I wouldn’t want that kind of win. But the whole catchweight thing is kind of off putting to me.

Yeah, I know Pacquiao’s loving fans are all for this catchweight fight and are interested in any advantages Pacquiao can get in the fight, but how do they see this being fair? If a fighter needs a handicap just to fight for a title, then they have no business fighting for that title. Can you imagine the opponents of Wladimir Klitschko being given a catch weight handicap to make it easier for them? This is silly. I know a title will be on the line on November 13th for the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, but I won’t see it as a real one, not with the catch weight being involved. Why isn’t Pacquiao challenging Sergeii Dzinziruk for his WBO junior middleweight title? I think he’s a lot better fighter than Margarito. Why isn’t Pacquiao being put in with him? It just seems like Pacquiao is title shopping and by picking Margarito, who is clearly struggling at this point in his career, Pacquiao has the deck stacked in his favor. The catchweight is just more thing that makes it easier for him.