By Ryan Dunn: The soap opera is in full swing as the boys from Oxnard lock horns with the Hollywood kids. As Team Margarito and Team Pacquiao turn up the heat on what is said to be a potential fight of the year showdown, I wanted to throw some levity into the fire and take an earnest look at what we might expect when these two fighters square off this Saturday, November 13.

First of all, some fans and critics are crowing about Margarito looking weight-drained, famished, and so forth. Let me remind you that Antonio has been fighting at Welterweight for the better part of the past decade. His last fight was at Light Middleweight, true, but dropping four pounds to a catchweight is unbelievably common in this sport. There is nearly no credence to this claim.

Second, as much as we may want to see a fighter transform into a new, superhuman version of their former selves, the truth is that both men are in their thirties, and one training camp — new trainer or not — is not likely going to produce such dramatic results. We may see some improvements, and a chance for ingenuity in a fighter’s game plan, but Margarito is going to still be active, taller, stronger, and slower than Pacquiao; while Manny is going to remain busy, aggressive, fast-handed and full of feints despite a lackluster jab.

Third, Margarito will be a clear underdog, despite his height and reach advantages. This is for one simple reason: Manny is much, much faster than Margarito. If we’ve learned one thing about Manny, it is that his speed has served him well against the bigger opponents. De La Hoya, Cotto, and even Hatton while it lasted, all learned what it meant to have an opponent who can take a punch and deliver five more with evil intentions. Diaz is quoted as saying he thought Freddie Roach came into the ring and started hitting him along with Manny, the punches came from everywhere.

If Margarito is to stand any chance, it will be because his new trainer, Robert Garcia, has focused on speed, speed, speed. Margarito is not likely to win on body shots, or a lucky punch alone. Of course this is boxing, and anything is possible, but look for Pacquiao to overwhelm Margarito with vicious combinations from every which way. I see this fight going more like the David Diaz fight than the De La Hoya match.

I predict a middle rounds stoppage for Pacquiao, with Margarito finding his target simply too elusive, too clever… too fast to handle.