By Tim Trout: During the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito fight, HBO analyst Emanuel Steward said that Pacquiao was the best offensive fighter he had ever seen. Pacquiao’s fans love Pacquiao so much because he delivers excitement, aggression and incredible skill with every fight. During the Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight, Pacquiao landed a six punch combination on Margarito, while Margarito’s guard was up the entire time.
There are tons of fighters out there who have talent, but very few are Special. The “Special” fighters do things the other fighters can’t do. They deliver larger than life performances. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is another special fighter. Most opponents can’t hit Floyd because he is no longer there to be hit. Dedicated boxing fans will do almost anything to support the Special boxers, because of the level of entertainment and sense of awe they provide.
There are other fighters who are at such a high skill level, that one mistake means a loss or a knockout. When I watched Marco Antonio Barrera fight Juan Manuel Marquez, it was unbelievable. It was like watching an artistic dance delivered with expert skill. Boxing at its highest level. Then there is the boxer who has skill and talent, but the heart of a lion. Look at Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo.
Corrales came back from multiple knockdowns to win in the last round by knocking out Castillo. Wow! now that’s boxing. Having heart doesn’t mean sacrificing your career to prove you are the bravest fighter in the land. In my opinion Antonio did just that in the Pacquiao fight. Margarito pressed on with a broken orbital bone below his eye. He wanted to show the world how tough he was.
During his next fight with Cotto, the same eye suffered severe damage and the fight had to be stopped. He might have beaten Cotto, if the fight had not been stopped. Margarito tried to be the tough guy and left his career in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. When Victor quit on his stool during the Lopez fight, some fans said he wasn’t tough enough. HE HAD A BROKEN JAW.
Featherweight Mikey Garcia recently had his nose broken against Orlando Salido, and the fight had to be stopped. Good. It should have been. What fan would want Garcia to fight with a BROKEN NOSE? The fans can’t expect these fighters to give up their career to finish a fight. The fighters have to protect their bodies and health, or they will be out of the game very quickly.
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