By Chris Williams: I know trainer Freddie Roach has personally picked out three of his fighters – Amir Khan, Vanes Martirosyan and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – to spar with Manny Pacquiao to get him prepared for Antonio Margarito on November 13th, but is this situation of Pacquiao doing Roach a favor by sparring with these guys rather than Pacquiao getting any real benefit out of it? Let’s be honest here. Chavez, Khan and Martirosyan are nothing like Margarito. I see absolutely nothing in common with them and the Mexican warrior in their style of fighting.
Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao boxing news
Khan plans on fighting Maidana, the Alexander-Bradley winner and then Mayweather and Pacquiao
By William Mackay: You can’t say that WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) lacks for a grand plan for his future. Khan has an upcoming fight with WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) on December 11th. Khan then plans on fighting the winner of the proposed bout between light welterweight champions Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley in January. Following that, Khan wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. It almost sounds like a dream of a child, because it seems to unlikely to happen. Who knows? Maybe Khan can still get fights against all of those aforementioned fighters even if he’s beaten by each one of them.
Roach predicting 8th round knockout win for Pacquiao over Margarito
By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach is once again sounding more like a promoter than a trainer. In the latest boxing news, Roach, in an interview at Abs-cbnnews.com, said “We the way things are going right now, I’m sure we’re going to knock him [Antonio Margarito] out in the 8th round. Maybe less. Nothing has changed in his routine. He is still very strong.” I wish Roach would tell us something different. It’s always a knockout prediction and it’s always against someone that Pacquiao has a good chance of beating. Margarito was stopped last year by Shane Mosley, and has done zilch to show that he’s come back from that loss.
Roach offering $1000 if Chavez Jr., Martirosyan and Khan can knock Pacquiao down in sparring
By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach is offering $1000 if his fighters Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Vanes Martirosyan and Amir Khan can knock Manny Pacquiao down in sparring in the Philippines. This has got to be the best sparring partners that a fighter could ever hope to get to help get ready for the Antonio Margarito bout on November 13th. But why so cheap? $1000 is nothing for Khan and Chavez. I think Roach needs to up that to $20,000, because those guys are used to making big bucks int their fights and waving $1000 under their noses may not get the desired effect that Roach wants.
Khan predicts Pacquiao to stop Margarito in the 8th or 9th round
By Chris Williams: For what it’s worth, WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan is picking his buddy Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO’s) to stop Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) in the 8th or 9th round next month in their fight on November 13th. In an article at Abs-cbnnews.com, Khan says this about his close friend Pacquiao: “I’m totally behind Manny Pacquiao. I think Manny is the best fighter in the world. Whoever you put in front of Manny Pacquiao, I think Manny will beat easily. He’s got the skill, he’s got the speed, he’s got the footwork. This fight I think Manny will stop him maybe in round eight or round nine.” Oh brother, Khan is going a bit overboard. I’m cool with his prediction.
Is Pacquiao showing signs of aging?
By Dave Lahr: First it was a bad foot and now it’s a virus that has Manny Pacquiao out of action. While it might not a big deal to some, the fact both of the maladies have come in such a short period of time makes me wonder whether Pacquiao is getting old on us. At 31, a sometimes a fighter starts to show signs of breaking down physically. It can be nothing for some and an old age home for other fighters practically. You just get old sometimes. Is that what’s happening with Pacquiao? Has carrying all that weight trying to beat the big boys caused Pacquiao age all of sudden or is this just something happens to a fighter when he turns 31 and becomes a politician?
Pacquiao battling illness: This could help Margarito
By Dave Lahr: With only a month to go before their mini-mega fight at the Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, Manny Pacquiao has reportedly become ill with a virus that’s getting in the way of his training for his bout next month against Antonio Margarito on November 13th. Depending on how long this illness lingers, it could mess Pacquiao up much worse than you can imagine. His trainer Freddie Roach said in the past that having blood taken from Pacquiao for random blood tests would mess him up for three days.
Margarito did have the chance to become great
By Marquise Bullock: Tijuana’s “Tornado” Antonio Margarito (38-6 27KOs) really messed up a good almost great career. He had the chance to become one of Mexico’s greats. He almost had it all. Great chin, good power, amazing pressure, smarts, and a great heart. Those are qualities that fight fans appreciate. Sad to say, but the old era is done. A lot of fight fans call good footwork running, and they would rather see a toe to toe battle than a “boring” chess match. And Antonio Margarito was one of those few fighters that provided that.
Roach says Pacquiao would lose to Margarito if they fought today
By Dave Lahr: With a little more than a month to go before the November 13th fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach made a startling revelation when he said in an article at abs-cbnnews “We’re just begining to get the game plan down and get the timing and get the timing was little better. He did what I wanted him to do a couple of times. It’s a work in progress. If that Manny Pacquiao went into the fight, we’d probably lose.” Oh, this is bad.
Juan Manuel Marquez wants Pacquiao at a catch weight of 143 or 144
By Dan Ambrose: WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) is interested in fighting a third fight against Manny Pacquiao if Manny will agree to fight him at a catch weight of 143 or 144, according to boxing news from ESPN’s Golpe a Golpe. Marquez, 37, says “First Pacquiao would have to accept, but I would fight him at a catch-weight of 143 or 144 pounds.” Pacquiao probably won’t accept and he won’t likely bring it up to his promoter Bob Arum, who seems to want no part of matching Pacquiao up with Marquez in another rematch.