By Eric Thomas: I can’t say I was surprised to learn today that Manny Pacquiao will likely be fighting Antonio Margarito at a 150 pound catch weight for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight title on November 13th at a still to be determined site. While I have no problems with Pacquiao fighting Margarito at a catch weight, since I see that are something that two fighters should be able to do if they want. But I think the WBC title shouldn’t be on the line for the fight. That doesn’t seem right that a fighter can compete for a title when the other fighter is being held back from fighting at the maximum weight for the division.
Pacquiao vs. Margarito
Look for Nevada to give Margarito back his boxing license for the Pacquiao fight
By Jim Dower: Antonio Margarito will be getting another chance at trying to get his boxing license back with the Nevada Athletic Commission in August. They already rejected Margarito’s attempt at getting his license back. However, this time I’m pretty sure they’ll give it to him. Things have changed dramatically from the last time that Margarito applied to the Commission. Before, Margarito didn’t have an opponent lined up, and it was easy for the Commission to deny his request by a 4-1 vote and to tell him to go to the California Athletic Commission and try his luck there. But Margarito is now lined up to fight Manny Pacquiao, one of the biggest stars in boxing. Something tells me that the Nevada Athletic Commission won’t hesitate to give Margarito his boxing license back on the 2nd attempt. My guess is they’ll give back his license by a slam dunk 5-0 vote.
Margarito has already agreed to Pacquiao’s 150 pound catch weight
By Jason Kim: According to Michael Marley from Examiner.com, two-time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito has already agreed to the 150 pound catch weight limit that Manny Pacquiao wants for their November 13th bout. Both fighters are from Top Rank, so ironing out this problem was a piece of cake for Bob Arum, who said “The catch is not an issue just as it wasn’t for [Miguel] Cotto, coming in at 145 to fight Manny. Margarito faces difficulty making 147, but there is an understanding about the three extra pounds between the parties.”
Roach sees Pacquiao-Margarito as a “Marketable” fight
By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach believes that the November 13th match-up between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito is a saleable fight that the boxing public will want to see. In an article at 8countnews.com, Roach describes the Margarito-Pacquiao fight as “Marketable,”, and says “Manny will knock him out, we will knock him out.” This is the typical prediction for Roach.
Pacquiao wants to fight Margarito at a 150 pound catch weight
By Jason Kim: If Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) wants a fight with Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO’s) on November 13th, he’s going to have to agree to fight him at a 150 pound catch weight. According to the Manila Bulletin at Mb.com.ph, Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin Gacal says “150 pounds,” in response to a question about weight the fight would be taking place at. Pacquiao and Margarito, both Top Rank fighters, will be fighting for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight title.
Margarito could try Texas and New Jersey if the Nevada Athletic Commission doesn’t give him back his boxing license
By Jim Dower: Ideally, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum would like to have the Nevada Athletic commission reinstate the boxing license for his fighter two-time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito so that Arum could match Margarito against Manny Pacquiao on November 13th in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s the number #1 choice for Arum. However, if for some reason the Nevada Athletic Commission fail to give Margarito back his boxing license, Arum has other options for Margarito.
Pacquiao to fight Margarito at catch weight not above 150?
By Chris Williams: World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is going to get a chance to win his 8th world title when he faces two-time world champion Antonio Margarito on November 13th at a still to be determined venue. According to boxing news from the Inquirer.net, the 31-year-old Pacquiao will be fighting Margarito at a “catch weight not exceeding 150 pounds.” Well, let’s do the math. If the junior middleweight upper limit for the division is 154, then Pacquiao will be fighting at four pounds under the limit, and only three pounds above the 147 pound welterweight limit. I suppose that is a catch weight that meets around the midpoint between the welterweight and junior middleweight division.
Will fighting Margarito enhance Pacquiao’s legacy?
By Eric Thomas: I don’t know if Manny Pacquiao really cares about his legacy once he’s gone from the sport of boxing, but I wonder whether his upcoming November 13th fight against Antonio Margarito will enhance his legacy or hurt it.
Pacquiao-Margarito: The WBC junior middleweight title will be on the line for the fight
By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito won’t be just fighting for big bucks when they step in the ring on November 13th, they’ll also be fighting for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight title. This will give Pacquiao a chance to fight for an 8th world title.
Of course, there will also likely be a catch weight involved for the fight. How much weight is anyone’s guess, but I’m thinking it will be at least three to four pounds.
Arum says Pacquiao to fight Margarito on November 13th
By Chris Williams: Well, it looks as if Bob Arum has made his decision. He’s picked Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) as the next opponent for Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO’s) to fight on November 13th, in either Las Vegas, Nevada or Monterrey, Mexico, according to Kevin Iole from Yahoo News. For boxing fans that were hoping to see Pacquiao matched a little tougher than this against the likes of Sergio Martinez, Andre Berto and Paul Williams, this will be sad news. Margarito is painfully slow in terms of hand speed, has zero defense and is utterly hittable. In other words, he’s the perfect opponent for Pacquiao.