Antonio Margarito looking to come full circle with a Manny Pacquiao clash

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The latest news in the boxing world has been that of Manny Pacquiao’s clear cut victory over rival Roy Chiongbian in their electoral race for the province of Sarangani, in the southern Philippines. I stayed away from the topic purposely, as I was in no position to offer any insight on the situation, but like many I have found comfort in the news that Pacquiao seems set on continuing his career inside of the boxing ring for at least a little while longer.

The fight everyone wants from Pacquiao of course is a mouthwatering showdown with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. but given the great pride of both men it is very possible that the contest could never see its way past the negotiating table. Of all of the other names that have been thrown in the mix as possible foes for the Filipino icon, it is ironically a man who is looking to redeem his status in the sport who very well could serve as one of Pacquiao’s stiffest tests at this point in time.

This past Saturday night former champion Antonio Margarito made his return to the ring amidst a cloud of uncertainty and controversy. Margarito would end up winning a lopsided and workmanlike decision over Robert Garcia in Aguascalientes, Mexico and while it is always good to get back on the winning track the Tijuana fighter still has a long way to go before removing the horrible mark that was left in connection to his January 2009 loss to Shane Mosley.

As soon as it was announced that Margarito would be making his return to the ring, which was at first scheduled to be underneath Pacquiao’s March 13th victory over Joshua Clottey at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, there had been rumors that Top Rank boss Bob Arum had been looking at him as an option for the WBO welterweight champ. Despite the initial speculation that many have when looking at a possible Pacquiao-Margarito fight it is still a bout worthy of a look. When eyeing the contest a few things stand out.

Pacquiao’s rise and Margarito’s fall

If you are ever to point to Margarito’s highlight as a professional it certainly could be his July 2008 mugging over Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In that contest Margarito was in a big hole through six rounds as he was having trouble with the Caguas fighter’s movement and combination punching. Things looked bleak but Margarito stayed focused, applied some serious pressure and began breaking Cotto down before halting him in the 11th round. It was a triumphant win for Margarito and bigger things were expected.

One mother earlier Manny Pacquiao had successfully made the move up to the Lightweight limit with a 9th round thrashing over gritty veteran David Diaz to capture the WBC championship of the world in an equally eye-opening performance. While the boxing world once again tipped its hat to Pacquiao very few could imagine what he would have up his sleeve for the near future.

Roughly five months later Pacquiao again made a move up in weight, this time two full divisions as he bludgeoned Oscar De La Hoya over eight shockingly dominant rounds. It was a stirring victory, one that was honestly hard to fathom given the history of each man, and Pacquiao’s star was shining brighter than ever.

Still riding high from the Cotto drubbing, Margarito looked to carry his own momentum into the ring against Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles seven weeks later. The night would end up being his worst as a professional as he was not only battered by Mosley but also lost the faith and respect of many after it was revealed that elements of plater of paris were found in his hand wraps prior to the fight.

In the time since it has been hard to think of two fighters whose careers have been heading in more drastically different directions that Margarito and Pacquiao. While Antonio sat on the sidelines serving a one-year suspension by the California State Athletic Commission, Pacquiao would defeat both Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in thrilling fashion before the 2009 calendar year was up, catapulting him to the top of nearly everyone’s pound for pound list.

While he was out of action Margarito certainly had a lot of thinking to do and it is likely very odd for him to see Pacquiao with the WBO belt around his waist, as it used to be the same prize that he deeply cherished. Margarito has let it be known that a bout with Pacquiao is one he truly desires and is adamant about his belief that he is the one fighter who can upend his recent run of success. While those proclamations may be taken lightly by many the reality is that Margarito is one of the leading candidates to land a bout with Manny.

Breaking down a Pacquiao-Margarito bout

While Margarito’s actions outside of the ring on that January night may not be respected you can’t deny the formidable challenge that he has presented to his foes in the past. Whether or not he had illegal tampering with his gloves for those contests will always be a mystery and it becomes a matter of taking things at face value when assessing his career as a whole. When looking at Margarito at the moment it is very easy to determine what he has going for him and against him as a fighter.

The uphill battle that Margarito faces is the fact that he is now 32 years old as coming off of a tremendous beating at the hands of Mosley. And to it that the most lucrative contests for Margarito, and a likely Pacquiao scuffle, would be at 147 pounds and you have to wonder how well he can make the weight coming off of a lengthy layoff. Margarito’s bout with Garcia was fought at 154 pounds and while there is certainly some notable action taking place amongst the Jr. Middleweights he may have very well seen his last days at 147.

One thing Margarito has also shown is that his aggression often pays dividends, as seen by his stoppage victories over Cotto, Kermit Cintron, and Antonio Diaz, and he would have to bank on his sustained attack somehow having an effect on Pacquiao. Margarito has also shown a rock chin in his days and his solid build would likely see him standing pat to some of the shots that shook Hatton and Cotto’s worlds.

At the end of the day, however, this simply seems like a fight that would be Pacquiao’s to lose. The foundation for Pacquiao’s success in the higher weight division, outside of his power, has been his ability to attack from all angles with great quickness and precision. Those qualities would likely spell doom for the plodding Margarito, who despite his deepest desires seems to be outmatched here.

Margarito seems to feel that he needs to put all of his chips on the table to fully turn his career around and trying to chase down the shooting stare of Pacquiao would certainly draw much attention. But just as their careers have gone their separate ways, so too does logic say that it simply may be wishful thinking for Margarito at this point.


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