By Ryan Songalia
 
I’d be lying if I said that my earliest experiences in Dallas were all positive. For starters, my three-man convoy and I arrived late to the weigh-in, just barely catching the penultimate event of Friday evening at approximately 5:20 PM Central.
 
Because I arrived so late, the Top Rank media credential table had already packed up and left me to find my way through the bi-partisan crowd of enthusiastic onlookers. Standing just 5’6”, I knew that I was going to need some help catching a glimpse of the action. Undeterred, I hoisted myself onto a light fixture behind the raised stage that supported the television cameras to get a look.
 
Antonio Margarito, as expected, weighed in right on the money at 150 pounds. When Manny Pacquiao finally finished removing the seemingly endless layers of excess clothing and stepped on the scale, his reading of 144.6 elicited a chorus of shocked gasps.
 
The most animated response came from promoter Top Rank’s vice president Carl Moretti, who brushed his hand over his head in seeming disbelief at the outcome.
 
Essentially, this is a clash between a man who could easily make the junior welterweight limit of 140 pounds against a true junior middleweight. There was no indication at the staredown that these two were in the same weight division.
 
Not all are concerned, however.
 
Former light-heavyweight champion Glen Johnson who knows a little bit about coming in light at weigh-ins was shocked by the numbers.
 
“Wow, that’s a lot of weight difference,” said Johnson, who is fresh of a knockout victory over Allan Green. “I believe in skills because I spar against a lot of big guys in the gym but sparring and fighting are two different things.
 
“I’m a big Pacquiao fan and I believe he can pull it out. I think Margarito is a slow guy. He’s more open and he throws punches wider so there’s a lot of room and body to hit. We’ll see how Pacquiao deals with that.”
 
Nathan Tinagsa, who trains flyweight contender Richie Mepranum on the undercard, says the weight disparity won’t be an issue because strength wasn’t his advantage in the first place.
 
“Even though Pacquiao’s weight is lower than Margarito, I saw Manny during training and I have no concerns about his conditioning. Every time we do running and training, he’s very happy and does well. I think there’s no worry about the difference with weight.”
 
Margarito’s physicality remains the biggest threat to Pacquiao, who is seeking his eighth world title in as many weight divisions. Uppercuts, overhand rights and left hooks to the body have been the 32-year-old Margarito’s weapons of choice in a career that has spanned 45 fights, amassing a record of  38-6-0-1 (27 KO). With five inches in height over Pacquiao at 5’11”, Margarito will have to impose his size and will on a fighter whose speed and athleticism have defined his decade of dominance.
 
Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com made the most sense of the weigh-in via Twitter: “Marg had no choice but to be at 150. Pac is at a weight that accentuates his strengths.”
 
Pacquiao’s moods at weigh-ins are usually cheerful, cordial and upbeat. He often extends his hand in friendship with his adversary. Absent were the smiles, and in their place was a cold, professional demeanor; the kind that usually materializes once the bell rings.
 
Unlike past fight buildups, this one has taken on a personal feel, most poignantly the infamous video of Margarito and crew appearing to poke fun at Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s Disease.
 
Pacquiao seems to be bringing more emotion into this fight than in any previous battle. Mike Tyson once likened fury to fire. He said fire can heat your home or cook your food when controlled, or kill you and burn your house down if left uncontrolled.
 
How Pacquiao handles his emotions in the ring can dictate whether he is consumed by his opponent’s fury or is engulfed by his own personal feelings.

Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and a contributor to GMANews.TV. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com . An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryansongalia .