By Cliff Rold
After unavoidable delays, the time has finally arrived to sit back and enjoy another round of HBO’s answer to QTC. Is it advertising the cresting story of a superstar whose title accomplishments are about to be watered down? Or is this the hard sell of a redemption song for a fighter who earned the biggest chance of his fistic life by getting caught trying to cheat, dumped inside the distance the same night, being suspended, and then winning a weak comeback fight?
Just a couple of weeks from now, we’ll find out. The formidable tenor of Leiv Schreiber’s narration returns to boxing fans for the first time since Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley did battle in May. Schreiber relays to the audience that “a fighter was once asked what he believed in. ‘I believe in me,’ he answered. ‘I have no other choice.’”
Cue some early training footage, fight highlights, controversy hints, and the familiar theme music. “This is Pacquiao-Margarito, 24/7.”
And the real-timey review begins…
We open right away with the crowing of a rooster on a Philippines morning, leading to some mitt work between the current WBO Welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) and trainer Freddie Roach. All of this is a bit of subterfuge to set up the real opening topic.
Manny Pacquiao, Congressman.
Or, as the fighter put it, “I’m the honorable Emmanuel D. Pacquiao from the lone district of Sarangani Province.” Is the D for “destruction” in the ring? The world wonders. Hmmm…
There’s no denying the scene of a current fighter, particularly one as prominent as Pacquiao, is amazing to behold. His congressional office operations are led by a Chief of Staff whose worried expression is familiar to anyone who has seen the difficulty of handling a high maintenance executive or politician up close. Keep in mind, this high maintenance politician gets hit in the face for a living.
The music changes to rap en espanol. Does this mean…si. In comes former WBO, IBF and WBA Welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO). It takes little time for the big subject to break out.
Handwraps.
Margarito was of course caught before his could be loaded prior to an annihilating loss to Shane Mosley in early 2009. The questions of what Margarito knew, and when he knew it, have lingered ever since. He has shifted the blame to former trainer Javier Capetillo and lays out his side of the story, noting he “didn’t know how big” the incident was going to become immediately after the Mosley loss.
Margarito found out how big. The California State Athletic Commission found “sulfur and calcium in the knuckle pads, ingredients that form plaster of paris.” Margarito and Capetillo were suspended a year pending reinstatement. Margarito was denied in California but allowed to fight on now, in Texas, and with a new trainer, former Jr. Lightweight titlist Roberto Garcia. “I’ll prove to the whole boxing world that I can win and I’m back,” Margarito promises.
Roach and Pacquiao don’t buy Margarito’s defense that he was ignorant to the crime. Pacquiao is pretty funny in mocking Margarito, stating, “Of course he knew,” and that knowing what’s going on with the hands is “common sense.”
What isn’t inherently common sense is why Pacquiao is fighting Margarito. The voices that have wondered loudest are acknowledged and Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz states it all plainly. Margarito makes dollars so he makes sense. Pacquiao adds, “we have to give him a chance to recover his career.” It’s a very humanitarian, politician-like response.
Why does Margarito deserve the sort of payday a Pacquiao promises to ’recover his career’ before a fighter who wasn’t caught cheating gets a chance to make theirs? See Koncz.
It’s worth noting, Floyd Mayweather and his team would get pilloried if these same things were being said in a shoe reversal, which would be hypocritical. It’s also worth noting Mayweather wanted nothing to do with either one of these cats.
And, yup, there’s a quick mention of “Money” and Pacquiao making a face that says ‘no more playing Mr. Humble,’ when expressing his feeling of superiority in comparing accomplishments with his chief rival.
Back to southern California’s Margarito training grounds and it’s a classic car show and chance to mix with fans still very supportive of the fallen battler. The birth of the Margarito-Garcia partnership is explored, Garcia recounting how Margarito convinced him he was not complicit in the Mosley wrap controversy.
Margarito is shown sweating down to the bout’s contracted weight of 150 lbs., a blue-collar contrast to the frantic life of Pacquiao. The star of the show is shown working through family time and a charity run; his co-star, Roach, gets his share of star treatment in the Philippines as well, signing autographs and taking photos.
In training, a heel injury to Pacquiao is referenced and Roach expresses concern his camp is behind (man, almost like the show is selling that Pacquiao might be vulnerable). Time for more dramatic contrast as Margarito is again on screen, his camp all Clubber Lang sparse until his wife arrives to throw some Adrian vibe his way. Just do one thing for me…win.
What are we waiting for? Well, a rather painful looking session of Margarito getting his abs worked over by a baton. Own.
Final comments and the closing montage are all that remain and week one of 24/7 comes to a close.
Final Thoughts: The personalities in this fight make a different combination than recent 24/7 fare and it’s for the better. However one feels about Margarito (and this scribe will save that for later), he can’t help but come off as authentic. Pacquiao also came off across more natural, less concerned with the projection of other series and more comfortable in just letting his inner bad-ass fly. There’s no way for 24/7 not to feel like a giant commercial. It is. But, when done right, it can still feel like an illuminating look at a pair of fighters, full of contradictions and glances that speak more than words. It was a nice start in the build to what should be a fascinating fight.
Grade: B+
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
