By Rick Reeno
Trainer Jeff Mayweather recently spoke with BoxingScene.com about the upcoming mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. After watching training footage of Margarito, and the 24/7 series on HBO, Mayweather appears confident that Margarito is going to be weight-drained on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium. The junior middleweight contest is being fought at an agreed upon catch-weight of 150-pounds.
Mayweather also questions whether or not Margarito has legitimate punching power. After last year's handwrapping scandal, a shadow of doubt is hovering over Margarito's career. There are many, like Mayweather, who wonder if Margarito had loaded his gloves in the past, or was the fight with Shane Mosley an isolated incindent.
"I think that Margarito is going to be drained. I was watching 24/7 and he was already shredded. I don't know where he's going to lose those pounds. I think that's going to be the biggest achille's heel for him. This is one of those situations where, who knows if Margarito can really punch. Nobody knows how long he was using those handwraps. I lean towards Pacquiao because he's a lot faster and once again he's making a guy kill himself to get down to the weight, like he did with [Oscar] De La Hoya," Mayweather told BoxingScene.com.
"It's one of those situations where neither guy has any defense, but if [Pacquiao] box like he did with De La Hoya, he should beat Margarito easy. I just think that Margarito is too slow. The thing is that, Manny is not the most technical fighter, but he does know how to get in and get out. That's all he has to do. Like I said, Margarito is going to be extremely slow in comparison to Pacquiao."
