by Cliff Rold
Last week on 24/7, former Welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito proclaimed (and explained) his innocence. Current WBO Welterweight titlist and Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao had a laugh about it. Both men trained, sometimes in slow motion, while Liev Schreiber voiceovers played in the background.
The voiceovers are back. The fighters? Still training hard. This is Pacquiao-Margarito 24/7.
Week two.
The show opens at the gym with Margarito, trainer Roberto Garcia hacking away at his belly with a conditioning baton among other regiments. Garcia, as any good trainer should, says, “Margarito is training as never before…if he wins, he’s the man.”
Margarito pays a compliment to the former Jr. Lightweight champion now in his corner by stating that when he beats Pacquiao, “there will be a lot of fighters who want to work with you.”
Garcia explains his temperament as a fighter, an early retirement, and his desire to stay near the game. Like Margarito, he is looking at this as a chance to make a statement to the world about the qualities he brings to his craft.
The scene shifts to the wedding reception of Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz and viewers get a look at promoter Bob Arum doing something sort of like dancing while Pacquiao sings.
Seriously? All that cash and Pacquiao picks himself to sing? Aw what the heck; even Joe Frazier had his own band back in the day.
The cameras hit the streets of Baguio City to set the scene as a new, custom speed bag is installed for use by the champ. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach oversees that activity and another as well. Looking to work on speed in the ring, Roach has brought in another of his pupils to work with Pacquiao. Current WBA Jr. Welterweight titlist Amir Khan, also a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, appears to get the better of Pacquiao in their session.
A change in the tempo of the music suggests drama on this, the last day of training before camp shifts to the U.S. Roach says of his preparations, “Hopefully, he’s got the bad days out of the way.”
It’s almost like this show is selling the idea that Margarito is working hard while Pacquiao might be distracted, vulnerable. Surely it’s an incredible coincidence that the documentary crew has happened upon this story.
(wink wink)
While Team Pacquiao makes their way to Cali, Margarito is already there and taking a drive with wifey. It’s a day off in Santa Barbara as the couple and friends rent one of those group bikes and ride around for the cameras…err, because it looked like fun.
Garcia is still in Oxnard, waiting for the return of his fighter to watch Pacquiao’s last fight, a lopsided decision over Joshua Clottey. For anyone who wonders just how much sacrifice boxing requires, ask what it would mean for you to have to endure watching that lousy fight again? Margarito notes what made that fight a stinker (Clottey not throwing punches) and Margarito points out he won’t have that problem.
Pacquiao gets in some gym time in Manila before flying out and Pacquiao’s sparring again looks sloppy…though isn’t Pacquiao allegedly always having a bad camp until he gets to the U.S.? Just asking.
The evening of the exit flight, Pacquiao arrives later than departure time but of course the plane is still waiting. One of the flight crew says Manny Pacquiao is “so humble” which is ironic on some level given the delayed departure. Then again, seeing the crew fawn over their star, maybe not. Pacquiao, particularly at home, is closer to Elvis than any athlete alive right now.
Team Margarito has a laugh with a cement block being tied around his hand. It’s a good gag, though one can be certain many won’t be amused by such antics, and shows how relaxed the Margarito team is. If their portrayal is close to the reality in this ‘reality show,’ Margarito is in a very good place.
24/7 gets to a very good place with the inclusion of Lightweight Brandon Rios. The young contender relays, with expletives, how he became Margarito’s ‘show ‘em around Oxnard’ guy’ and says he though Margarito was in the “Mafia” when he first met him. Anyone who saw Rios walk down fellow young contender Anthony Peterson earlier this year knows he can fight. This is further evidence his mouth needs more time in the tube alongside his fists.
With training footage to back it up, Rios states that Margarito is the “hardest working man in the business…he’s gonna’ f&*^ up this dude.”
On day one at Roach’s Wild Card Gym, the storyline continues to be Pacquiao, maybe, being distracted. Conditioning coach Alex Ariza compares it to Rocky III, the early part, when Clubber Lang is all Mr. Austerity and Balboa is skipping rope to lousy lounge music. Roach says it was perhaps, in the Philippines, their “worst camp ever.”
And then, hey, look, a good workout. Pacquiao leaves at the end of the week to fly to Vegas to aid in campaigning for Senator Harry Reid while his camp complains about the additional distraction.
It’s all part of the closing montage, the fight just two weeks away at the close of the show.
Final Thoughts: Perhaps it is all theatre, but the feeling that Pacquiao could be open to danger is being sold well on this version of 24/7. It’s hard not to be cynical in recognizing what this all is (i.e. a big commercial) while also seeing one very clear truth: if Margarito comes in at anything close to the form, and willingness to suffer, he had in the Miguel Cotto fight, Pacquiao will need his A game. This is going to be an imminently watchable fight no matter what, and Pacquiao suddenly being overwhelmed outside the ring, is unlikely. It’s the best 24/7 has been in a while regardless. 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
