Pacman's biggest test
By Abac Cordero

DALLAS – Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao, firmly established as one of the greatest boxers of all time, reaches out for another place in history against a fighter trying to redeem an image once tarnished and wrapped in controversy.

Pacquiao, long considered as the most exciting fighter to come out of his generation whose exploits could range with those of the sport’s past heroes, goes for the vacant WBC super welterweight crown against Mexican Antonio Margarito – probably the Filipino’s biggest and toughest challenge in a long and storied career.

Six months after a big win in the political arena, the Filipino icon returns to the boxing ring Saturday (Sunday noon in Manila) to shoot for a record eighth championship in as many weight divisions.

Last May, during the Philippine national elections, Pacquiao made history by beating a heavyweight opponent and becoming the first boxer to be elected to Congress.

When he climbs the ring at the Cowboys Stadium before an expected crowd of 60,000, he’ll be chasing history once more.

On the other corner of the ring will be Margarito – taller, bigger and supposedly stronger than all of Pacquiao’s previous opponents.

“This is what we’ve been waiting for,” said Pacquiao.

After the official weigh-in at the East end zone of the $1.2-billion football stadium, Pacquiao liked his chances even more, hinting that Margarito may have killed himself making weight.

“I’m happy coming in at 144.6 (lbs) and Margarito did not look good,” he said of his opponent, who came in at exactly 150 lbs, looking gaunt and weak he had to put his arm on his trainer getting off the stage.

Pacquiao is the only boxer with seven world titles in seven different weight classes, almost unbelievably moving up as champion in the flyweight, super-bantam, featherweight, super-feather, lightweight, light-welter and welterweight divisions.

He won his last four crowns in his last six fights, with victories over Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. Only Marquez managed to last the distance, the three others suffered knockouts early, midway and late in the fight.

A victory over Margarito, almost five inches taller, and with a 73-inch wingspan as compared to Pacquiao’s 67, would cement the Filipino boxer’s status as the greatest of his era, and to some the greatest of all time.

Wise money says it’s Manny

Despite his shortness in height and reach, the 31-year-old Pacquiao, just a shade under 5-foot-7, is the overwhelming favorite in this cold November showdown.

On the eve of the fight, while it was 11 degrees outside, he was at -500, and Margarito down at +350.

he Filipino southpaw, who has floored opponents bigger than he is, was at -650 in the betting stations a month ago, meaning you need $650 just to win a hundred bucks. Even at -500, it’s no longer nice or wise to place a bet.

Pacquiao, according to Bob Arum of Top Rank, is guaranteed $15 million for this one, and when everything comes in, the boxing icon from the province of Sarangani can earn as much as $20 million.

Margarito will get the smaller share of $3 million guaranteed. Still, it is the biggest purse in his entire career. He’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain, knowing that a victory will put him back on top of his division.

Pacquiao trained for seven weeks for this bout, starting off in Manila then Baguio then at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. But all the distractions around him can easily take another week off in his training program.

The last two weeks in LA, however, were the hardest of all, and Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said it was enough to bring the reigning pound-for-pound champion to where he is right now, at his usual best.

The last few days at the gym it was pretty clear that Pacquiao’s speed, both with his hands and feet, is there.

Margarito, on the other hand, trained longer and harder, but may have had great difficulty making the 150-lb catchweight for the 154-lb division.

With the Mexican struggling to make weight, Pacquiao should be the stronger boxer on top of the ring.

Friday evening, as usual, Pacquiao took in a big number of visitors at his suite at the Gaylord Texan Hotel here. Saturday morning, he’d take a short walk, hear mass, and stay in until his call time at around seven in the evening.

Once he walks out of his dressing room, the Filipino champion will face a huge crowd like he’d never seen before – even more than the 51,000 that came to see his fight against Clottey – and greater expectations.

The fight, to be preceded by 10 others, including those featuring Filipinos Dennis Laurente, Richie Mepranum and Juan Martin Elorde, grandson of the legendary Filipino champion, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.

The entire Filipino nation of over 90 million will stand behind Pacquiao as he battles Margarito, each one of them hoping and praying for another victory by Pacquiao, now being hailed as a possible future president.

Pacquiao has a ring record of 51 wins, three losses, two draws and 38 knockouts. He hasn’t lost a fight over the last five years, since that cold, bloody night of March 19, 2005 when he fell to Erik Morales in a 130-lb contest that went the distance.

Margarito, just months older than Pacquiao, has a ring record of 38 wins with six losses, a no-contest and 27 knockouts. He was knocked out by Shane Mosley in January last year, and just minutes to the fight he was caught with illegal hand wraps.

The native of Tijuana, actually a stablemate of Pacquiao’s at Top Rank, served a long suspension, and only managed to return to the ring in May this year, with a 10-round picnic against Roberto Garcia in Mexico.

But all that is water under the bridge now.

After this one, granting that he wins, Pacquiao can start weighing his options. He can either retire and focus on politics, chase the elusive fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., or face someone else in May.

“It’s his call,” Arum was quoted as saying the other day.

But that’s getting ahead of this fight, the biggest ever for Pacquiao.

Source: philstar.com