Source: Robert Morales | boxingscene.com
Antonio Margarito stood in one corner of the Rodeo Room at the famed Beverly Hills Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, holding court with scores of reporters following a news conference to formally announce his super welterweight title fight with Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
Only minutes earlier, Pacquiao had told a large group of reporters that Margarito must have known his hand wraps contained illegal substances prior to his January 2009 knockout loss at the hands of "Sugar" Shane Mosley at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
When Margarito's interpreter, Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank Inc., was asked to get a reaction from Margarito, Jimenez had to make sure he heard right.
"He (Pacquiao) said what?" Jimenez asked. Keep in mind both fighters are promoted by Top Rank.
Once Jimenez was clear, he informed Margarito, who looked toward the ceiling as if to say, "Is this ever going to end?"
Then, Margarito quickly replied.
"I don't care what anybody says," he said. "This is the present now. Let's get ready to fight."
It's a fight, Margarito said, that could put him back among the elite.
"I like the fact that I'm getting Manny Pacquiao - the best fighter in the world - to prove once again the kind of fighter I am," said Margarito, a former welterweight world champion. "
Arum Won't Abandon Margarito
No one will ever be able to convince promoter Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank, that Margarito knew his hand wraps were loaded. With that, Arum continues to assert that the California State Athletic Commission's treatment of Margarito has been unfair.
The commission is the one that revoked Margarito's license in February 2009 because of the plaster inserts discovered in the knuckle pads of his wraps. It is also the commission that denied Margarito a license on Aug. 18 at a special hearing in downtown Los Angeles.
"It was a great relief," Arum said Tuesday of last week's decision by Texas to grant Margarito a license to fight Pacquiao. "But we knew that right was on our side. We knew that there was not a shred of evidence that he knew what was in those hand wraps.
"And we knew that in the United States of America, a statement, 'Well, he must have known,' is not in accordance with our system of justice. Either there's evidence that he knew, or there's no evidence. And there was no evidence. And look how they reached with that sparring permit that nobody ever heard of."
Karen Chappelle, of the California State Attorney General's office, said during the hearing that Margarito had illegally sparred in California during preparation for his fight against Roberto Garcia in May in Mexico. A permit is required to spar in the state of California.
Arum: The Mexican fans will support Margarito
Pacquiao has some of the best, if not the best, followers in the world. Typically, fans of Mexican descent are very loyal, too. But it stands to reason that since Margarito has been shamed in all of this, he might have lost some of his loyalists. Arum, however, said he is not concerned.
"There's never going to be unanimity, but I think he'll have overwhelming support in the Hispanic community," Arum said.
Garcia Taken Aback
By the time Robert Garcia, Margarito's new trainer, was finished being peppered with questions from Chappelle two weeks ago, he looked like he just went through something he wasn't quite expecting. He held up, but he appeared a bit stunned.
One of the things that left him somewhat perplexed was the aforementioned never-enforced sparring permit rule.
"Now that we think about it, we laugh about it because of things they brought up," said Garcia, who trained Margarito at his Oxnard, Calif., gym for his fight in May. "There are so many fighters that train themselves here in California. They don't need a sparring license to do so.
"So that means that what, Pacquiao is not going to be able to get training at Freddie Roach's gym (in Hollywood)? Are they going to allow Pacquiao and not Margarito? That's just ridiculous. But, hey, they brought all that up. It caught us by surprise."
The key here is that even if Pacquiao were not licensed to compete in California and had to get a sparring permit, he would have no difficulty doing so. Margarito would. If the state won't license him, it's doubtful it would give him a sparring permit.
So where is Margarito training? Not in Oxnard.
"I just talked to Sergio Diaz," Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels said Wednesday, referring to Margarito's co-manager. "His training site is undecided. Maybe Las Vegas."
Or wherever Margarito can get a sparring permit. Texas would work.
A Not-So-Easy Road
Garcia has the difficult task of trying to help Margarito defeat Pacquiao. But Garcia - who took over for the ousted Javier Capetillo - on Tuesday didn't come off as being overwhelmed by the enormity of his mission.
"Everybody knows Antonio's style; he's an aggressive fighter," Garcia said. "So, I'm not giving it away because there's little things that I have been starting on for background. He's beatable, he's beatable. I've been watching his fights, especially the ones against (Juan Manuel) Marquez, his fight that he lost to (Erik)Morales. And so he is very beatable."
Garcia said he understands that Pacquiao could very well be better than he was for those fights.
"I know he's a different fighter now," Garcia said. "He's the best, pound-for-pound, in the world. He's got a great trainer (Freddie Roach). But I think we're going to come in with a game plan where we're going to neutralize his speed, neutralize his power. Just cutting the ring and staying on him."
De La Hoya responds to 'Tijuana Tornado'
Margarito suggested in a story this week on BoxingScene.com that De La Hoya's influence on the California State Athletic Commission had something to do with him being denied a license on Aug. 18. De La Hoya has been very vocal - and very critical - about Margarito being allowed to fight. But De La Hoya said Wednesday he has never conveyed those feelings to anyone associated with the CSAC.
"People know the way I feel about that situation," De La Hoya said. "But I have never spoken to the commission, the commission has never spoken to me. I'm just a voice for everyone who feels the same as I do. Nobody wants to say what they feel, but I'm a voice that speaks my mind."
De La Hoya said he just doesn't want to see anyone hurt a sport for which he has such passion.
Alvarez Abstains From offering His Opinion
De La Hoya played host to a conference call for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Carlos Baldomir, who will tangle Sept. 18 on the undercard of Sergio Mora-"Sugar" Shane Mosley at Staples Center. Alvarez was asked if he had any thoughts on his countryman Margarito.
"I really don't have a comment about it," said Alvarez, 20, of Guadalajara. "A lot of people are speculating and talking about it, but I don't really have anything to say."
Schaefer: Good looks and hot girlfriend help Canelo's popularity
Alvarez was asked during the conference call why he believes he is so popular in Mexico at such a young age. He said it is his fighting style. But Richard Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, said during a subsequent telephone interview later in the day it's more than that.
"They say styles matter and so he is absolutely right," Schaefer said. "He has a very crowd-pleasing style and I think that's extremely important. There is another reason. I say looks matter, too. The guy's the Mexican James Dean. He has a cult-like following. Good-looking guy with a little shyness in him."
Canelo is Spanish for cinnamon. Alvarez has a very light complexion and red hair.
"It's one of those things like with Oscar," Schaefer said. "He had a great style, but then he had the looks as well and women were relating to him. In fact, Saul's girlfriend is one of the most beautiful women in Mexico."
Alvarez (33-0-1, 25 KOs) is dating 27-year-old Marisol Gonzalez, a news reporter for Televisa.
"I mean, she is stunning," Schaefer said. "Drop-dead gorgeous."
Sulaiman: It's in the rules
There has been quite a bit of talk about the idea that Pacquiao is fighting Margarito for the title at a catch-weight of 151 pounds, three under the super welterweight limit. It has rankled some that Pacquiao wants the belts, but he doesn't appear willing to fight for them at their respective weight limits. His welterweight title against Miguel Cotto was fought at a catch-weight, too.
But Mauricio Sulaiman, son of World Boxing Council present Jose Sulaiman, said there are no rules being bent to accommodate Pacquiao.
"The rules of boxing have divisions and each division has the weight limit," said Sulaiman, who was on hand at Tuesday's news conference. "The weight limit for super welterweight is 154. Fighters can weigh in at a lower weight, and it is under the rules. So, the fight is legal as long as it's not over 154."
And as long as both fighters are promoted by the same guy - Arum. And as long as one of the fighters - Margarito - is likely thanking his lucky stars that he is getting a fight of this magnitude after everything that has happened. He would have agreed to just about anything.
A True Professional
Arum received word Tuesday morning that his son, John, went missing on a hiking trip near Seattle. Arum wasn't in the good mood he's usually in before a news conference, but he still did one-on-one interviews at the Beverly Hills Hotel. He then took care of business in the Pacquiao-Margarito news conference before departing to Seattle to join the rescue team.
Samuels said he asked Arum prior to the proceedings if he was up to it.
"Bob was sitting down," Samuels said. "He didn't look good. He scrunched over and I told him how deeply sorry I am. I asked him, 'Can you do this?' He said, 'Yes.' "
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