ARIZA BELIEVES PACQUIAO-MARGARITO WILL BE A GOOD FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 25 Jul 2010
Although pound-for-pound king and ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao hasn?t signed an agreement to fight Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC light middleweight title as yet, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has announced that the fight will take place on November 13 but hasn?t as yet named a venue.
Although Monterrey appears to have an edge because Margarito is Mexican and Pacquiao has a tremendous following among Mexican fight fans, Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz told us that Abu Dhabi is still very much in the picture and they are waiting for word from the representatives of the Emirate Royal Family sometime next week.
However, Arum is making a pitch for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and his lawyer David Marroso has communicated with the Nevada State Athletic Commission seeking even a one-day license for Margarito to fight Pacquiao on November 13 at the MGM Grand.
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer told us that while Margarito has filed a request "I do not know if and when the commissioners would consider the request."
The NSAC Commissioners by a 4-1 vote tabled his last request for a licenese despite a strong appeal from Margarito himself and requested him to first get his license renewed by the California State Athletic Commission which suspended him on the padded handwraps issue prior to his fight against Shane Mosley, although Arum insists Margarito is not going to fight in California and therefore there is no need for him to apply for a California license.
Meantime, as the discussions continue on whether the Margarito fight is the best for Pacquiao in the face of the Mayweather Jr refusal, Pacquiao?s conditioning guru Alex Ariza told us he thinks ?its a very good fight? but added that having worked with four-time ?Trainer of the Year? Freddie Roach for the past three years and ?watching him completely analyze an opponent, break them down finding his weaknesses, finding his habits and all that, I think its going to be an easy fight.?
At the same time Ariza referred to Shane Mosley?s win over Margarito and said ?Manny hits a lot harder and is a lot faster than Mosley? who won over Margarito by a 9th round TKO on January 24, 2009 and grabbed the WBA super welterweight title.
Despite the demands on his time and attention as a congressman from the lone district of Sarangani province in Mindanao and his involvement in numerous projects Ariza wasn?t concerned pointing out that ?when it comes to fight time Manny is one hundred percent.?
Ariza said he had no doubt that Pacquiao will not take Margarito any different from the way he took Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton or Oscar De La Hoya. My heart believes that Manny?s true passion is fighting. I think he truly, truly loves it.?
He said a Margarito fight would much better than a rematch with Cotto because in all seriousness he said ?Freddie already knows Cotto and it doesn?t matter what trainer he has in his corner because Freddie knows how to beat Cotto at 154 .?
Ariza said Floyd Mayweather Jr?s failure to face Pacquiao ?comes down to fear. Fear is the greatest influence in the world . Not even money can overcome fear. Some people may say I am crazy but I know the personality of Mayweather and I know what they are feeling now validates the fact that fear is something you cannot put a price on.?
At the same time Ariza ripped into ESPN?s choice of Mayweather as the ?Fighter of the Year? pointing out that the fighters he beat were much smaller, three weight divisions lower or older than him. He never fights a guy in the middle. ESPN is a victim of their own stupidity. Why would you name a guy the ?Fighter of the Year? and validate his own way of warped thinking by letting him think he?s that good. ?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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