DIE IN THE RING ATTITUDE IS PURE BULLCRAP
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 16 Nov 2010
Los Angeles, CA:- After an exciting and memorable trip to and from Arlington, Texas it?s always nice to be back home.
Yes, it?s already the beginning of another week but the job involving the Pacquiao-Margarito fight isn?t over yet. There are hundreds of photos to be edited in search for the ones that are worthy of going in this website?s (Philboxing) gallery.
It is during that search that we found a very frightening shot. Although the shot was not perfectly clear owing to the fact that I don?t have high end camera and lens costing in the high $6K range and shooting from high atop the Cowboys Stadium at a position perhaps 350 feet from ring center, the photo never-the-less depicted the power and consistency of the punches Manny Pacquiao landed on the face of Antonio Margarito.
From our point of view it was totally pointless to continue the fight when it got to round 9. Margarito at that point and time had no more gas in the tank. His punches no longer carried the power that dropped others like Miguel Cotto. Margarito it seems was just trying to land a lucky shot hoping that it will turn the tide.
But lucky punches seldom hit a moving target particularly a fighter like Pacquiao who has good legs and can move from side to side with ease much like dancers commonly seen on TV?s Dancing with the Stars.
Margarito from that point could no longer land the lucky punch he thought he would. Besides after the battering he received from Pacquiao in the first half of the fight, even if he squarely lands a punch, he no longer had zip to go behind it.
He could even throw illegal kidney punches (which he incidentally he did) and would not drop Pacquiao.
He had nothing!
In short, the game was over. Robert Garcia knew it. Margarito knew it even more.
So why the hell did they not stop the fight and save Margarito to fight another day?
We will never know when the apparent fractured orbit occurred. Certainly not in the last three rounds because Pacquiao eased up a little bit.
What if Pacquiao did not power down towards the end? It could have damaged Margarito permanently.
Is it because of the myth that Mexicans never give up and would rather die on the ring?
Bullcrap!
The injuries suffered by Margarito from round 9 on fall exactly on the shoulders of his trainer, Robert Garcia.
Even Freddie Roach who knew too well the cumulative effects of punches to the head told us so. Remember the Juan Ma Lopez- Gerry Penalosa fight? Roach did his job and stopped the fight.
How come Garcia could not do that? Why did he allow Margarito to suffer for a lost cause?
Garcia?s job is to train Margarito. But a greater part of that job was to protect his health as well. If Garcia does not know that or is scared as s?t to implement it, then he has no business working anybody?s corner.
Garcia should have stopped the fight either Margarito agreed or not. That was his job!
True, Margarito may have protested to the hilt, but at that point and time, Garcia did not need to listen to Margarito, He could explain to him his actions when things calm down after the fight.
In so doing, he could possibly save Margarito?s career and perhaps continue his ability to earn a living to support his family by boxing.
I am not saying that the loss could trigger the retirement of Margarito. But it sure did point it that way.
And how!
Margarito had been battered around by Shane Mosley. And Mosley does not even hit as hard as Pacquiao nor have the ability to consistently do so.
Last Saturday, Margarito again was beaten like hell by Pacquiao. The accumulative effects of such horrendous beating could easily have a negative effect on his health. Needless to say, a fractured orbit is no fun. It is painful, uncomfortable and takes many weeks to heal. And, it could possibly have an effect on Margarito?s sight.
Granting that Garcia does not know all these medical complications but being an ex-boxer and an ex- world champ he should know when to throw in the towel.
In doing so, he could have done Margarito a huge favor!
Top photo: Margarito's (L) facial damage is highly apparent during the later rounds of Saturday's fight with Pacquiao at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Dr Ed de la Vega.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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