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Manny Pacquiao: Should We Support the Antonio Margarito Fight?

By Gina L. Caliboso

Given these challenging economic times, I’m still on the fence if whether I can convince family members to order the bout between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito. Given that I had expected Pacquiao to fight Mayweather, I’m still not sure exactly why Margarito was chosen to fight. So you hear the obvious, Bob Arum of Top Rank is promoting a fight with two key players – his marquis player Pacquiao and the down and out – needs a second chance fighter, Margarito.

If you had to cast hats, Pacquiao is definitely the white hat hero. Margarito, at 5’11, is the black hat villain perpetually twisting his moustache. It’s clever casting really and I’ll tune in – maybe. However, there are some pieces of the plot that need some looking into as to what this fight may mean now and into the boxing future.

First, I have to think if whether the fight will help or hurt boxing. I’d argue yes on both sides. It will help boxing to see Pacquiao fight Margarito. It will hurt boxing to see Pacquiao fight Margarito. Depends on who you ask. As a Pacquiao supporter and Filipino flag waver, I love watching Pacquiao fight. He is a source of national pride for the Philippines and to see him fight now as Congressman Manny Pacquiao – who wouldn’t want to see a politician get beat up. It reveals the idea of second chances. The great welterweight Pacquiao grants a down and out fighter accused and found guilty of cheating, Pacquiao offers Margarito his one chance at glory, a title, and a payday.

As for whether it will hurt boxing. The fight hurts boxing because it isn’t the bout every fan wanted to see. Margarito is not Mayweather. End of discussion. Pacquiao looks good on both sides of the argument.

There is also the possibility to simply hurt boxing where it matters – low PPV buys. The money and numbers always say a lot about the marketability if whether a fight has enough fan support to invest in the PPV buy. Like I said, tough economic times. I just might have to wait like everyone else and look it up on the internet. True, the boxing fan can boycott. But given the fights that have occurred lately, I’d argue Pacquiao is worth it. I want to see him fight against a taller fighter.

What about Top Rank’s Bob Arum?

By setting up this fight, Arum has perhaps taken upon himself to create a competitive fight for two of his own fighters. Whether or not he intends to be in a spirit of revitalizing boxing, Arum is well aware about what the two fighters each represent. Pacquiao has an international appeal. Margarito may be taller, but Arum cleverly remembers just how well Pacquiao did against the trinity of the very best Mexican fighters – Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, and Juan Manuel Marquez. Even HBO has started the advertisements of Margarito “bringing the title back to Mexico.” The Filipino versus the Mexican. Both the Philippines and Mexico have great links to boxing history – most recently due to Pacquiao and his fights against the fighters I just mentioned. Arum has smartly used that appeal to market this fight.

As for Margarito, I’d like to think that his supposed ‘cheatin’ ways are behind him. I don’t buy the “I had no idea” type of alibi that professional athletes use to provide an excuse about whether or not they did something wrong. Rules and testing procedures are in place to serve as preventative measures. All athletes have a personal responsibility to maintain fairness, honesty, and integrity in their sports. It’s called fair and equal competition.

As some of our readers have stated that Pacquiao will soundly beat Margarito, I never underestimate any fighter. Margarito should count his blessings that he’s been given the opportunity to show what he’s really made of against the best welterweight in Pacquiao. Margarito’s career is still laced with cheating, and in his sin of cheating, Margarito must aptly ask for forgiveness and show some act of redemption. Maybe there are some Pacnuts that just want to see him get beat.

As for Pacquiao, my favorite fighter Pacquiao, he already has a life that is showing potential retirement. Congressman Pacquiao has a lot on his agenda and he’s never been the type of boxer to back down from the challenge. But as evidenced in his last fight against Clottey, he can be easily distracted. A multi-tasker to the end, Pacquiao will take this fighter, seriously, I hope, but dare I say it, should he lose, I don’t see him retiring either. He’ll stay in boxing long enough to fight whoever – and we know who – but he has more at stake than Margarito.

It’s my belief that both fighters needed a fight, but against each other, I’m still not sure if it was the best fight. In fact, even as I write this article, still don’t know how I’m going to convince family members to buy this fight. Still thinking really. But given the state of boxing right now, the Super Six Middleweight tournament fighters are dropping out due to injury.

The light welterweights have ALL seemed to call out one another, but nothing is happening. And more importantly, no one is looking at any other fight except a fight that has Pacquiao vs. “….” You can fill in any name. I’ll be waiting. Boxing needs a fight – THE fight. And hopefully as a boxing writer and fan, I won’t be waiting long. Boxing needs Pacquiao, so any fight, will be worth it.

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