'Margarito stronger, bigger for Pacman'

MANILA, Philippines - Antonio Margarito’s chief trainer Roberto Garcia yesterday said his ward will use his brute strength and height advantage against Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao even as he expressed confidence of Margarito’s victory in their upcoming fight in November in Texas.

“Margarito has the strength, the power, he’s hungry to be the best and prove everybody wrong. He’s the bigger man. He will get hit but he will just keep coming and coming and Pacquiao will get tired of just having Margarito on him and landing good shots and eventually you start landing good shots and start breaking him down,” Garcia told Dennis Guillermo of The Examiner.

“I honestly see a very big chance of us pulling it out,” he said.

Margarito has been training in earnest for the keenly awaited Nov. 13 showdown where Pacquiao is eyeing an eighth title in the super welterweight division (154 lbs). The fight, however, is set at a catchweight of 151 lbs.

Meanwhile, Garcia said he’s not having second thoughts on joining this week’s press tour for the big fight.

Garcia, who has his hands full handling Margarito’s training, said he’d be there despite the fact that he’s now busy working on the upcoming bout.

“I’ve been watching a lot of Manny Pacquiao’s fights. I’ve been studying him everyday,” said Garcia, also the current trainer of excellent fighters like Nonito Donaire Jr., Brian Viloria, Steven Luevano and Joan Guzman.

The press tour is set this week with stops in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. Then both fighters part ways, and head into training, just a little over two months left before the anticipated showdown.

Garcia, the former world champion, said the more he studies Pacquiao, the more he likes their chances of winning.

“Margarito never stops training. After his fights he takes a few days off, maybe a week off but then he goes back to the running and back to the gym right away. He’s not back in my gym yet. We start our press conference here on Tuesday in LA and then go to New York, finish up in Texas, but following that we will start training camp. That would be 10 weeks before the fight, I think that would be enough,” said Garcia.

Enough to put Margarito in top shape. But will it be enough to beat Pacquiao?

The Gen. Santos native and now a Saranggani representative was scheduled to leave for LA last night for the press tour, and a chance to hook up with his own trainer, Freddie Roach, to probably discuss their initial plans against the 5-foot-11 Margarito.

And fly back home right after the press tour.

Roach will come to Manila along with sparring partners Rashad Halloway and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who may be just as tall as Margarito for training that starts on Sept. 20.

Pacquiao can train anywhere he wants, but prefers somewhere near the House of Representatives so he won’t be able to miss the afternoon sessions in Congress.