Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito: Does Margarito Have a Shot at Winning?
Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito will face-off in a battle of epic proportions on Saturday for the currently vacant WBC Super Welterweight Title.
The fight will take place in Cowboy Stadium and is one of the most highly anticipated fights in recent memory. PacMan is trying to win a title in his eighth weight class, which would be a record.
If he is to succeed in this amazing feat, he will need to get through Antonio Margarito. ย Everyone knows about PacMan, but does Antonio Margarito even have a shot at winning?'
James Evens is a Purdue student and Basketball/Football Featured Columnist for the Boilermakers, along with being a Writing Intern at Bleacher Report.ย Follow him on Twitter, orย like him on Facebook.
Margarito Is Bigger
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One thing Antonio Margarito has going for him is size. Margarito stands at 5'11" with a reach of 73 inches.ย
This is compared to Pacquiao at 5'6" with a reach of 67 inches.
If Margarito wants to win this fight he will need to use this to his advantage to beat up on PacMan.
His Last Loss Was a Knockout
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This makes things difficult for Margarito. ย Pacquiao is a known knockout artistโwinning most of his fights via TKO. He has won 38 of 51 bouts by knockout. ย This could be a major problem for Margarito.
Although he was knocked out in his last loss against Shane Mosley, that was his only loss by knockout of his career.
If he expects to win against PacMan he will need to protect himself against the knockout.
He Is Not As Distracted As Pacquiao
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Let's face it, Pacquiao is a busy guy.ย Whether he is throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game, or voting on legislation in the Philippines, he has a lot on his mind.ย Recently, there has been some speculation that PacMan wasn't in great shape heading into this fight, which could be an advantage to Margarito.
Margarito is a fighter; that is it.ย He doesn't mess with politics, and his only job is to beat people to a living pulp.ย Maybe Margarito can get lucky and catch PacMan off guard with betterย preparationย and better conditioning.
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Margarito Is the Underdog
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In sports, underdogs are usually the fan favorites, but not in this case. ย Everyone wants to see Pacquiao win another championship.
This could play to Margarito's advantage. ย With very few people even knowing who he is, he has theย opportunityย to slip in and make a huge name for himself.
Nothing to Lose
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Margarito can go out and make a huge statement with a victory here, and really propel himself to the top of the professional boxing ranks with a victory over PacMan.ย
With PacMan having so much to lose in this fight, and with all the speculation that would occur about him, Margarito has a chance to make a huge statement as no one expects him to win this fight.
Who Will Win?
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Pacquiao is obviously favored in this fight, but in the words of Lee Corso: "Not so fast my friend."ย
Margarito has a real chance at victory in this one. ย With his great style and his ability to hang around for an entire fight, Margarito could be a problem for the reportedly poorly conditioned PacMan.ย
So who will win?
Manny Pacquiao
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Pacquiao will win this fight by knockout. ย With all the speculation that is occurring, one would expect the PacMan to be fired up and defeat his opponent quickly.
He is one of the best boxers of all time and will continue to be considered the greatest as he wins his eighth different weight class.
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James Evens is a Purdue student and Basketball/Football Featured Columnist for the Boilermakers, along with being a Writing Intern at Bleacher Report.ย Follow him on Twitter, orย like him on Facebook.
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