Manny Pacquiao Destroys Antonio Margarito: Tony's Career May Be Over

The “Tijuana Tornado” Antonio Margarito will undergo surgery on November 16, 2010, to repair a broken orbital bone he received at the hands of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, during their unforgettable clash Saturday night.

The implications this could have on Antonio’s career are severe; we may not ever see Tony fight again and I feel trainer Roberto Garcia should have been more discerning.

A fractured orbital bone can affect the movement of the eye as well as cause double vision, effects that could cause a fighter to fail his/her medical examination when applying for a license.

What is most disturbing regarding this injury is the lack of regard Roberto Garcia and referee Laurence Cole seemed to have for the damage Margarito was taking.

As a spectator, I could clearly see Margarito was taking an enormous amount of punishment by the beginning of the fifth round. A welt was visible under Antonio’s right eye by the end of the third and by the middle of the fourth, Antonio was almost doubled over by a left to the body delivered precisely by Manny.

While there were a few moments of nervousness and rare vulnerability for Pacquiao, he seemed to dismantle Margarito handily.

Momentarily in the fifth round, Antonio pounded Manny’s body against the ropes—a left hook down stairs shook Pacman’s core. 

Manny responded the only way he knows how—offensively: Pacman fired off a thread of head shots that pushed the larger Margarito back on his heels.   

As predicted, the larger Antonio just couldn’t catch Pacquiao often enough to do any real damage.

Pacquiao showed tremendous ring generalship and footwork, turning Antonio in the middle of the ring while landing bombs at latent angles.

By the eighth round, Margarito’s corner was panicking, Margarito’s face looked like hamburger and Robert Garcia was pleading with his fighter to continue.

Margarito didn’t need much convincing, if any: He showed his willingness to continue and his unquenchable desire to win as he answered the bell for the ninth round.

Unfortunately for Antonio, Pacquiao was determined to finish strong. He unleashed a series of combinations that brought the 40,000-plus in attendance to their feet and the chants of “Manny, Manny, Manny” began to echo in Cowboys Stadium.

Antonio can be proud of one victory he had over Pacquiao. Man to man, Pacquiao didn’t have the stomach to finish the wilting Mexican boxer; I’m not sure the same would have been true had the roles been reversed.

In the 10th and 11th rounds, Manny continually looked to the referee to stop the fight; after each accurately placed barrage of punches, Pacquiao would look to Laurence Coleman, at times briefly holding his gloves out like, “Hey, help him.”

Realizing that no one would come to his aid and that Margarito was determined to finish on his feet, Pacquiao showed a humbling amount of restraint and let off the gas, allowing the former champion the honor of returning to his corner under his own power.

The Filipino icon will go down in history as the only pugilist to win an eighth world title in as many weight classes and, in my opinion, solidified his rightful place as the undisputed pound-for-pound best in the sport, second to none. 

As for Antonio Margarito, let’s hope he recovers from this potential career-ending injury. Tony earned an opportunity to lace up his gloves, stand on the unforgiving canvas and excite us all again.