The G Manifesto

Miguel Cotto VS Antonio Margarito II: The Rematch Prediction

Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO’s) will square off with Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, December 3rd in the latest instalment of the greatest rivalry in all of sport: Puerto Rico VS Mexico in Boxing.

Miguel Cotto

The Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto, is a homegrown product of the legendary Bairoa Gym in Caguas. He has been one of boxing’s most exciting and compelling characters over the last ten years. A skillful boxer, great pressure fighter and vicious body puncher, he almost always seems on the brink of disaster. Which of course, makes him an exciting fighter to watch.

Antonio Margarito

Mexican star Antonio Margarito is a tough as they come. He is a relentless pressure fighter with an iron chin that throws deadly body punches and uppercuts. He isn’t pretty to watch, but his style is straight out of the alleys of Tijuana. He even looks like a border cartel member. He also might sport some of the worst hairstyles in Boxing today, but that is neither drug scales or cocaine rails.

Handwraps

Let’s talk about the handwrap issue for a minute. I am 99% sure that Margarito used loaded handwraps in the first fight. I even remember when I watched the fight, something seemed fishy. But that is boxing. If true, it makes Margarito one of the biggest scumbags in recent boxing history.

I have talked to several fighters that have sparred with Margarito (and this was before the Cotto fight) and I remember them telling me that Margarito “hit like he had bricks in his hands”.

HBO Boxing: Cotto vs. Margarito: Face Off with Max Kellerman

Miguel Cotto Keys to Victory

First off, Cotto needs to control, or try to control the pace of the fight. Which means, he will want the fight to go as slow as possible for as long as he can. He needs to move and avoid “the phonebooth”.

This is really a bad matchup for Cotto “style-wise”. He is at his best when he is moving forward and pressuring opponents. With Margarito, he has to fight moving backwards for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is the size differential.

If Cotto gets hit hard, he is going to have to clinch and slow it down. He probably won’t do this though, since Cotto doesn’t really clinch. However, he is going to have to learn.

When Cotto stops moving, he is going to have to throw with leverage. This of course, gives Margarito a chance to land heavy leather, but Cotto needs to make Margarito respect him, and respect him early.

For Cotto, this is really going to be a battle of footwork, and he can’t stay on the ropes. And at all costs, he is going to have to use head movement and make Margarito miss. The less leather landed on Cotto early the better.

He also needs to throw straight punches thru the gloves of Margarito. The clean 1-2 is going to be a key punch for him.

Other punches to watch for Cotto are the short hook inside. Again, he needs to throw that one from the hip with leverage. He really need to get some rotation on it.

Antonio Margarito Keys to Victory

Essentially, Margarito needs to do exactly what he did last time.

The thing he needs to focus on most is cutting off the ring. The more violent and the more the fight turns into a bloodbath, the better it is for Margarito. He needs to keep the fight inside.

And again, Margarito needs to use his size. Because of their statures, Margarito almost seems like a weightclass or two above Cotto.

The punches to watch for Margarito are the uppercuts to the body from both hands on the inside. If he lands those early, expect a long night for Cotto.

Cotto vs Margarito HD Highlights (GP)

Factors in The Fight

Corners: Both men have different corners in this fight. Not sure who’s advantage this is.

Fight Stoppage: I can see this fight getting an earlier than normal stoppage. I don’t expect they will let Cotto take the kind of punishment he did in the first. And if Margarito’s eye acts up, I don’t think they will play around with that one either. Look for the ending to come quick if and when it does.

Low Blows: Both of these guys are heavy body punchers and they don’t like each other. Maybe even hate each other. Look for a potentially Game changing low blow.

Clashing of heads: These guys styles are prone to clash heads. If a big cut opens up, all bets are off.

The Venue: Madison Square Garden. Need I say more? In An Unforgiving Sport (great book by the way), Paul Malignaggi said that fighting Cotto in the Madison Square Garden is like “fighting the Devil in Hell”. And that is coming from a New Yorker. The heavy Puerto Rican crowd should uplift Cotto. And give him a little leeway on the judges cards.

Cotto: “Madison Square Garden for me, New York for me, it’s like home. And I know that’s going to be a huge Puerto Rican night, the night of December 3.”

Margarito: “The square is always the same in any ring. It’ll just be me and him. I’m going to come out with my hand raised as champion of the world.”

Good stare down:

Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito 2-Los Angeles Press Conference Highlights

Questions to be answered?

Is Cotto the same fighter after brutal losses to Margarito and Pacman? I have heard some interesting things on the boxing grapevine that say he isn’t. Which is really a shame if Margarito used loaded gloves.

Is Margarito the same fighter? After all, he hasn’t really set the world on fire after his “win” over Cotto. He got destroyed by Sugar Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao, and has had just one win over Roberto Garcia.

How is Margarito’s eye? Only the fight will answer this one. Margarito says, “As you can see, we keep training like it’s nothing. My eye is in perfect condition, it’s fine. If it weren’t in perfect condition, believe me, I wouldn’t fight.”

How is Cotto’s emotional state? Personally, I think he is convinced that the reason he lost the first fight was cheating. However, that resolve will be tested in rounds 6-12. Cotto says, “No matter what, I’m preparing myself to beat Margarito’s ass. He played with my health. I’m going to play with his.”

Prediction

Cotto: “I don’t have any respect for him. And I’m going to take advantage of his eye like he took advantage of the plaster.”

Margarito: “Fuck Cotto (or “Cotto can go to hell, depending on how you translate it). If he thinks that I had plaster, it will hurt like I was using plaster. And he will know it.”

It is safe to say that these guys hate each other. And we have potentially the biggest blood war on our hands this Saturday.

I really think this one will be a slaughter house floor for however long it lasts.

If I was betting, I would bet on the underdog. This fight is razor close on paper.

I typically don’t pick sides in boxing matches, I usually just root for what is best for Boxing.

However in this one, you have to want Cotto to get revenge and redemption.

And I guess that would be the best outcome for Boxing as well.

So f*ck it, he is my (first time) biased prediction:

Cotto by bloody and brutal, close Unanimous Decision.

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The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life

http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Watch the first fight in full:

Boxing Classics: Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito (HBO)

Manny Pacquiao and Why Boxing is Dope

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I haven’t had a chance to re-watch Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao’s destruction of Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito but I pretty much called it here.

Cleto Reyes Training Gloves

A couple of post fight thoughts:

Margarito did better than I thought. Even though they won’t admit it, plenty of Manny Pacquiao fans were nervous as hell during the first two rounds when Margarito was jabbing and using his size. For a moment or two, I really thought Manny was going to get seriously hurt. It is a true testament to how incredible Manny is that he was able to punish Margarito in such convincing fashion.

Margarito definitely hurt Pacquiao a few times. It was probably the closest one-sided fight I have ever seen.

That being said, Margarito’s corner should have stopped the fight in the 8th or 9th round.

One of the most amazing things Pacquiao does that no one talks about is his ability to never seem hurt. Trust me, this is a great skill to have. And Manny has it. He showed it in the fight with Cotto when Cotto hit him to the body.

And he showed it in this fight the few times Margarito had Pacquiao on the ropes and ripped him with body shots and uppercuts.

Pacquiao should definetly not step up and fight Sergio Martinez. Martinez would kill him. Too big, too athletic and too fast.

Here is why Boxing is Dope:

I still have a soul (HBO Boxing)

That could be the best movie I have seen all year. Short, sweet and inspirational. Only in Boxing can a street kid go from selling cigarettes on the curb to becoming Congressman and a country’s most beloved citizen. For The People.

On another note, The Wall Street Journal had a good article about how Tiger Woods is a dork and Manny Pacquiao is dope:

As a reentry, it was better than Mr. Woods’s stiff round of confessionals last spring, but it still felt choreographed and soaked in self-helpy aphorisms (“I’m not the same man I was a year ago.”) It’s nice to hear Mr. Woods claim he is happier, but was anyone still needing an update? We’re fatigued by the unsolicited amends. We just want to see him play better golf.

Amid Mr. Woods’s strange anniversary celebration, we couldn’t help but think of another superstar athlete, one who appears to be everything Tiger’s fans and enablers hoped he would be, but wasn’t: Manny Pacquiao.

Like Mr. Woods, Mr. Pacquiao is bigger than his sport. Like Tiger, he is a global icon, whose influence and talents are described in hushed tones. Mr. Pacquaio is considered by many to be the dominant fighter of his generation—he’s won eight different titles in eight different weight classes, the latest coming last Saturday, when he dissected Antonio Margarito, who was five inches taller and 17 pounds heavier. Mr. Pacquiao’s only unrealized goal is a date with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., a worthy rival who seems content to delay and self-destruct.

Mr. Pacquiao, like Mr. Woods, is a Nike paragon. But in the Pac-Man’s case, the largeness of the image feels earned. As he redefines his sport, Mr. Pacquiao is also serving as a Congressman in the Philippines. This job has been characterized by some as a dilettantish distraction, but those close to the fighter describe him as genuinely torn between the ring and politics. “He takes [Congress] really, really seriously,” Mr. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said recently. “He’s a different person there.”

Continue

In short, Tiger Woods couldn’t carry Manny Pacquiao’s gym bag.

We knew that already, but it is nice to see main stream media agreeing with The Truth.

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Update:

I forgot that there is a triple header tonight.

Look for Celestino “Pelenchin” Caballero too be too much for “The American Boy” Jason Litzau. Andre Berto should stop Freddy Hernandez and Juan Manuel Marquez should finish the brave Michael Katsidis in an all-action brawl.

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life

http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao VS Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito: Prediction

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The fight that no one wanted, Manny Pacquiao VS Antionio Margarito will take place at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX, Saturday, November 13th at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO PPV.

First off, how did Margarito even get this fight?

Oh yeah, I forgot, Pacquiao and Margarito both share the same promoter, Top Rank. Bob Arum gets high marks for craftyness and greed on this one. But let’s not get me started about the politics of boxing, let’s discuss the fight:

Weight
Manny Pacquiao VS Antionio Margarito, if I am not mistaken, is going to be fought at a catch weight of 150 pounds. On paper, this shouldn’t be much of an issue as Margarito has fought almost all of his career at welterweight. However, although Margarito seems to be in great shape, he is sparing in a rubber suit and seems pretty damn skinny.

Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao have a history of negotiating these catch weights that leave their opponents drained. So goes the benefits of being the biggest or second biggest star in the sport.

I have to think that Roach knows that this weight will drain Margarito and make him an easy target for “The Bruce Lee” of boxing. Why else would they pick Margarito to fight, besides the aforementioned Top Rank issue, and the fact that Margarito will bring in the Mexican fans and PPV buys in droves?

Margarito
On the plus side for Margarito is that he is super durable with a great chin (at least until Sugar Shane Mosley cracked it). He also is a vicious body puncher and has great uppercuts from both sides, a punch that Manny is susceptible to be hit with.

On the negative side for Margarito, aside from a huge disadvantage in foot speed and hand speed, is that he has the habit of not returning his gloves to his face after he throws punches. This could prove deadly for him as Manny’s punches come from crazy angles and loco levels.

He also tends to throw his hooks a little wide, so Pac-Man will be able to shoot shots up the middle. Look for Manny to shoot hooks between Margarito’s gloves (ie shooting the punch straight and hooking at the last moment. A jab/hook fusion of sorts).

But the worst thing Margarito seems to have going for himself is that he seems to be sponsored by Affliction or Ed Hardy or one of those extremely gay t-shirt companies. There has seemed to be an “Affliction Shirt Curse” as everyone that wears one seems to lose. And I am not just talking about all the weesh guys that wear them out to nightclubs either. (see Hatton I think, Margarito, and some other fools that are escaping me at the moment).

Pacquiao
HBO’s 24/7 is really playing up the storyline that Manny is “distracted” during training with his other commitments like being a Congressman in the Phillipines and helping other Politicians get re-elected like Democrat Harry Reid.

I am not sure if I buy it. Still, high marks for HBO on a great storyline as 24/7 remains the best show on television. (Although, the show lacks a little punch without Floyd Mayweather, Jr.)

Combos to watch for
Watch for Margarito to throw the jab, then step right, throw a straight right, left hook, then left jab, straight right combo. Margarito does this kind of throwing off the wrong foot thing and moving forward very well.

Watch for the Pacquiao’s right jab to body, straight left at an upward angle and right hook combo. And watch him skip turn out of harm’s way. This could be the knockout punch.

The Fight
I think Manny will chop up Margarito like some meat in some kaldereta and the fight will look something of a fusion between Pac-Man VS Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and Pac-Man VS Miguel Cotto. With a stoppage coming somewhere around rounds 6-8.

It is in the realm of possibility that Margarito will put up a very inspired performance, damage Pac to the body, and simply be too rugged and big for Pacquiao. But I don’t see that happening.

The thing is, Pacquiao’s in-out, in-out combo, in-out combo routine is so tough to deal with. Margarito will catch Pac with some counters, but for every counter he does catch Manny with, Pacquiao’s in-out attack will be doing far more damage.

Pac’s speed and superior movement, and “turning the corner” on Margarito will be more than he can deal with. The template is there for Pacquiao. Cotto showed how to beat Margarito (minus the plaster fists) and so did Sugar Shane. If Mosley hadn’t already cracked Margarito’s jaw, it might be a different story.

I learned a long time ago, you don’t bet against fighters that only come around once in your lifetime (ie Pacquiao, Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran etc). Margarito is not one of those fighters.

However, I have been around the Fight Game long enough to know that anything can happen.

Anyone seen Buster Douglas lately?

Hell, someone might have plaster in their gloves, a person could parachute in the ring, one fighter could bite another’s ear, water bottles could be drugged or entourages could start a full scale melee in the ring.

And that alone is enough to make me shell out the $54 dollars, or whatever the hell they are heisting, to watch.

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The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life

http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Manny Pacquiao Highlights

Antonio Margarito Highlights