Pacquaio’s speed and power too much for Margarito

Pacquaio’s speed and power too much for Margarito

Manny Pacquaio solidified his status as boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter by dominating Mexican Antonio Margarito through 12 rounds to win the WBC super welterweight crown, his eight world title in what has been a storied boxing career.

Pacquaio overcame the big height advantage of Margarito and unleashed one flurry after another of combinations which opened a deep cut in the Mexican’s face in the middle of the fight. Margarito’s right eye was almost entirely closed by the end of the final round.

The Filipino southpaw had plenty of energy from the opening bell and had many chances to knockdown his opponent. But Margarito withstood the barrage and somehow survived the match.

It was a spectacular and dominating performance for Pacquaio, who won every round 120-108, 118-110, 119-109. At one point, Pacquiao was telling referee Laurence Cole to stop the fight because Margarito was bleeding heavily, but Cole allowed the match to continue. But by the end of the 12^th round, Margarito’s face was just a bloody mess and it was clear for everyone who won the fight.

“I told the referee, ‘Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,’” Pacquaio said. “I did not want to damage him permanently. That’s not what boxing is about.”

The tall and strong Margarito said he vowed to fight on despite the beating. “There was no way I was going to quit. I’m a Mexican, we fight until the end,” Margarito said.

Margarito’s trainer Robert Garcia acknowledged the Filipino boxer’s brilliance after the fight. “Manny is the best fighter in the world. He is just too fast — very, very quick.”

Posted by Andre Monohan on Sunday November 14 2010, 5:04 PM EST. Ref: Inquirer. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0