The feeling is mutual as far as Antonio Margarito is concerned.
With a November 13 showdown with Manny Pacquiao looming in the horizon, the 32-year old Mexican can’t help himself but be thrilled by the prospect of meeting inside the ring the man considered today as the best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound.
“I’d love to get that fight. I think everyone’s talking about it," said the `Tijuana Tornado’, a former two-time world champion.
Pacquiao also expressed his willingness to face Margarito in a possible title bout, believing the Mexican is the best available option for him after Floyd Mayweather Jr. refused to sign the contract to face the Filipino ring icon in what many sees as possibly the richest boxing duel in history.
Now it’s Margarito who stands to benefit from it, just a year after falling from boxing grace following the discovery of a hardened substance in his knuckle pad shortly before his January 2009 title match with Sugar Shane Mosley.
In the aftermath of the controversy, Margarito was slapped a one-year suspension by the California State Athletic Commission, prohibiting him from fighting in the U.S.
Although the ban had already elapsed, Margarito has yet to secure a license to fight in America, and his chance to secure one rests the decision of where the fight will be held.
In the event he failed to obtain a license, Top Rank Promotions’ Bob Arum has already expressed his intention of bringing the fight in Mexico.
The 31-year old Pacquiao, the fighting Congressman from the Philippines, doesn’t see any problem facing Margarito in front of an expected rowdy crowd, mentioning that it will be his first time to fight in Mexico.
At 5-foot-11, Margarito will also be the biggest opponent ever for Pacquiao, who stands 5-foot-6. The Mexican also has a reach of 73.
Owing to the size disparity, negotiations are now being made to have the match be made at a catch weight of 150 pounds and the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight belt at stake. - RCJ, GMANews.TV
