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Antonio Margarito Calls Paul Williams’ Bluff
Antonio Margarito Calls Paul Williams’ Bluff
By Michael Gonzalez
www.fightbeat.com
Look into any era and you’re likely to find fighters that have been ducked by the best of their time. They are simply too good or too dangerous. It’s high risk, low reward - a threat to the gravy train. In 2007, Antonio Margarito (34-4, 24 KO’s) is the likely candidate.
The Tijuana, Mexico native has spent the last couple of years or so calling out Floyd Mayweather Jr., considered by many boxings’ pound 4 pound maestro. There were countless articles and arguments on the topic. Hardcore fans were split down the middle. If you agreed Mayweather was ducking Margarito, you were labeled a ‘Floyd hater’ and would refer to Mayweather as ‘Fraud’ Mayweather. They believed, as Margarito’s promoter Bob Arum put it, that Margarito was the most feared man in boxing. If you sided with Mayweather, your rebuttal was, “Who is Antonio Margarito? Who has he beaten? Nobody knows who he is?”
Well that ship has sailed. Mayweather has cashed in his “golden egg” But, while Margarito pursued a Mayweather bout Paul “The Punisher” Williams (32-0, 24 KO’s) quickly came up the ranks and became Margarito’s mandatory. Williams, who felt he was being avoided, decided to do some campaigning of his own. Williams and his fans, along with the “Who is Margarito?” crowd began referring to Margarito as “Antonio Hypocrito” because he decided to skip his mandatory and give up his WBO title to face Miguel Cotto for his WBA welterweight title. Williams was now referred to as the most feared mandatory in boxing, and having previously sparred with Margarito, told some people that he gave him the business, cut him, and even put him down. The word spread fast, but is it true?
“Nah, it was all lies to try to get a shot at me,” Margarito said over the phone. “He said that he cut me. How many cuts do I have? Two - from Daniel Santos. He said that he knocked me down. All lies that he will have to eat come fight night!”
So with a mega bout against Cotto looming, why fight Williams?
“I decided to fight Paul Williams because they did not want to recognize me in the Cotto fight,” Margarito explained. “They wanted me to face him as the challenger and I did not want to give up my title without a fight. We came to terms with Cotto and if we both win our next fights’, we will face each other then.”
Margarito has a tough assignment against the undefeated Williams. They both offset their porous defense with offense—lots and lots of offense. Margarito is a long pressure fighter with pop and a world class chin. He overwhelms his opponents with hard, straight punches in combinations that never cease to stop. Williams, a southpaw, is an even longer boxer/pressure fighter who has shown a good chin and decent power as well. So how will Margarito negate all of William’s physical advantages, including his freakish 82 inch reach (that’s even one inch longer than the current IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klistachko)?
“We’re going to get on the inside and not let him get distance,” Margarito pointed out. “The thing is he says that he wants to box and come forward. We’ll see how he responds come fight night when he is going backwards and we’re challenging him downstairs.”
Although the Margarito-Williams is still missing and actual date, Margarito is anxious to get into the ring and devour Williams.
“The date hasn’t been set, but one thing is sure, we’ll be eating chocolate,” Margarito confidently responded. It has become the insult of choice for Mexican athletes who mean business. If you play team sports, you eat the mascot. For an individual sport, you eat your opponent.
Margarito is completely confident of his fighting skills, and that he will achieve victory. He even revealed that after he beats Williams and the winner of the Cotto-Judah bout that he’s going to add a little sugar to his diet.
“I heard Mosley has mentioned my name and I think it would be a good fight - he has two wins over Oscar De La Hoya. But, we’re ready for anyone they put in front of us.”
Margarito-Williams should be a barn-burner with someone not hearing the final bell.
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Originally Posted by wacko3205
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