By James Slater – It’s official and it’s not surprising. The World Boxing Council, upon receiving a request from the Top Rank organisation to recognise the upcoming November 13th bout between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito as a fight that will contest the sanctioning bodies’ vacant light-middleweight title, voted unanimously to do so.
This move was widely expected, and now, in Texas, at the magnificent Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Filipino legend and the disgraced Mexican will swap blows in an effort to decide who picks up the belt that was vacated by Sergio Martinez of Argentina..
This news, which has been widely reported today, has angered many, and already top writers such as Dan Rafael have condemned the latest actions of the Jose Suliaman-led group. It does seem, as controversial as the November fight was already, that the addition of a well known world title being at stake has only served to add insult to injury. Many, many people feel strongly how the fighter dubbed “Margacheato” is unworthy of any big and highly lucrative fight, let alone one that will give him the opportunity of once again ruling over a weight class.
Not that many experts or fans expect the 32-year-old former welterweight champ to win the catch-weight bout.
Allowed to weigh-in at no higher than 151-pounds, the huge (for such a poundage) Mexican will no doubt be suffering from having boiled down in weight, very possibly not long after the ringing of the first bell. But, hey, many people out there want to see Margarito suffer, and they will tune in/be in attendance for the fight to see Pac-Man smash him all over the place.
It does look as though Pacquiao, who arrived in LA short time ago to a friendly and excited reception, is on his way to wining his eighth world title. Of course, the co-challenger for the vacant belt is doing his best to say all the right things, and convince people he is a dangerous and live foe for the lethal southpaw, but Margarito always has been able to talk well.
Fans, some of them anyway, were recently talking on the forums about how they are planning to boycott the fight. They may feel an even stronger urge to do so now that as big an organisation as the WBC has approved the match-up as a world championship!