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As promised, here is my full interview with Antonio Margarito's trainer Robert Garcia who took over Javier Capetillo after the latter's suspension over Margarito's hand wrapping controversy prior to his fight against Shane Mosley in January of 2009.
Check out the video below as Garcia revealed his reasons on taking on the disgraced Margarito. The well-spoken Garcia also talked about Margarito's Texas boxing license, the California commission mess, his game plan against Pacquiao and several other topics relating to their showdown in Dallas on November 13.
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dSource - Good day Robert, thank you for taking my call on such short notice.
RG - No problem.
dSource - Alright, let's get down to business. Congratulations on Antonio Margarito getting his license in Texas, and what's your thoughts on that?
RG - You know, Texas did the right thing. He had his suspension in California for a year. A year went by. He (Margarito) respected the decision California had made and now this fight is happening. I believe California should've done the same thing but they decided not to so that's why Bob Arum and Top Rank went to Texas and is having the fight there.
dSource - You're one of the top trainers in the game right now. Tell me why you decided to take on Margarito who was coming off a very controversial situation and do you really believe he had no clue regarding those hand wraps from Capetillo?
RG - That's the reason why I did it. If you've fought before and if you've trained fighters, you know how the system works. People can comment and say that he's a cheater and he should've known, well I've fought 37 professional fights and my father was my trainer at the end of my career I had another person wrapping my hands, not one single time did I question the wrapping. I never asked what's in the wraps -'can I feel', 'can I see what's going on' - not one single time. 37 fights and I never questioned. Now that I'm a trainer, I've trained world champions like Steven Luevano, Brian Viloria, Nonito Donaire, Joan Guzman, I've wrapped so many times and again you know, not one single fighter have asked me that [...] I know that little by little we'll get back and maybe with good wins and good performances, people will come back and believe in him and believe that yea, there's a possibility that the fighter does not know what's going on in the hand wraps when the trainer is wrapping them.
dSource - Let's talk about the California hearing. They brought up the training and sparring license. Is that common and what do you think about that?
RG - You know what, it's the first time I ever heard about it and everybody I talked to, all the reporters, all the trainers, everybody was just laughing about that you know because it's something they just brought up. Obviously they were prepared and they already knew that they weren't gonna license him and make us feel bad with the laws they presented to us which like I said not one single person there knew about it and not one single person in the state of California know about it- having to have a license to spar. I guess they were prepared for that. They already knew their decision. I don't even know why they had him show up if they already knew their decision, but hey, they did that and now it looks like California will take another year before they can try him again.
dSource - How is Antonio doing right now? Have you guys started any training at all for the Pacquiao fight?
RG - Margarito never stops training. After his fights he takes a few days off, maybe a week off but then he goes back to the running and back to the gym right away. He's not back in my gym yet. We start are press conference here on Tuesday in LA and then go to New York, finish up in Texas, but following that we will start training camp. That would be 10 weeks before the fight, I think that would be enough [...]
dSource - There's some sentiments out there by fans that it's almost as if they're writing Margarito off against Pacquiao. What are your thoughts on that? I personally think it's going to be a war and by no means is Pacquiao a sure win.
RG - Like I said you know, after what happened with Margarito and the hand wrap thing, people just didn't like him or didn't like what he did so they just don't give him any chance. They think that (illegal hand wraps) was why he won his fights. What I learned from Margarito the last camp he was with me: He's a hard worker. He trains like it was his first world title opportunity. He trains harder than anybody. Man, it's unbelievable the way he runs and in the gym, so that's going to be a big advantage. He will be ready for the fight. Plus, I've been watching a lot of Manny Pacquiao's fights since his first losses, to Morales, to his last few wins. I've been studying him everyday, so I honestly, honestly see us having a big chance of pulling it out. Margarito is a bigger man. He has a big heart, he's got condition, he's got a good chin. Even though he lost to Mosley, people think that Mosley beat him up, people don't know him. The way I see Margarito, he had to come back down to 147, he had a hard time. Just walking to the ring you could see it in his face, it wasn't Margarito against Mosley. I think right now Margarito would beat Mosley.
dSource - What do you think is Margarito's best chance to beat Pacquiao? What does he have that might give Pacquiao a hard time?
RG - Margarito has the strength, the power, he's hungry to be the best and prove everybody wrong. He's the bigger man. He will get hit but he will just keep coming and coming and Pacquiao will get tired of just having Margarito on him and landing good shots and eventually you start landing good shots and start breaking him down.
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Check out the video of my interview with Garcia below:
Comments
wtf juan diaz never beat pacquiao juan diaz is a bum and pacman would kill him this trainer is a retard lolz what video are you studying
yeah roberto garcia was right when saying that he is not the real margacheato when he fought mosley because theres no illegal handwraps on his fist,it has been discovered and margacheato was not on his concentration fighting mosley because he was thinking whats happen next after they caught the illegal substance on his fist..margacheato knows that HE CANT BEAT MOSLEY WITHOUT CHEATING JUST LIKE WHAT HE DID TO COTTO. im sure margacheato will suffer more when he squared off to pacman..he will taste the real punch like a hell from pacman..GO TO HELL MARGACHEATO
Did Garcia just say that Pacquiao will get tired? And I thought he has been watching Pacquiao tapes every day.
My thoughts exactly
that's what i thought: fighters don't ask the trainers/person doing the wrapping what they;re doing with their hands or wraps. they just let them do their jobs. i'm no fan of margarito but i think he didn't know. as for pacquiao getting tired, i think garcia is wrong, he won't be.
By 30-31 a boxer start losing his legs and those tree trunks of Pedman will be mighty heavy not to mention that big ala Guillermo head in boxing history. MargoCHIN will pull ala Segura fight, having the red light from Boss Arum to beat Packroids merciless.
hmmmmm...if pacquiao losses to margarito. pacquiao wasn't himself. i'm sure of that.
Roids, will get a man confuse and this will be MargoCHIN opportunity to re-vendicate himself
And Floyd will watch the pac and Margo fight while he's spanking his monkey dreaming he only wish he can fight like Margo & have a chance to beat the pac. Floyd will get wet just dreaming about it coz this coward boy is a homo!
Imagine the power you will have if both of your fists are wrapped with cement. Wow! You will certainly break the skull of your opponents!!! This cheating bastard have been committing attempted murder for a long time! He should be fighting in jail with his fellow criminals!!!
And if you are om ROIDS, will take Kroptonyte to knock you down like superPedman- I mean superman
And if krytonite don't work, then the monkey's momma may break any men's skull. Here monkey, monkey, monkey!!! Where are u???
If that's the only battle plan of Garcia, coming and coming, I don't think Margarito has a chance of winning his fight with Pacquio. He should used all Margarito's advantages, the long reach, height even the weight difference. He should add another style of fighting to Margarito ... If Margarito can floats like a butterly, sting lke a bee it's much better. Remember Pacquio change style in every oppenent he fight. He adjust to the situation, that's for the reason he is the no. 1 Pound for Pound ......
Amen, Amen and Amen!!!
Well said, but Margo ain't Ali that can fly like butterly and sting like bee, therefore he's SOL. However, his chances of winning is very good due to his strenght and power by virtue of being taller and bigger, but as we all know Pacquiao will overcome his powerful offense by delivering fast power punches in succesion coming from different angles which will ulimately be the weapons that would destroy Margo. But, we'll never know the outcome until the fat lady sings the night of Nov 13, 2010 and just about everyone except if you're mexicans expecting congressman to be the man.
What a cliche. This is the same excuse many fighters and trainers keep talking about time and time again. But I assure and guarantee you that Margocheato will not get pass five rounds. He'll be kissing the canvass before you know it.
i think Margarito is cute. He is big and long. I wonder if he'll sign a pre-nup...
the only chance margarito would win this fight is...if he use a baseball bat during the fight..thats the only farting chance he could pull an upset.
even with a baseball bat he will still lose.
YOU ARE RIGHT -SIR ,if you remember Packroids after the Cotto fight, he was so wired up, that with a coliflower ear and all that, he STILL had a concert, that tell you that MargoCHIN will needs his WRAPS again, or KRYPTONITE
nah! packy is not just on roids man...he also eats steel, nails, tin-cans..and what more? he also drinks paint...you believe me?...'course you believe me..coz youre an idiot..same with the gayweathers...
exiting fight....nothin' to say....
I heard it almost in every Pacquiao's fight.................that he can't beat anybody. Manny is in his prime. If he beat Cotto that easily, I believe Pacman can also beat Antonio. I don't think Margarito can pull an upset....I think you are out of your mind.
Ya, your momma will flod too after I rip her a new @sshole. LMAO! Send her this way biach!
Reckoning from many pronouncements of champions and trainers alike that had faced Manny in the past we hear same line of assurance, from Barrera to Clottey - they can beat Pacquiao. And all these claims simply vanished in thin air. Real strength comes from within and not from outside as one think he can. Real fighters have less in words but more in deeds. The measure of their strength can't be scaled by tantrums but by what their heart pursue.
Real fighters have less in words but more in deeds, like the pilipinos. Evrytime they have a new sensation they boast a whole lot, but once they come to mExico all that ends.
Hahahaha...... wake up dreamers!!!!
There are 2 boxers right now that boxing fans wanted to see being beaten badly. 1st is Mayweather (because of his big mouth) and Margarito ( because of his cheating) . This is the time everyone is waiting. Pacquiao will give revenge for all of us. This fight should happen to prove to everyone once and for all, who Margarito is? Is he a credible fighter or is he a classical cheater only. If he beats pacquiao he's real. If he got beaten badly, he lost this fight and HIS DIGNITY. This fight if Margarito lose, will put everything to closure.
Don't 4get Pedman, for refusing being tested to fight Floyd. As now he's suspected, and he better pratice how he's going to respond to the fans when he comes to Texas and they start asking him about this refusal matter.
I don't know if its fair or not that some scribes and purest fans in boxing still asking the same questions over and over again if pacman is really clean and not using ped. I don't know and i'm not going to believe that he is until proven otherwise. however, some people still have two issues that linger in their minds, why pacquiao refused the 14 days drug testing prior to the fight and all of a sudden this time he accepted the 14 days. With these confusing issues, i researched and dug some old picture of pacquiao and compare it with arnold shwartznegger's picture when he was younger, and what surprise me is the fact that their head and facial characteristics are similar. i don't really know what it means, perhaps just a pure coincidence, in fact i don't think they have any merits to ped issues at all, but unless pacquiao agree to have the testing done, the lingering questions will always be there.
here we go again what a jerk
Here we go again, KARMA is warning you and family
KARMA is warning you and family
KARMA
oh yeah? then i'll give you a sack of rice as a payment then.
For Garcia to say that it's laughable that California didn't issue a boxing license to Margacheato and the fact that no boxer knows nor imposes questions when unauthorized or authorized hand wraps are being administered by a trainer is beyond comprehension and totally absurd ( hindi mo talaga maloloko si lolo). I do agree with him that Margacheato has a big chance of knocking Pacquiao out due to his stature of being a lot taller, bigger and stronger; however, his power punches can only be effective if it lands with accuracy and to the precise target where it can inflict severe damage to Pacquiao and obviously caused the ultimate TKO win. Clearly, Garcia already indicated that he watched videos and studied Pacquiao style of fighting many times and has drawn plans for Margacheato's road to victory. This type of actions by a trainer preparing his fighter this way is a great credit to him and his team and wished them success. But, I keep wondering if Garcia had covered all of Roachs' offensive tactics that Pacquiao is going to specifically apply to Margacheato? As I said Margacheato has power and if his power punches lands in the right places he could hurt Pacquiao; however, he delivers a very slow and projected power punches and this would make him vulnerable to Pacquiao's power punches that comes in bunches from all angles and delivered with passion to all directions and this could be Roach and Pacquiao formula to nullify Garcia and Margacheato well thought plan. Pacquiao by TKO in the 5th round. On that note, Garcia's and Margacheato's goal of executing the Mexicutioner in the ring infront of thousands of Mexican audience in Dallas, Texas Cowboys Stadium is going to fail. See you guys there.
Another catchweight...hmmm seems like Manny is learning something from Floyd. Manny will go down as the CATCHWEIGHT king lol
What about your momma on this catchweight nutsack on her chin, biach!!!
so? what is it with you? jealous for not having a mexican pound for pound king? mexicans are stucked at one weight class, afraid to challenge bigger guys... anyway, how many mexican wannabe's did pacquiao floored? ahm, i think all of them... all their greatests... kcuf uoy...
im sure margarito didnt know what was happening too. but i now question if in previous fights, didn't he feel that they were different when they were being removed? That maybe they seemed harder to cut? How many fights has his fists been wrapped with cement? I mean, should his resume stay valid because of it? Its hard to gauge what type of fighter Margarito really is or how strong his punches are and I believe it will be a difficult fight for pacquiao to win.
margo's previous opponents had indicated in an interview done by one of the boxing sports magazine that his punches were like girls punches and some said that he deleivers a very powerful punches so in view of the comments from previous opponents of margo, it's safe to believe that at one time or another he had obviously used and aware of the fact that the trainer administered illegal hand wraps on him.
it's not the best fight for pacquiao but it will be a good one....well, all of pacquiao's fight are good and exciting! I smell a knock out on sixth round. :) :)
this is margo vs pacman... pbf is irrelevant here... so no need to mention drug testing... drug testing is for scared person only!!! margo and pacman are real fighters. i mean REAL!!! this is gonna be a very exciting fight. pacman by KO!
There's this dumb monkey on this blog who continues to harp on the pacman even though he knows his coward boy is the one hiding under his duckin tactics using Random Blood Testing. Holla Back Monkey Boy!!!
yow psychocain man? u talked all day!!! do u have any evidence on what you are talking about bitch? the evidence is the outcome of the fight asshole!!! and check your name, it seems that you are the one to be in rehab! xelophane son of a bitch!!!! hijo de puta!!! mucho cojones bastardo!!! papasito gago!!!!
IOLE and the likes (marley) are not only the real blood sucking fleas of boxing but they are giant BED BUGS.
pac haters are just jealosssssssssssssss.....line 'em up man..pacman will send them to canvas...let the fist do the talking..
all they do is talk and talk....prove it in the ring.....a real king makes no excuses..fight like theres no another day..
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