It's Aug. 19 now and Manny Pacquiao still has no “worthy opponent” for a fight on Nov. 13.
Antonio Margarito is rough, he is tough and he could be formidable but, in the court of public opinion and in front of the California State Athletic Commission, he has been adjudged as unworthy, at least at this particular time.
Only a blind man like promoter Bob Arum can't see that.
I think Pacquiao should call his Congressman and tell him or her to "deport" Margarito and "import" a really worthy foe such as Timothy Bradley.
(And, if it Bradley is booked up with Devon Alexander for Jan. 29 on HBO, let's find someone else worthy of being rewarded with a big Pacman payday, not this reprobate from Tijuana.
Surely Andre Berto would snap it up and get shellacked by Pacman.)
Oh, wait...you mean Pacquiao is a Congressman.
Then he should speak to himself and quickly
Putting the incredible, unyielding hubris of Arum aside, I think it's high time for Congressmanny Pacquiao to take charge of his own boxing affairs.
What Pacman should—but won't—do now is to issue some marching orders to both his promoter and to his agent, Michael Koncz.
The stinging repudiation and rejection of Antonio Margarito by a 5-1 vote before the California State Athletic Commission Wednesday was a shot heard the round the world.
Karen Chappelle, the California AG's office attorney who “prosecuted” the Mexican fighter, was not subjected to any “Nazi” catcalling or “Heil Hitler” arm salutes by Arum as she was when the 78 year old went bonkers in February, 2009, when the CSAC handed down the one year suspension to Margarito.
But she and the five commissioners who voted thumbs down on his license application said they wanted to send a message.
They certainly did and the message is that they don't feel Margarito, with his totally insane appeal of the suspension and his lack of visceral remorse, is not "rehabilitated" in their critical eyes.
In her forceful, persuasive summation, Chappelle said, in part:
“Mr. Margarito has not taken any responsibility for what happened.
He sought to gain an unfair advantage….
He knew very well what was happening and he should have conducted himself as a gentleman.
He blames his trainer of wrongdoing, but Mr. Margarito has never accepted full responsibility or offered forgiveness.”
I could be crazy but I do think these words might have done wonders for Tone Loc:
"I want to personally apologize to Sugar Shane Mosley for potentially putting his health, his very life, in danger."
But neither Margarito nor his lawyer ever mentioned the guy who was nearly victimized by those knuckle inserts.
“Margocheato” against Megamanny isn't a slow starting fight promotion any longer, it's a stink bomb which should be thrown into the toxic waste dump from which it came.
Monterey, Mexico, said “adios” and Abu Dhabi said not now, maybe later. Now Las Vegas is a non-starter and the interest of Jerry Jones in Dallas may have turned off by the sneaky aspects of the Margarito license machinations as well, the running to Mexico, to Texas and then to Las Vegas.
Arum can't cobble together the necessary three of five votes for Margarito to get a license in the promoter's home state. Nevada won't expectorate in neighbor California's face like that, now now.
Why doesn't the passive Pacquaio, so aggressive between the ropes, start calling some shots for his own career? What is he waiting for?
Do you leave Captain Bob as the sole engineer after this legal train wreck?
First, Manny should tell Arum to drop Margarito like the hot potato with no foil wrapper that he has become.
Second, instead of rewarding a guy who did it the wrong way, Pacman should instruct Arum to go get Tim Bradley, a fresh and unbeaten face who seems to be a good citizen of boxing.
Margarito won't suffer much because Arum can put him in with Miguel Cotto in their revenge match or just defer the situation and let the Mexican battle the Puerto Rican after Cotto humbles Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in December.
Pacquiao is at the peak of his powers.
It's past time that he started throwing his weight around outside the ring and this is a dire situation.
What's best for Arum is not always best for Pacquiao.
Uncle Bob likes to say he works for Manny so now his top client can put him to the test.
He wants to be a leader in Filipino politics, this we know, but what about in the occupation which produced the incredible popularity that led him to a landslide electoral victory in Sarangani?
Arum won't contradict Pacquiao's wishes, not at the point he won't.
Dump the troubled Margarito, who stills seems most upset about getting nabbed in this inglorious affair than he is remorseful.
Now Margarito owes Pacman an apology as well, having dragged him into the swamp of shady dealings in boxing.
Bring on Bradley or another truly worthy opponent, Manny.
Passive Pacquiao just goes along for the ride.
Father Bob does not always know best.
But a take charge Pacquiao can make positive things happen.
I hope it doesn't take a Congressional Order before Pacman figures this out.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Comments
Manny can give J M Marquez a third fight.. that will be good fight. and he is the top honcho right now so he can dictate all the terms purse, PPV revenue sharing, weight, etc, etc on this fight. GBP can only hope that this can happen..
marquez is only looking for a big pay day before his retirement and pacman is the key.
fighting with margarito is the biggest treat to pacman because all advantages are in favor to margarito. margarito is only a victim and betrayed by his trainer. his trainer capelito should be band forever. why do most people easily believe a false accusation to pacman by a mayweather's family of proven criminals. is it means those who believed are also criminals?
Bring Berto
wow
Manny respond!
Your manhood has been questioned.
Do Marquez III, it'll bring in more money than any other fight out there right now (with the exception of Mayweather, of course)
manny and floyd should go it alone and negotiate directly with each other to make the fight happen that the world wants to see.
floyd jr and jmm are no match to pacman at ww division. why do people didnt ask that mayweather jr should be undergone random test as a proven family of drugs user and should be pressured to it and not pacman. as of these days i believe only margarito and cotto are the only treat to pacman. timothy bradley, andri berto, katsidis are good fighters but no match to pacman.
Your right Mr Marley. This fight with Margs is such a farce.... I cant believe there are ppl out there that are defending this fight.
Pls Manny, dont succumb to Arums influence, fight a fighter who is truly worthy.
Mr. Marley is bullshit....
You Mr. Michael Marley are jealous of Margarito or are you now an agent? Who pay you?
anybody as long as not mayweather. got sick of it for too long.
Mike, I am glad that you are now against the Pacquiao-Margocheato fight which I have been preaching all along in different blogs. i remember when I requested you to write a column about your position about the fight, wherein you appeared in favor even stating that Margocheato had been punished already. Personally, I think Manny should fight Marquez. It could be an excellent prequel to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in spring/summer 2011 especially if Pacquiao wins in a close fight. Then Pac-May can really settle the issue of who really is the best pound-for-pound fighter.
Nothing!
Nothing!
list of potential opponents for pacquiao (if floyd is still hiding somewhere):
1. Paul Williams (welterweight/light middleweight)
2. Andre Berto (light weltereight)
3. Juan Manuel Marquez (light welterweight)
4. Tim Bradley (light welterwieght)
5. Miguel Cotto (light middleweight)
looks like everyone wants a piece of manny, except for floyd...
mayweather pacquiao
MM, you are one bias and sick sonabitch. Why still ride the back of a man who already paid his dues, is it because he is a foreigner?. Why don't you asked questions also of the american ex-convicts who made their millions in the past and are still making millions at present and one good example of these is Bernard Hopkins. Why write this kind of bullshit? Wake up stupid!
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