Margarito's trainer sees upset win over Pacquiao

Robert Garcia, the mild-mannered trainer of controversial two-time world champion Antonio Margarito, believes the underdog tag attached to the Mexican boxer would eventually work to his advantage come his Nov. 13 showdown with Manny Pacquiao. In the light of the illegal hand wrapping issue that forced Margarito out of the ring for a year, many is of the belief the 32-year old native of Tijuana, Mexico could not hold a candle against a fighter of Pacquiao’s stature. That suits Margarito just fine, according to Garcia. “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," said Garcia, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-featherweight champion, who also trains the like of Nonito Donaire Jr., Joan Guzman, Brian Villoria and Steven Luevano. “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 good condition, he’s got a good chin." Margarito was caught with a loaded hand wraps prior to his World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title fight with Sugar Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles January of last year. After his hands were re-wrapped, he lost to Mosley in a brutal ninth round technical knockout. After the incident, his license were revoked and suspended from fighting for a year. The incident led to his parting of ways with long-time trainer Javier Capetillo, whom Margarito accused as the one responsible for the loaded hand wraps that he had. Then came in Garcia, who began working on Margarito shortly after his comeback fight last May, an unimpressive 10-round decision over Roberto Garcia in Mexico. But the renowned trainer said Margarito could only get better, especially after he has finally been given the go-signal to fight in the U.S. following his acquisition of a boxing license courtesy of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. “What I learned from Margarito the last camp he was with me is that he’s a hard worker. He trains like it was his first world title opportunity. He trains harder than anybody," added Garcia. Likewise, the American trainer pointed out the loss to Mosley has nothing to do with the hand wrapping incident, but more on Margarito having the hard time of trimming down to the welterweight limit. “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," said Garcia. He expects no such untoward thing to happen in the Mexican’s duel with Pacquiao for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight title at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas as the bout will be fought at a catch weight of 150 pounds. - RCJ, GMANews.TV