Analysis: Pacquiao whirlwind overwhelms the Tijuana Tornado

Again, in spite of the physical odds stacked against him, Congressman Manny Pacquiao used his speed and power to capture his eighth world title in as many divisions with a complete domination of a bigger, taller, natural welterweight opponent. On paper, Antonio Margarito had distinct advantages that could've spelled trouble for The Pacman. The two boxers were fighting for the WBC super welterweight 154-pound title, but both agreed to a catch-weight of 150 pounds. Margarito weighed 150 at Friday’s weigh-in, but was 165 on the unofficial HBO scale before the fight, while Pacquiao, who had been 144.6 on the pre-fight scale, climbed the ring at 148 pounds. Pacquiao also gave away 4 1/2 inches in height and was at a six-inch reach disadvantage, but those didn’t matter either. Manny's blinding speed erased whatever advantage Margarito had. Punch statistics showed that Pacquiao connected with 474 power punches against Margarito's 229. But the dominance did not end there. What the stats did not show was the power with which those 474 punches tagged Margarito, whose face turned into a grotesque caricature. The Mexican known as "El Tornado de Tijuana" fizzled out upon meeting the whirlwind that is Manny Pacquiao. After the sixth round, GMANews.TV columnist and FTW host Mico Halili tweeted: "While Pacquiao is busy redefining boxing, he's also busy redefining Margarito's face." In the 11th round, the gracious Pacquiao, after unleashing a flurry of unanswered combinations, looked at referee Laurence Cole as if to ask him to stop the fight for Margarito's sake. During the post-fight interview, Pacquiao said: "I told the referee to call a doctor and take a look if he (Margarito) can still fight" Towards the end of the 11th round, the referee did check Margarito's right eye, but signaled the fighters to continue. Kevin Iole tweeted: "The fight should be stopped. Margarito is being brutalized and can't see." Proving that he was fully aware of the damage that Margarito was receiving, Pacquiao said of the final round: "I was not looking for a knockout, I was just looking to finish the fight." Despite the tremendous beating that Pacquiao inflicted, Margarito hung on and didn't fall. He made it past the final round still standing, although his face was a bloody mess. By the end of the fight, it seemed like Margarito had just been swallowed by a tornado, thrown about inside the vortex, and spewed out like an abused rag doll. Lesser mortals would have gone down with the punishment that Manny unleashed, but Margarito's chin held up. After the fight, Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole tweeted: "Margarito is going to the hospital. Won't be at press conference." He added: "Ross Greenburg of HBO just told me he's never seen a fighter in his years in boxing as good as Pacquiao." In the end, Manny showed the heart and mind of a true champion. - GMANews.TV