Margarito tries to focus on future, not failures

Already trying to live down a hand-wrap scandal, Antonio Margarito has suffered another figurative black eye days before his fight against pound-for-pound boxing king Manny Pacquiao.

An Internet video surfaced this week showing Margarito, sparring partner Brandon Rios and trainer Robert Garcia mocking Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, who has Parkinson's disease.

The video, which appeared on AOL FanHouse on Tuesday and has been removed from the site, showed both fighters shaking and slurring their words as Garcia urged them on.

Margarito and Garcia apologized Wednesday, both claiming not to know that Roach suffers from Parkinson's. That is hard to believe given Roach's celebrity in the boxing world and how publicized his ongoing battle with Parkinson's has been.

Roach said he didn't believe a word of their excuse.

"They're so disrespectful to me and the hand-pad issues. ... It's like a slap in the face, like 'We got caught with something, but we're still here fighting.' I think it shows his true character. I don't think they are a good group of people," Roach told The Associated Press. "I'm not going to bother Manny Pacquiao with that. Manny doesn't hate anybody and so forth, but I do hate those guys."

Pacquiao said he hadn't seen the video.

Roach said he plans to have someone from the Pacquiao camp in the training room to watch Margarito as his hands are being wrapped for Saturday's fight for the vacant WBC super welterweight title at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

"I don't trust those guys," Roach told the AP. "He'll do anything to win. He's done it before. He's a cheater."

Margarito, a former world welterweight champion, was caught with plasterlike inserts in his hand wraps before entering the ring to fight Shane Mosley in Los Angeles in January 2009.

Margarito's promoter, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, condemned the fighter's participation in the video.

"There's absolutely no defense for that," Arum said Wednesday. "It was despicable conduct, and I told (Margarito) so.

"At the same time, you have to separate the two incidents. I firmly believe he did not know his hands were being tampered with that night when he fought Mosley. I believe he deserved a second chance."

The California State Athletic Commission suspended Margarito for a year and denied his request for a license after the ban had expired. Margarito last fought in Mexico in May because no U.S. commission would grant him a license, until Texas did so in August.

But many critics don't think he deserves this second chance, some calling for his permanent banishment from boxing.

Margarito's latest antics, mocking Roach, certainly won't help sway detractors who have not forgiven him for trying to cheat against Mosley.

''It means everything to me,'' said Margarito (38-6, 27 knockouts). ''To win a fight this big, to be a world champion again. I hope to turn everyone around.''

Margarito said he always thought he would return to fight in the United States, even when California and Nevada denied him a license.

''It's been tough, but I never let it enter my mind,'' he said. ''I never gave up hope. I always believed.''

Margarito stands nearly 5 inches taller and has a 6½-inch reach advantage over Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs). He also figures to enter the ring at about 160 pounds for the 151-pound catch-weight bout, while Pacquiao will probably come in under 151.

Garcia has been trying to improve Margarito's footwork and balance to deal with Pacquiao's superior hand and foot speed. Margarito hopes to cut down the ring and maximize his punching power against his smaller opponent.

''I never fought anyone like that or anyone who comes close,'' Margarito said. ''I see his speed. I know he's a fast guy, but he's a smaller guy also.''

But this will be only Margarito's second fight since that infamous Mosley bout.

Pacquiao has been a 6-1 favorite at Las Vegas sports books, though Margarito money is starting to show. Pacquiao was down to minus-550 on Wednesday.

As for the odyssey that got him to this moment, Margarito said: ''Boxing is one of those books that continues to be written and nothing is set in stone. I just go fight as much as possible and see how it plays out.''

Contact sports reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. The Associated Press contributed to this report.