TEXAS, USA – Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao grabbed hold of the tail end and dismantled the “Tijuana Tornado” Antonio Margarito, after a unanimous decision win adding the World Light Middleweight Championship belt to his historic eight championship titles in eight divisions at the jam-packed Cowboy Stadium, hours earlier.Speed remained Pacman’s primary weapon as he gobbled up the Mexican star. The judges scored the bout: 120-108, 118-110, and 119-109 in favor of the People’s Champ.
On the starting bell, both fighters immediately engaged on the violent confrontation. Trying to gauge each other’s punching power, the Filipino star’s flurry of punches found their marks. Both fighters’ disparity in height was evident and Margarito’s five-inch reach advantage can also be seen when he unloads his jabs.
The Tijuana Tornado was touted to be a “diesel” fighter that builds up momentum and revs over time. Wisely using his footwork, Pacquiao frequently dances out of trouble each time his three-time-champ opponent would ram him with bodyblows in the second round.
Pacquiao, on his white trunks, looked like a swift butterfly that softly dances around the stiff Mexican warrior. There was a beautiful exchange of punches in the third but the Filipino fighter has amazingly used speed to his advantage which enabled him to punch upstairs and downstairs.
The Filipino champ manifested his firepower in the early seconds of the fourth round that made 42,000 people at the stadium roar and jump to their seats. Pacman’s combinations stunned Tijuana Tornado pushed him to back. Moments later, Margarito pinned Pacquiao to the ropes but the People’s Champ released a series of punches that forced the Mexican backpedalling again. After the round, the Mexican boxer a cut can be seen just below his right eye.
The fifth period of the game came as Pacquiao, with his signature flash-like reflexes, danced out of trouble while launching his counters. The fight still continued to heat up, but with forty seconds left on the game, a large lump can be seen on the Mexican’s face due to the bunch of power-punches he has taken.
Halfway through the match, Pacman’s right jabs were more evident. The fight seemed like the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fight. Speed versus height and power. The Mexican pugilist continued to receive huge blows from the dominating People’s Champ.
On the seventh, the Mexi-cutioner landed more serious punches despite the occasional stinging right hooks of his opponent. He again unloaded his arsenal with a minute and a half left in the round. Pacman’s right hooks landed on the Margarito’s already-bruised cheek like laser-guided missiles with forty seconds to go. With five rounds to go, Rep. Pacquiao still continued to dominate the exchange of punches. The Filipino pugilist has perfectly found his punching angles eventhough there was a significant showing of his fatigue.
On the ninth round, Margarito’s marred face can clearly be seen while the referee Laurence Cole occasionally checked his cut. On the tenth, despite the puffy face of Margarito, his coach Robert Garcia seemed no plans of stopping the fight. Manny Pacquiao just continued to push through his plan of going in and out of harm’s way.
On the penultimate round, it seemed that Pacquiao got a hold of his second hind and continued to overpower the sluggish Mexican with his accurate haymakers. Pacquiao’s crisp punches can be heard; as each fist landed on its designated points on Margarito’s face.
On the last ticks of the fight, it was the Tijuana Tornado’s heart and courage that kept him fighting. Referee Cole again see to it that Margarito still have a good vision despite the two swollen eyes. Pacquiao’s trunks had lots of blood smears from Margarito’s dripping cuts. In an obvious attempt to hold back, Pacman let the round pass without trying to give out hard punches to the already battered opponent. The brave Mexican boxer still managed to keep on fighting until the last bell.
Number 13 proved to be lucky. Manny Pacquiao sealed his 13th straight win with his eighth world championship title in eight separate weight divisions – a feat unmatched by any other boxer in the planet. Mayweather, hope you've watched the fight.
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