‘Never underestimate a small Filipino man in a fight. Those guys are nuts’: Opponents BEFORE and AFTER Fighting Manny Pacquiao – UNRECOGNIZABLE 

Just a week to go until Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman, another step in Manny’s return to the top of the sport. Here, before he takes on another brash American fighter, we take a look at some opponents from the past. For each, we look how they reacted both before and after facing the eight-weight world champion.

In the realm of boxing, appearances can often be deceiving, and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao embodies this truth. Despite his humble and unassuming demeanor outside the ring, Pacquiao’s fight night performances reveal a fighter who brings much more than meets the eye. This analysis contrasts Pacquiao with some of his past opponents during a period when he was arguably at his physical and commercial prime.

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Pacquiao vs. Margarito: Five Possible Next Opponents for Antonio Margarito
Manny Pacquiao handed a vicious beating to Antonio Margarito on Saturday night, one that cements Pacquiao as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world and leaves many fans hoping to see Pac Man finally face off against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the most talked-about boxing matchup of modern times.

For Antonio Margarito, it will be a very different path, but not necessarily one that will not draw massive attention from boxing fans. Margarito has always had a name, but his actions over the last year and a half have him competing against Floyd Mayweather for the cartoon villain role of most hated boxer on the planet.

Margarito was caught cheating with illegal hand wraps before he was beaten by Shane Mosley, but that was just the beginning. Margarito then openly joked about loading his hands during the HBO 24/7 series, and then, along with his moronic sidekick Brandon Rios, openly mocked the Parkinson’s disease that so unfortunately afflicts Freddie Roach.

Just as hatred towards Margarito was building up, his pre-fight actions gave fans more fuel.  He was accused of ingesting ephedra while his trainer, who displayed himself as self-centered and fame-hungry during the 24/7 series, openly questioned the hand wraps of Pacquiao with a seemingly straight face.

The fact that two Margarito representatives were watching the wrap take place was apparently insufficient evidence of a good wrap.

HBO commentator Manny Steward explained the rules are that a fighter can take in only clear water after a weigh-in; if he was right then Margarito broke these rules at least twice and possibly four times.  He was seen eating in the ring before the fight, and also caught drinking Splenda by HBO cameras.

Further accusations of the Mexican fighter drinking coffee and taking ephedrine merely enhance the legend of “Margachito.”

Considering the animosity many fans feel toward Margarito, and the loyal support of Mexican fans who want to see him defend national pride, the next time Antonio Margarito steps into a ring, the world will be watching.

Here we take a look at five possible opponents for Antonio Margarito in his next fight. Leave a comment underneath letting us know who you would like to see Margarito fight next.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather Jr. is one of the most talked-about boxers on the planet. In fact, Money and Manny Pacquiao are rarely discussed more than one sentence apart.

To the frustration of boxing fans throughout the world, Mayweather and Pacquiao have yet to come to terms on a fight, and sadly never will.

However, Money and Pac Man do have a number of common opponents, and if negotiations fall through then Mayweather could add Antonio Margarito to the list that both fighters have gotten into the ring with.

The level of controversy surrounding both fighters, and the loyal fan bases of both, will assure ticket sales and plenty of pay-per-view buys should this fight be made.

This fight would likely end in another defeat for Margarito, but would see him make plenty of money.

Andre Berto

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Haitian heavy hitter Andre Berto finds himself in a strange position in his boxing career.  While he continues to win very fight he steps inside the ring for, he is losing the respect of many fans.

While Berto looks exciting, he is stepping into the ring with below-world-class opposition on a regular basis and pulled out of his only mega-fight—with Shane Mosley—after tragedy struck his homeland.

Berto must begin to accumulate wins over big-name opponents to shed his reputation of a protected fighter who is spoon-fed winnable fights by his parent network HBO.

Antonio Margarito would present Berto with the opportunity to get a world-class scalp on his resume.

Some cynics may suggest the beating handed to Margarito by Pacquiao will have softened him up also, making this a very winnable fight, and possibly an attractive option for Berto should he dispose of Freddy Hernandez later this month.

Timothy Bradley

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Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley is one of the elite fighters in the sport but does not receive the media attention.  If he disposes of Devon Alexander in January, he will have established dominance of the light welterweight division.

If Bradley wishes to improve his star power, it can only be done by claiming the scalps of big-name fighters, and Antonio Margarito is one of those. Like many fighters, Bradley may see the current Margarito as softened up and ripe for the picking.

From Margarito’s perspective, Bradley is a credible opponent, but the Mexican would have a notable size advantage and could see this as the opportunity to gain a rehabilitating victory.

Amir Khan

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Amir Khan will represent the chance for Margarito and his team to gain a measure of revenge over Freddie Roach. After Pacquiao is lost to the world of politics, Khan is the chosen successor and the man who will command most attention from Roach and his staff at the Wild Card Gym.

If Margarito was to derail the young prospect, it would be a measure vengeance for himself and trainer Robert Garcia. Khan must first get past the heavy-handed Marcos Maidana in December, but after that a fight with Margarito could be an attractive option.

Khan will believe he has the upper hand with the training and game plan of Roach that has proven able to beat Margarito.

In addition, the young English fighter is not above laying a beating on an aging Mexican fighter at the end of his career, as he proved when he stopped Marco Antonio Barrera in 2009.

Ricky Hatton

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While this fight may be the biggest longshot on the list, it would also be the most money-making. “The Manchester Mexican” Hatton spoke at the end of his career about his dream to fill Wembley Stadium, the 80,000-plus capacity home of the English national soccer team.

Despite being retired for a few years, this is something Hatton could still achieve, and let’s be honest: He would not be the first fighter to come out of retirement looking for one last big performance. The Manchester Mexican against Antonio Margarito, a…well…real Mexican, would be a big attraction.

Hatton has one of the biggest and most passionate fan bases in world boxing, and they all dream of seeing their hero fight once more. The best thing about this fight, if it happened, would be that the two are guaranteed to go toe to toe and not take a backward step.

It is likely both fighters’ faces would resemble a bowl of hard-boiled eggs covered in ketchup, and that is something a lot of fans would want to see.

Hatton has had recent problems in his personal life and could see one last fight as a shot at redemption.  While he will come with controversy, of all the fighters to play the ethical card, Margarito is not one of them.