Roach to Observe Wrapping

Manila, Philippines - Antonio Margarito won’t have a pair of stone for hands when he faces Manny Pacquiao on November 13.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said he will not blink an eye when he watches the wrapping of Margarito’s hands a couple of hours before the scheduled 12-round battle for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super-welterweight crown at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

“I will be there (in Margarito’s dressing room) when they start doing the wraps,” Roach told the Bulletin on Monday from the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

“I assure you that there won’t be anything illegal this time,” said Roach.

Margarito rose to notoriety last year when Nazim Richardson, the chief trainer of Shane Mosley, discovered that then Margarito trainer Javier Capetillo had placed Plaster of Paris inserts in between the Mexican’s knuckles.

Capetillo was then ordered to re-wrap the hands and Mosley went on to knock Margarito out.

Margarito denied having known of the inserts but was eventually suspended by the California and Nevada commissions.

Speculations then arose if Margarito had employed the same type of handwraps in his previous fights.

Recently, Texas granted Margarito’s application for a license since he had already served his full one-year ban.

Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin