Speed Pacman's best weapon vs Margarito

Speed, no doubt, will again serve as Manny Pacquiao’s biggest weapon once he steps up in the ring and faces Antonio Margarito three months from now.

And Freddie Roach doesn’t see the Filipino boxing superstar losing the 12-round fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight title against a sluggish, slow-footed opponent.

“Manny will start fast with this guy, and we will finish with him fast," said Roach.

Ever since invading the welterweight rank, Pacquiao has bewildered just about anybody he met in the ring, from the great Oscar De La Hoya to the ordinary Joshua Clottey.

“I couldn’t handle his speed," said former two-time world champion Miguel Cotto after suffering a brutal 12th round technical knockout against Pacquiao, a sentiment he shared with the rest of the Filipino’s ring victims.

Roach sees Margarito joining that list.

“He (Margarito) is a big, strong guy. I’m not overly worried about him. I’m not a big Margarito fan. Manny will have too much for him," said the Hall of Fame trainer.

Margarito’s size – the Mexican stands 5-foot-11 – and the weight where the bout will be fought are the only concerns Roach is thinking about.

While he would like the Nov. 13 duel to be fought at the welterweight limit (147), Roach said a catch weight would probably be insisted by the Margarito camp.

It’s just the size I’m concerned about, and what weight we’ll have it," said Roach. “I’d like it at 147 lbs., but it will most likely be at catch weight between welterweight and junior middleweight."

The fight contract has yet been formally signed pending the site of the bout as Margarito is still unable to secure a boxing license in the U.S.

After his request for a new license was denied by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), Margarito applied for one in Texas.

Top Rank Promotions chairman Bob Arum has already talked to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and in the event Margarito is given a license in Texas, the fight will likely be held at the $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium.