Antonio Margarito to have surgery
Antonio Margarito, the Mexican super welterweight beaten badly by Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night, suffered a fractured orbital bone and was to have surgery Tuesday in Texas, Top Rank promotor Bob Arum told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Margarito, who lost in a lopsided, 12-round decision, was taken directly to the hospital via ambulance after the fight to have cuts to his face examined.
That is when the injury to his eye socket was discovered, and he remained in the hospital Sunday, Arum said.
Margarito had skipped the postfight news conference at the request of the fight doctor and people in his camp, an unusual move for such a big fight.
Legendary Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach was critical of the late-round decision-making of Margarito's corner, saying they should have forced a stoppage.
"There was no way I was going to quit. I'm a Mexican, we fight until the end," Margarito said.
Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), giving away both pounds and inches, won the 150-pound, WBC super welterweight belt to extend his record with a title in an eighth weight class -- two more than Oscar De La Hoya.
"He's a very tough guy," Roach said of Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs). "I was surprised how tough he was.
He has the worst corner. They probably ruined his career by not stopping the fight."
Pacquiao turned Margarito into a bloody and nearly blind fighter with a dizzying array of punches, dominating from the opening rounds on at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The beating was so thorough that the congressman from the Philippines turned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11th round, imploring him to stop the fight.
"I told the referee, 'Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,'"
Pacquiao said. "I did not want to damage him permanently. That's not what boxing is about."
It went on, though, even though Margarito had no chance to win.
"I can't believe that I beat someone this big and this strong," Pacquiao said. "It's hard. I really do my best to win the fight."
Pacquiao moved up in weight yet again to take on Margarito, a natural welterweight with a reputation for ruggedness in the ring.
And rugged he was, though he took a beating all night long at the hands of a faster and seemingly more powerful opponent.
Pacquiao won every round on one scorecard, 120-108, and was ahead 119-109 and 118-110 on the other two. The Associated Press had it a 120-108 shutout.
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