Tapia sees Pacquiao power in sparring

MANILA, Philippines - Even Glen Tapia, the Mexican sparring partner, is convinced that Manny Pacquiao will knock Antonio Margarito out on Nov. 13 in Texas.

The 20-year-old Tapia needed just a few days working with the Filipino champion to feel his power and speed in the ring, and said Margarito won’t be able to handle that.

“Manny has the speed and he’s going to pop Margarito,” said Tapia, whose main task in sparring is to try and bully Pacquiao inside the ring as Margarito would on fight night.

Tapia said Pacquiao can take Margarito out inside five rounds, much quicker than eight as coach Freddie Roach had predicted.

“For me I think it’s like the fifth,” said Tapia, who sparred five rounds with Pacquiao the other day at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City.

Tapia knows Margarito only by the way he’d seen him in his fights, that his fellow Mexican at nearly six feet is much taller than Pacquiao, and that he’s a little rough.

“He hits hard and he’s a very dirty fighter. He’s a very aggressive fighter. But he’s too slow for Manny. He takes time and he takes too long to start,” said Tapia.

Slow starters, he added, don’t stand a chance against Pacquiao who would normally answer the opening round as if it’s the last.

“Manny’s not going let him (Margarito) start. He’s gonna pop him, pop him, pop him, and it’s gonna be done by the time he gets started. It’s going to be a Mosley-Margarito just times 20,” said Tapia.

He was referring to the January 2009 fight where Shane Mosley, smaller, older but faster, stunned the world with a big knockout of Margarito in the ninth rounds.

For that fight, Margarito was caught with illegal hand wraps, served a one-year suspension, beat Roberto Garcia in Mexico, got his US license back and earned the right to face Pacquiao.

“It’s going to be like that fight but 20 times better,” said Tapia, going for a Pacquiao win.

Still, he said he won’t put all his money on Pacquiao scoring a knockout in the fifth round.

“Nah, nah, not at all,” he said. He was asked why.

“Because Margarito may be down on the floor by the third,” he answered.