A weighty issue

The battle for the vacant WBC superwelterweight title between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 will be fought at a “catchweight” of 151 pounds, meaning both fighters must scale within that limit even if the division cap is 154.

For the record, Margarito has weighed at least 150 pounds in seven fights which means he’s used to carrying that load in the ring. The Mexican tipped the scales at 157 in 1999 when he knocked out Efrain Munoz in the second round. And he weighed in at 154 for his win on points over Roberto Garcia last May. Before engaging Garcia, Margarito weighed no more than 147 – the welterweight limit – in his nine previous outings.

Margarito, 32, was the WBO, WBA and IBF welterweight champion and has been repulsed once in attempting to annex the superwelterweight title, losing to Daniel Santos on a technical decision in 2004.

In contrast, Pacquiao has never hit 150 pounds for any fight and the heaviest he ever scaled was 145 3/4 for the Joshua Clottey appointment last March.

Pacquiao, 31, will clearly be undersized in the Margarito bout even as he is expected to come close to 150. No doubt, he’ll check in the heaviest in his career. Will that be a problem or not? If Pacquiao puts on weight without directing the extra pounds to where they should go for optimal body efficiency, he could end up a blown-up or bloated superwelterweight – a dangerous situation because the weight won’t be properly distributed to retain his speed and agility.

Margarito will be bigger than Pacquiao in their duel. That could be an advantage or a disadvantage. It’ll be a plus for the Tijuana Tornado if Pacquiao isn’t in tip-top shape and won’t be able to slip away from the Mexican’s come-forward style. If Pacquiao is a standing target, Margarito will mow him down, overwhelm and overpower him with his size. But if Pacquiao is in condition to hit and run for 12 rounds, it’ll be a long night for Margarito who won’t be able to keep in step. That is where size won’t be an advantage because the heavier Margarito will be slowed down by his bulk.

If Margarito has difficulty making the weight and barely scales 151, he’ll be sluggish for the fight. He’ll lack energy. He might even be dehydrated because recovering from being drained of fluids won’t take a day. If that’s the case, Pacquiao will enjoy a picnic at the Cowboys Stadium and poor Margarito will be his main course.

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A recent column (Oct. 7) where I listed my choices as the PBA’s 20 greatest imports triggered an interesting verbal exchange among readers in my facebook account (type in Joaquin Henson and add as friend).

My picks were Billy Ray Bates, Tony Harris, Sean Chambers, Bobby Parks, Snake Jones, Norman Black, Michael Hackett, Bruce (Sky) King, Larry McNeill, David Thirdkill, Ken Redfield, Glenn McDonald, John Best, Cyrus Mann, Ronnie Grandison, Michael Young, Lamont Strothers, Rosell Ellis, Derrick Brown and Diamon Simpson.

Rodolfo Obniala questioned Simpson’s inclusion, saying the Alaska import shouldn’t have been allowed to play in the last Fiesta Conference because he was over the height limit of 6-6. He cited a website, draftexpress.com, as noting that Simpson was measured to be 6-7 1/2 barefooted. Donhil Hilberto said Simpson is good but “don’t you think it’s premature to include him – how about Michael Phelps, Carlos Briggs and Rob Williams?”

Gil Paulo Clata Abracia said to doubt Simpson’s measurement is to question the credibility of the PBA. It’s important to remember that one’s height measurement depends on the terms of reference. In the PBA, the measurement is scientific, defensible and precise because a height limit is involved. In the NBA, the measurement isn’t as exact because there is no pressure to be precise. In fact, a lot of players exaggerate their heights to improve their marketability. Players may be measured standing up barefooted or lying down. How they wear their hair could also make a difference although only slight if at all.

Boyet Dones, who runs popular basketball websites, wrote in:

“Your column about PBA imports... brings back good memories of yesteryears. Just wondering why Andy Fields wasn’t part of your 20 greatest imports? My top 20 – Fields, Bates, Harris, Russell Murrey, Thirdkill, Parks, Black, Chambers, Donnie Ray Koonce, Carlos Terry, James Hardy, Larry Pounds, Butch Hays, McNeill, Carlos Clark, Bernard Harris, Tim Hirten, Snake Jones, Young and Simpson.”