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LOS ANGELES: Manny Pacquiao says he believes Antonio Margarito tried to use illegal hand wraps in his last US fight which resulted in the Mexican boxer being banned from the sport for one year.
Pacquiao scoffed on Tuesday at Margarito's explanation that he didn't know his trainer was putting a plaster-like substance in his gloves prior to a 2009 fight against Shane Mosley.
"He is just making some alibi," Pacquiao said.
The 31-year-old Filipino superstar Pacquiao is expected to face Margarito for the vacant World Boxing Council super welterweight title on November 13 in Dallas, Texas.
"He is the one who wraps his hands and he doesn't know what is in there?" Pacquiao asked. "Of course he knows. What do you think? My belief is he knows that."
Margarito was granted a license last week to fight in Texas. He hasn't fought in America since the Los Angeles Mosley incident after his licence - along with that of former trainer Javier Capetillo - was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission. The ban was upheld by other state boxing commissions.
The two fighters held a joint news conference on Tuesday at The Beverly Hills Hotel.
Margarito, who upset Miguel Cotto six months before the Mosley fight, has always insisted he had no knowledge of what his trainer was doing.
"Everything that happened is now in the past," said Margarito, who has 38 wins, six losses and 27 KOs.
He refused to comment on Tuesday on Pacquiao's latest claims. But his new trainer Robert Garcia and fight promoter Bob Arum both defended Margarito.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38KOs) has asked officials to allow them to send an extra person from his camp into Margarito's dressing room prior to the Dallas fight to observe the taping.
"I am requesting that two people be allowed to watch them bandage his hands," Pacquiao said.
Garcia said he has nothing to hide. He said Pacquiao can visit Margarito's dressing room before the fight. He would also let Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach do the wrapping.
"Manny can come watch himself if he needs to," Garcia said. "I do not have a problem with that. I could have Freddie Roach do the wrapping. I don't do anything illegal.
"I know very few people give us a chance."
It is unlike Pacquiao to fire the first verbal salvo in a pre-fight news conference but the Filipino did just that Tuesday.
Pacquiao was all smiles and joking with Margarito during a photo-op on the podium at the Beverly Hills Hotel but then told reporters afterwards that he doesn't believe Margarito's version of the events at Staples Center arena 19 months ago.
His comments also contradicted Arum who spent a good portion of his time at the podium on Tuesday defending his decision to put the Filipino in the ring with the disgraced boxer. Margarito still does not have a licence to fight in California or Nevada. His most recent California application was denied.
"Antonio Margarito did not know that those hand wraps were illegal, and there was something bad in those wraps," Arum said. "(There's) not one shred of proof.
"He served his time, and thank God, the people in the Texas boxing commission, who reviewed all the testimony, agreed with that conclusion."
Pacquiao said Arum asked him to fight Margarito and he agreed saying the Mexican boxer deserves another chance.
"Give him one more chance," Pacquiao said. "He is human he made a mistake. People are worried about me fighting this guy. We are going to give him a chance."
Meanwhile, Arum left the three-city promotional tour Tuesday after the Los Angeles news conference to travel to Seattle where his adult son has reportedly gone missing on a hiking trip.
The Los Angeles Times reported that John Arum, 49, went missing on Sunday while hiking in the mountain ranges near Seattle.
The Pacquiao fight promotional tour is scheduled to make stops in New York on Wednesday and Dallas on Friday.
Pacquiao wears two hats in his native Philippines where he was recently elected to a seat in Congress.
Pacquiao said on Tuesday he has been following the developments surrounding last week's Manila bus siege where a gunman took a bus load of Hong Kong tourists hostage.
The gunman ended up killing eight hostages during a botched rescue attempt by the police.
"That is a really sad happening. In Congress we are going to investigate who is responsible for that," Pacquiao said.
- AFP/de
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