“Tijuana Tornado” wins–or will forfeit sponsorship fee!
November has already been an exciting month of matchups for us boxing aficionados.
With the Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez war already in the history books, those in the sweet science are now salivating as the build up to the mega clash between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito reaches an all time high as their weekend collision 
nears.
At the recent media workout for the “Tijuana Tornado,” the Fortune Gym in Hollywood was packed with bodies as the Los Angeles crew came out in droves to capture the former welterweight titlist take to the ring. As the 32-year-old fighter showcased his moves on the canvas, I ran into his co-manager Francisco Espinosa, who has always been a classy guy whenever I see him at various boxing events. The amiable co-manager can also be seen in the corner with Team Margarito.
“Did you see Tony?” the friendly Espinosa asks me. I laugh and tell him “Yes, I saw Tony.” It’s hard to miss that whirling dervish of pugilism holding court in the center of the gym. As I chat with Tony’s camp, Francisco next inquires if I’ve seen the new line of shirts yet? He calls over a fellow cornerman, who “models” the special Affliction T-shirt for us. As I direct him to give us the side, front and back views of the walk out shirt, Sergio says with a smile, “This is the official shirt for Tony!”
I check out the new clothing addition as the good-natured cornerman obliges us by “modeling” the shirt. The signature T is designed in the colors of the Mexican flag. According to the clothing giant’s official website, it’s called “Bandera” and retails for $58. It is a cool design with an inverted Fleur-de-Lis on the back and a cross pattern with winged skulls screened on the front. If you caught the third installment of “24/7” this weekend, Tony’s stablemate Brandon Rios (who will be fighting on the undercard on Saturday) was also sporting the T-shirt.
Margarito has had an ongoing sponsorship with the powerhouse company for a while as they have sponsored his last few fights. They also gave him a custom Harley motorcycle a couple of years ago and has continued to partner with the superstar slugger. And apparently, Tony is taking his association with the clothing company very serious. In various online reports, including a story by Lem Satterfield, it’s been widely reported that Margarito has stated that if does NOT win the battle against the speedy southpaw this Saturday, he will forgo the sponsorship money from Affliction. That’s really putting your money where your mouth (or fist) is! So if he IS defeated at the hands of the power punching Pacquiao, word is he will also lose his sponsorship fee (exact figure not disclosed) from the hugely-popular clothing line, synonymous with fight shirts and fashionistas around the world.
Not to be outdone, PacMan himself, trainer Freddie Roach, Team Pacquiao and its legion of fans have all been seen in the best-selling colorful Nike “Manny Knows” T-shirts. Hmmm, maybe the Pac-Marg brawl may also become a “T-shirt War” too?
The only thing I know for certain is the big blitz will continue as the final countdown to the Battle Royale reaches a crescendo. The famous Filipino Congressman shared the spotlight with President Obama just last night on the award-winning “60 Minutes,” and the hit HBO series “24/7” featuring the two combatants will air their finale episode this Friday night. The Mexican warrior was also the star attraction during a fan rally yesterday at the Tamale Festival in Dallas. And for those in Texas, the dynamic duo will also make tons of fans in the Lone Star State as the pair is set to hold a workout (open to the public) at the Gaylord Texan Hotel tomorrow.
As thousands upon thousands of fans promise to pack the arena in Arlington, Texas for this marquee matchup, promoted by Top Rank in association with Cowboys Stadium, MP Promotions and Tecate, available on HBO Pay-Per-View, only one will walk away with the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Light Middleweight Championship.
If it IS Antonio Margarito, he will get his redemption along with a new title–and keep that nice pocket change from Affliction too!
What do you think, boxing fans?
Pick your fighter, pick your shirt.
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com
Photo by Michele Chong