"I love the fact that Margarito has balls and he puts his money where his mouth is. That's really the bottom line. I was trying to work a deal out with him, he wasn't happy with it, so he put everything on the line. And to me, that speaks volumes...If this guy believes in himself that much, then hell yeah we will back him up. I think it's funny...watch, everybody that's haters right now, if he beats Pacquiao, they are going to jump on the bandwagon...you gotta love an underdog; especially one that believes in himself...it's a win-win for us. We're getting great exposure and if he wins, it would be huge. And quite frankly, I think Ecko is just trying to jump on the bandwagon because we're getting press; Ecko is not stupid. We're getting more press than them," stated Affliction VP Tom Atencio as he talked about their sponsorship deal with Antonio Margarito for his upcoming November 13 clash with Manny Pacquiao. You don't want to miss what else he had to say as Atencio talks more about Margarito, the fight, and much more.
PC: How is everything going Tom?
TA: Good. What's going on?
PC: There are some people questioning the fact that Affliction would step up and sponsor Antonio Margarito, and they question the ethics of Affliction for doing so. How did the deal with Margarito come to fruition?
TA: Yeah, you know what? We sponsored Margarito for his last 3 fights. The last fight we sponsored him was the Shane Mosley fight. He's coming back, he made a mistake, and honestly, nobody knows except for him, and the guy that wrapped his hands, whether he knows or not. So when I see comments coming from people over at Marc Ecko, I ask, how many mistakes has he made in his life? Does he live in a glass house? How many times has Ecko fought? Who is he to talk about combat sports? Were all of the things he was doing legal? Who is he to lay judgment on anybody or talk about ethics?
PC: From what I understand, he's guaranteed you guys a win or he doesn't get paid. It seems like a win-win situation for Affliction.
TA: Absolutely! You can't tell me if Margarito would have gone to Ecko with that deal, he wouldn't have jumped on board? Come on! I love all of these hypocrites because they are the first to throw a stone. I'm talking shit right now, but I don't know anything about Marc Ecko or his guy that wrote that article about Margarito, and I could really care less about them, but don't talk about ethics when you're in a business where, chances are, you didn't get to where you are being an ethical person.
PC: And the fight itself? How do you see this fight going? Pacquiao has been the giant killer lately. Margarito is saying if he doesn't win, don't pay him for sponsorship.
TA: I love the fact that Margarito has balls and he puts his money where his mouth is. That's really the bottom line. I was trying to work a deal out with him, he wasn't happy with it, so he put everything on the line. And to me, that speaks volumes. The first thing that I thought was, "That's fucking punk rock. That's hardcore." If this guy believes in himself that much, then hell yeah we will back him up. I think it's funny...watch, everybody that's haters right now, if he beats Pacquiao, they are going to jump on the bandwagon because people are sheep and they are going to say, "I knew he was going to win." Bullshit! Bullshit! I'm just sick of the hypocrisy. I'm sick of people acting like they are on board when they are the first ones to start talking shit, to start hating, and I'm sorry, but you gotta love an underdog; especially one that believes in himself.
PC: So you weren't ready to sentence him to death for the mistake that he made?
TA: No man, it's a sport. It's a sport. Tiger Woods, for example. He's not a politician, and he's not a religious leader, he is an athlete, so who cares what he does? Everybody in his position probably would have done the same thing. There are very few people that don't bite the bait and take some of the offers presented to these guys. It's tough to walk away and most of these people that are chastising and are condemning these guys don't have the balls to do anything on their own. I'm just tired of it.
PC: Although it's for a 154-pound title, the fight will take place at 150. I'm sure you have been keeping close tabs on Tony. How is he doing with the weight?
TA: He looks unbelievable. If people have been watching 24/7, it's been great for us and he came in here shredded. He is a machine right now. He's got a puncher's chance. Pacquiao is the #1 fighter pound-for-pound out there in the world. Pacquiao is nobody to take lightly, but it is...it's a win-win for us. We're getting great exposure and if he wins, it would be huge. And quite frankly, I think Ecko is just trying to jump on the bandwagon because we're getting press; Ecko is not stupid. We're getting more press than them and that's why they want to talk shit, so go ahead.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]