MANILA, Philippines – Even before it was announced that Antonio Margarito of Mexico will face Manny Pacquiao on November 13, American trainer Freddie Roach already expressed confidence that the Filipino boxing superstar will easily defeat his foe.

“Margarito is a tough guy, but his ring generalship is poor,” Roach told Brad Cooney of 8CountNews. “Manny will knock him out, we will knock him out.”

The four-time Trainer of the Year recipient also downplayed the Mexican’s ability to fire a good punch.

Roach stated, “Margarito has a good chin, but a good punch? We don't know. Let him wrap his own hands, and he’s got a good punch (laughs).”

Margarito was suspended last year by the California State Athletic Commission after he was caught with a plaster-like substance in his hand wraps prior to his fight against Shane Mosley in January 2009.

Although the former world welterweight champion is just a replacement for the undefeated American Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in the fight card, Roach thinks that the November 13 bout is still a saleable event.

“It's probably a marketable fight, and Manny beats up another Mexican. I have no problem with the fight,” he added.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, Inc., said that the 7-division world will gun for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight championship. (Read: It’s Pacquiao vs Margarito on Nov 13)

Roach, meantime, assured that there will be no drastic changes in Pacquiao’s training camp even if he is now the congressman of Sarangani province.

“I don't see much changing. We will be in Manila for training so he can be close to work after he trains. I don't see much changing other than that whatsoever.”

Cotto to meet with Mayweather?

Negotiations to hold the Mayweather-Pacquiao super bout fell apart after the American reportedly snubbed the deadline to finalize the deal with the Filipino’s camp.

Arum then revealed that he was eyeing to replace Mayweather with Margarito or Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto whom Pacquiao defeated by technical knockout in Round 12 last November.

While the Pacquiao-Cotto rematch will not push through, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) junior middleweight champion is said to be planning to meet with Mayweather.

But Cotto’s camp clarified that the scheduled meeting with Mayweather, who is on vacation in Puerto Rico, is about business.

“We have communicated (with Mayweather Jr.) and knew of his visit. We plan meet and talk about a little matter that I am not at liberty to discuss,” Cotto’s adviser, lawyer Gabriel Peñagaricano, said in a BoxingScene.com report by Jhonny Gonzalez.

Peñagaricano, who was talking to reporter Joseph Sanchez, added that the superstar boxers will most likely talk about co-promoting events.

“He (Mayweather), besides being a boxer in a division similar to that of Miguel, is a promoter, like Miguel, and is interested in developing fighters,” said Peñagaricano. – With reports from 8CountNews.com and BoxingScene.com