MANILA, Philippines – Even if Antonio Margarito’s trainer admitted that Manny Pacquiao will be a difficult fighter to topple, he said that his ward may outlast the 7-division world champion in their November 13 clash.

“I've never called fights or ever predicted anything. I just know that Antonio will have the heart and the power and the conditioning to be a great champion and to beat anybody out there,” Robert Garcia told Lem Satterfield of BoxingScene.com.

“But I think that we can get him in the later rounds. So I'm going to say that maybe Antonio stops him in the later rounds,” Margarito’s trainer added.

Pacquiao and Margarito will fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight title at a catch weight.

“I believe that the fight will be at a catch-weight of 150 pounds, and 150 is no problem for Antonio. The last time he came in to camp, he was 12 pounds over where he had to fight, which was 154. Two weeks before the fight, he was already on weight,” Garcia noted.

“So he had no problem making that weight. So he will be a very strong fighter in there against Manny Pacquiao.”

ABS-CBN Correspondent Dyan Castillejo interviews Mexican Antonio Margarito

Great chance

Garcia also vowed that Margarito will be a better fighter come November.

“Antonio's last fight with Roberto Garcia, he'll be much better than that. That was his first fight with me and he did what I asked him to do,” the trainer assured.

Margarito (38-6, with 27 knockouts) overcame fellowman Roberto Garcia in May via unanimous decision in 10 rounds.

Garcia also stated that Margarito has a chance against the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Pacquiao (51-3-2, with 38 KOs).

“I've been watching Manny's fights. I've been watching Freddie Roach also. I think that I've got a good idea about how they're going to try to fight against us. I think that we have a great chance,” the trainer said.

Chavez Jr. in Pacquiao’s traing?

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, earlier said that his fighter can score a knockout over Margarito. (Read: Roach confident of Pacquiao KO win over Margarito)

He also said that he is confident that Pacquiao’s duties as congressman of Sarangani Province will not hamper his preparations for his November 13 fight.

Roach even mentioned that he wants Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. to be Pacquiao’s chief sparring mate.

“I would be very happy to help. I think it would be a new experience for me in my career and I would also like to be in there trading leather with the world’s best,” Chavez told Sal Rodriguez, as quoted by Jhonny Gonzalez of BoxingScene.com.

Chavez, the son of legendary Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, is the WBC silver middleweight champion.

Texas out of the picture?

The venue of the Pacquiao-Margarito has not yet been decided on because the Mexican has to reapply for a license if he wants to fight again in the United States.

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

If Margarito will be allowed to fight again in the US, promoters are eyeing the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Alternative venues are said to be Monterrey, Mexico and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where Pacquiao defeated Ghanaian Joshua Clottey by unanimous decision in March, is reportedly out of the picture.

According to Barry Horn of DallasNews.com, a stadium official said that the $1.2-billion arena was not being considered. – With reports from BoxingScene.com and DallasNews.com