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Philippines, 01 May 2024 |
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THERE SHOULD BE NO ROOM FOR "PLASTER GATE" IN MANILA THIS SATURDAY PhilBoxing.com Wed, 07 Dec 2011  Two fights on two weekends this month might at first glance be unrelated, but on second look, you might see some correlation between the two. I am talking about the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch last week in New York and the Brian Viloria - Giovani Segura bout in Manila this Saturday. And that is because of one name eerily connected between the two, or at least the first Cotto-Margarito fight, Javier Capetillo. Javier Capetillo is Antonio Margarito's trainer who was suspended by the California Sports Athletic Commission and later by most commissions in the U.S. for the hand wrapping scandal that they were both involved at. They were found to be attempting to use a Plaster of Paris-like padding which was caught while Margarito's hands were being wrapped by Capetillo prior to the fight with Shane Mosley in January 2009. Margarito lost that fight and suspicions are that he and Capetillo have long been doing it in the past. Most recent of it was the bout before that where he beat Miguel Cotto in July 2008 in what has been Margarito's biggest win of his career. Margarito was suspended for more than a year for his involvement in the illegal hand wrapping scandal. He was licensed to fight in Texas where he fought and lost to Manny Pacquiao last year. He was also licensed to fight in New York where he fought Cotto in a rematch last Saturday. The result was a total reversal of their first fight. Not only did he lost, he also was unable to inflict the kind of damage that he did to Cotto in his last fight. What was the difference this time? He was observed vigilantly by not only the NYSAC, Cotto's camp but by badge wearing officers who were like eagles hunting for a prey. Not only that the taping of Margarito's hands by new trainer, Robert Garcia, was being beamed around the world by HBO's hi-def cameras. The Cotto camp also tried to bring in Nazim Richardson to watch the proceedings. Richardson was Mosley's trainer who caught the illegal padding in Margarito's wraps in 2009. Richardson was not allowed to observe the wrapping by the NYSAC, but you cannot blame the Cotto camp for trying to bring him in. What was the other difference? There is no Javier Capetillo in Margarito's corner now. He and Margarito parted ways right after the scandal. They have not spoken since then. Both of them still maintain innocence about the whole thing. Margarito claims he didn't know what his old trainer did during the hand wrapping that night, Capetillo claims the illegal wrap was there when he got in the dressing room and that somebody placed it with the gauze and tapes during that night. Sure! Where is Capetillo now? In Manila none the less, training Segura in his title fight with Viloria! Does that sound absurd to you? Here is a guy unlicensed as a trainer in the United States, with a reputation as a cheater and a liar and where is he now? In Manila, involved in one of the biggest fights of the country this year. Again, does this not bother you? Because I am! And what bothers me most is that no one seems to care. I have not heard and read any concern about this in my homeland. The only piece I read that touches the issue was that one made by my Philboxing colleague, Dr. Ed dela Vega. Nothing else! What else is absurd? The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) of the Philippines, the country's sport governing body, has not address this issue. They have not released any information about where they stand on Capetillo's status. They have not clarified his legitimacy in that dressing room and in that corner of the ring come Saturday night. They have not released any, if there are any, precautions that the sports body is doing to prevent any thing that resembles the Plaster Gate scandal from happening. Nothing at all! Some make fun of the over vigilance shown with Margarito's hand wrapping last Saturday. Some said, the process was an overkill. But can you blame NYSAC and HBO for doing so. They have been fooled once, it can never happen again. Not in this rematch, not in this magnitude of a fight. They were just out there to level the playing field on what has been a perceived break in the rules the last time these two fighters fought. Margarito was questioned about the wraps one too many time already. In fairness to him, he answered it with a straight face, except that you cannot see his eyes with the thick, dark shades that he is wearing. Margarito will never escape the issue of "Plaster Gate." It seems that Capetillo has. You asked me where? In the Philippines, he is! I know Viloria and Segura would want this fight to be as free of controversy as possible. I know the organizers would want it. The fans definitely would want it. The sport deserves it. I am not implying that Capetillo will attempt to do something illegal this Saturday. But I am extremely doubtful, given his past reputation, that anything less will be satisfying to me. It is not his fault to be in Segura's corner. I am lenient on him by thinking it is alright for him to train fighters. But not for him to be in the ring, not in the dressing room before the fight and much more, not the one doing the wrapping of Segura or any fighter's hands for that matter. And it is the GAB, who should implement something with regards to this, anything that regards to this. The ring is a level playing field for two fighters. It is assumed that both will be adhering to the laws of fairness and equity before they lay a hand on the other. It is but proper that the rules of this game are applied to its utmost capacity. Any doubt and any questions should all be addressed and answered before the opening bell is rung. If not, no amount of explanation will suffice after. Not even, if they were just rumors and hearsays afterwards. The GAB must show beforehand that it intends to do its role as the governing body of this fight. Viloria's camp must make this a pressing issue. Our media should make this an important subject of discussion. Even if such actions will be perceived as overkill by some. Even if such attention will be a source of joke in the future. It does not matter. Anything that ensures the health and wellbeing of our boxers and the integrity of our sport will never be overkill or a joke in my book. You can reach Rich Mazon at rrmaze24@aol.com for any reactions regarding this column. Click here for a complete listing of columns by this author. Click here for a complete listing of this author's articles from different news sources. |
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