The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), when it sentenced Antonio Margarito to a minimum one year ban for the now infamous Plaster of Paris inserts last year, knew that it could turn out to be a lifetime sentence in the United States because no other states (including Texas and Nevada) seem willing to license him without California doing it first.
On Friday, Nevada told Margarito (4-1) to go back to California. Previously Texas, without a formal hearing, told him the same thing when Margarito didn’t complete his application. Promoter Bob Arum tried to get Margarito on the March card in Texas between Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey to set up Pacquiao vs. Margarito. Arum knew back then a Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather fight was going to be difficult to make.
There seems to be something else behind the reasoning of California possibly rejecting another Margarito appeal. I don’t know who is actually afraid of whom between the CSAC and Margarito. But it certainly goes back to the night of January 24, 2009 when Margarito was stopped by Shane Mosley at the Los Angeles Staples Center via 9th round TKO.
It all has to do with the start of the fight being delayed when Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson demanded that Margarito’s hands be re-taped and an illegal insert appeared without Margarito or his trainer Javier Capetillo knowing how it got there.
Dean Lohuis, the long-time California state inspector, who was on site that evening was responsible for securing the evidence. He has since been fired. Was the chain of command broken that night, making the evidence against Margarito tarnished?
I’m way ahead of myself but if California doesn’t have the proof or it’s tarnished, they might have to let Margarito get his license back for that reason alone and wouldn’t that be embarrassing?
OPINIONS
Mike G, Addison: “CSAC is playing politics. Even if Margarito is guilty it still has to set a firm punishment because it’s disrupting commerce.”
El Pelon, Uptown Dallas: “I have to take a hard stance on this one. California obviously has the evidence and Margarito should pay the penalty whatever it ends up being.”
Sonny, North Dallas: “If he really cheated, you have to throw the book at him. I have no problem with Nevada denying him a license. He has to go to California and plead his innocence.”
