Mexican prize fighter Antonio Margarito gained admiration and a big fan base over the years through hard work, a good story, and relentless wars in the ring. This pretty much came to an end when he was caught cheating by putting plaster on his hands, a dirty trick that could have killed Miguel Cotto.
There are mixed feelings about Margarito’s return to the ring, some feel as if he deserves another chance, and some that feel as if he should never step foot in a boxing ring again. When I spoke to “Sugar” Shane Mosley about this topic, I asked him if there was any chance that Margarito may not have known what was going on. Mosley immediately said, “No chance of that. You know what is going on your hands when you’re being wrapped.” I asked a few other professional boxers, and all of them said the same thing that Mosley said.
Does the punishment fit the crime? Should Margarito be banned for life? The act of cheating is bad enough, but when that act can kill someone does it not warrant a lifetime ban? For those who feel that Margarito should get another chance, they feel as if he’s paid for his crime and now he should be left alone.
So I guess the next question that I have is if they are going to let Margarito fight again, does the guy deserve a shot at the pound for pound king, and the money that comes along with that fight? I believe that a Margarito fight against Pacquiao would provide more of an exciting fight than a Cotto rematch would, but I don’t believe that he deserves this opportunity. People can agree to disagree with me on this one, but I truly believe that Margarito could have killed Miguel Cotto that night.
Boxing is a brutal sport when you’re not cheating. There is only one motive in doing such a thing. The only reason someone would do such a thing is to maximize and or to increase the damage to the opponents head and face. Fighters have fallen in the past, and have been killed by fighters using legal gloves, and who did not cheat. The odds of killing an opponent dramatically rise when someone puts plaster on their hands. This is a disgusting act, and one that should never be forgotten.
Read up on Peter Czymbor’s latest here – http://www.examiner.com/x-34564-New-England-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m7d21-Mayweather-Maneuvers-Around-Opponents
It sure would be nice if Floyd Mayweather Jr would sign that contract. It would immediately remove Margarito out of the picture. If it’s not going to Mayweather, I guess Miguel Cotto should get the rematch. Cotto is a class act guy and has done nothing wrong. Cotto fought like a warrior against Pacquiao in their first match, so the moral thing to do is to give him his chance at a rematch. The closest Margarito should be allowed to Pacquiao is by watching him on TV fight someone else.
