The New York State Athletic Commission decided this afternoon to postpone the decision to grant Antonio Margarito a license to fight in NY.
Chair Melvina Lathan, and deputies Edwin Torres and Tom Santino, after a public session, convened behind closed door and came back with an announcement that they want Margarito to submit to an exam by a doctor chosen by the commision to receive a license.
Top Rank head Bob Arum had an inkling that the ruling would go against Margarito, after a Wednesday session which featured for and against testimony from various doctors, he told Sports Illustrateds’ Chris Mannix on Thursday. He told Dan Rafael after that he’s OK with the exam. The commission said that they’d like Margarito to decide if he wants to submit to the exam within one hour.
Texas would seem to be the odds on favorite to land the rematch of the 2008 bout, if Top Rank decides to move the fight, and not prolong the licensing issue, or if the boxer flunks the proposed exam. But as of now, NY is still the site for the rematch.
The boxer received a license to fight Manny Pacquiao there in November 2010 following the January 2009 disclosure that he attempted to use hardened hand wraps for his scheduled fight with Shane Mosley.
