When it was all said and done, after much debate and consternation, the December 3rd bout between Antonio Margarito and WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto- the grudge match of the year- will take place at the very same venue where it was scheduled from the very beginning, the famed and newly renovated Madison Square Garden. For about a week or so, it seemed as if the New York State Athletic Commission was intent on putting the kibosh on this fight, with concerns over the condition of Margarito?s right eye, which went through multiple surgeries in the wake of his bout last November versus Manny Pacquiao.
On Tuesday afternoon, after Margarito was flown in from Mexico to undergo examinations from a doctor selected by the NYSAC on Monday, he was given the green light to face Cotto in their jurisdiction.
Of this ordeal, where Top Rank was left in limbo and forced to make contingency plans, including possibly staging the fight in Denver or Phoenix, a beleaguered yet relieved Bob Arum told Maxboxing, ?It?s been terrible. It?s been very, very hard. Hard on everybody and we?ve lost a lot of time that we could?ve devoted to promoting. But people tell me that THIS was the promotion what happened and it?s been better than what else we could?ve been doing. I don?t know, probably so. It?s a big fight. [HBO?s] ?24/7? was incredible. The next ?24/7? is going to be like the most amazing one that they have ever had but it?s just a strain on all of us, a strain on Antonio, flying him in from Mexico on a Sunday, putting him through two eye examinations on Monday.
?But he?s a trooper,? the promoter continued. ?I?m grateful to him and I know he?s grateful to us because we not only stood by him through thick and thin, the California thing and now the eye thing. But more importantly, we got him the best treatment for his eye, which is the most important thing with Dr. [Alan] Crandall at the Moran Eye Institute and we?re very fond of ?Tony.??
Hours before the NYSAC made its decision, Cotto caused a bit of a stir by stating to reporters that it was Big Apple-or-bust as it related to staging this fight. Yeah, it kinda caught Arum by surprise. ?If I knew he was going to make a statement like that, you think I would?ve had a conference call?!?
The question must be asked: Is Margarito?s eye fit to fight?
