This Thursday could be the day when the boxing commission in Texas decides whether it will license former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito.
If, with his one year illegal handwraps suspension from California having ended, Texas decides to not OK “Margocheato” then promoter Top Rank will go into a contingency plan to reignite the Tijuana boxer’s stalled career.
If there is a need to steer clear of Texas for the time being, Top Rank may bring back Manny Pacquiao’s friend and former opponent David Diaz. The plucky battler from Chicago, who is a former lightweight champion, would fight Mexico hardman Humberto Soto on the Joshua Clottey-Pacman undercard at Cowboys Stadium on March 13.
Arum would then set up a Margarito comeback bout in Mexico for May 8 and have Soto and Diaz fight for an interim world title on the big show at Jerry Jones’ football playpen.
“We should know something on Thursday, I hope,” Arum said by phone from his Las Vegas lair Sunday. “David and Humberto could be a very good fight also.”
Margarito was scheduled to fight Oklahoman Carson Jones.
It’s no secret that, if he can revive Margarito, Arum would like to match him up against the Pinoy Idol.
Reuters Photo
Margarito and his then trainer, Javier Capetillo, were both supsended by California when ever alert Sugar Shane Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson “blew the whistle” on the illegal wraps he spotted while watching Margarito get taped up before he went out and lost a onesided bout to Mosley.
Margarito, as I revealed here weeks ago, split with Capetillo and is now training with former world junior lightweight champ Robert Garcia in Oxnard.
The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), which has no real enforcement powers, sent an advisory letter to Dickie Cole at the Texas boxing board advising that Maragrito’s license application should be carefully considered due to the reason for the suspension after the Los Angeles bout.
With the California suspension lapsing, any commission is free to license or to reject an application from Margarito.
Capetillo is training boxers and working corners in his native Mexico.
