If there is a high-profile fighter in the sport in the search of redemption it very well could be Antonio Margarito for various reasons. The Tijuana native is coming off of a brutal 9th round stoppage loss to Shane Mosley on January 24th of 2009 but that was only one of the black clouds that would hover over him on that night. Moments before entering the ring Margarito was found to have elements of plaster of paris in his hand wraps and shortly afterwards by the California State Athletic Commission for a year. Fans and insiders of the sport instantly questioned the validity of Margarito?s previous wins with many also tagging him with the harsh label of a cheater.
It certainly was a huge blow to a fighter who had endeared himself to the boxing world through his exciting style and sheer will in the past few years. While certainly not the flashiest fighter around Margarito got by on his tenacity, aggression, and punishing attack inside of the ropes. His victories over the likes of Antonio Diaz, Kermit Cintron, and Miguel Cotto were all impressive and even in losing to Paul Williams in July of 2007 his stock didn?t fall too hard due to the competitiveness of their clash.
This Saturday night Margarito will make his return to the ring against Roberto Garcia as the headlining bout for Latin Fury 14 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. For Margarito a return to the ring may be just what he needs to get his life back in order. For many pugilists the squared circle serves as somewhat of a safe haven and for the first time in nearly sixteen months Margarito?s skills as a fighter, not the constant drama surrounding him, will be on full display.
The path to redemption is rarely easy and Margarito?s first step back begins this weekend.
Insiders speak on Margarito?s return
Despite the hype surrounding last weekend?s Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as well as this weekend?s Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron clash, Margarito?s comeback to the sport is still a hot topic amongst boxing circles.
I reached out to some boxing minds to get their thoughts on what Margarito?s return means to the sport, their initial thoughts on the black cloud that has surrounded him since the hand-wrapping incident, and whether or not he will ever be able to redeem himself to the boxing public. This is what everyone had to say…
Ryan Songalia, feature writer for Boxing Scene ?I’ve always thought that Margarito was what he was, a tough, hard-working brawler that depended on being resilient and better conditioned than his opponent. It worked with guys like Cintron and Antonio Diaz but the tougher, more durable fighters like Paul Williams were able to outlast him.
[Regarding the plaster of paris incident], I was in complete disbelief. For years I was one of Margarito’s biggest detractors but I begrudgingly gave him his “due” respect after the Cotto fight. All of that went out the window with the scandal.
People didn’t forgive Pete Rose or Barry Bonds because both failed to come clean in a timely manner. Margarito’s insistence that he did no wrong and trying to shift blame to his now former trainer only hurts his credability further.
Arum seems intent on putting him in with Pacquiao. That would be his best financial option but realistic, that’s a 5 round fight at best. I think the punishment Mosley laid on him has damaged him irreparably. He must have had some serious confidence issues if he had to resort to illegal plaster wraps and I doubt he’d be able to get away with it again. I have some doubts as to whether TV would want him back but who knows how low that ethical bar is at the moment.?
?Iceman? John Scully, former title challenger and current day trainer ?Before the handwrap incident I was very impressed with him. When I heard about the handwrap incident I was suprised and felt that if he did in fact use illegal wraps then he should be punished….it drew a cloud over his career even tough there is absolutely no way to prove he ever did it before.
I think if he comes back and fights a top guy and wins impressively as he had done so many times before it will reinstate people’s faith in him. Obviously all eyes will be on him from this moment on so he knows he has to do everything by the book and if he wins big under those circumstances over a good name then I think he’ll be right back in the mix. People will want to see what he can do with a Berto.?
Ramon Aranda, Boxing editor for for 411mania ?Before the incident, I had Margarito at the top of my welterweight rankings. I was glad to see that after all the hard work, he had finally gotten the respect and praise he dreamed of with the win over Cotto. It appeared that he would be the new bearer of the adulation from Mexico – he would be their new hero.
When it was revealed he had been caught, and I was at ringside for his fight with Mosley, it got a sick feeling in my stomach. It’s pretty shocking when someone you feel that highly about is suddenly thrust into a controversial situation. You then think back to his wins over Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron and wonder if he loaded up as well.
As for his future, as much as I liked him on a personal level, I just can’t condone his return to the ring. He can say he didn’t know about the wraps all he wants but I just cannot believe that. To answer your question, I don’t think he can recover and overcome the damage that has been done to his career. A dark cloud will loom over him anytime he fights and the media and fans have turned their backs on him…justifiably?
David Avila, West Coast Bureau Chief for The Sweet Science… ?I’ve known Antonio Margarito for more than a decade. He’s a very good guy and very loyal to his friends. He is also very playful. Doesn’t have a mean heart.
The first thing I thought when it was revealed that he used illegal hand wraps, and I say it again, illegal hand wraps, because loaded gloves mean something else. There was not a hard object inserted in his glove like most people think. I felt the illegal pad. Believe me, it was no concrete. It felt like a old sweaty towel that was crusted. The first thing I thought is trainer Javier Capetillo ignored the rules. He’s that kind of guy. I don’t know if it was intentional but it wasn’t unexpected.
I think Margarito can overcome the damage. The people that are jumping on him are not his fans. All he has to do is win. Most of the people that want him banned seem to be those that didn’t like him in the first place. If he were caught doing something illegal again then he should be banned.?
Gabriel Montoya, feature writer for MaxBoxing… ?I always thought Margarito was as solid fighter, underrated. I never understood why he didn?t get more exposure on HBO or Showtime. He was always all action. When Floyd declined to fight him I was disappointed for the sport. I thought it would have been a very good fight at that time. I felt he, not Baldomir, should have taken on Floyd. He had beaten top 10-20 ranked fighters and done so impressively. The Santos fights at 154 were an anomaly. Bad style matchups. And Tony was coming on late in that second one before the head butt. For the record, I picked Margarito to beat Mosley.
[Regarding the hand wrapping incident], I tried to stay open minded. I think that?s important as a writer. I was ringside when the news hit. Someone texted me who was watching HBO. Through this whole process, covering the CSAC hearings, I have never been able to discern if Tony knew or not. Foul play was committed but we will never know the extent of the plot barring outright confessions or someone coming forward.
I think it?s a sad thing to have happened to such a good career. While I tend to believe Margarito based on how the inserts were hidden and what I have heard or know about Javier Capetillo, his former trainer, I am not crazy about how Top Rank has handled bringing Margarito back while not taking the time to go before the CSAC and ask for reinstatement of his license. I understand part of their reasoning but it reeks as far as the fans are concerned and I don?t blame them for feeling that way.
Maybe he can get back some of the fans he lost. But naysayers? No way. Maybe if he knocks out everyone from here on out. But that?s unlikely and standard we don?t hold anyone else to so it?s unfair. Time will tell but I think a cloud of suspicion and whispers figure largely in Margarito?s future endeavors.
I think all Margarito?s roads lead to Manny Pacquiao. Top Rank seems to be leading that way and as long as Pacquiao won?t take Mayweather?s blood tests any closer than 24 days out from the fight, and as along as Floyd keeps making that demand, Manny vs. Floyd will never happen. So, Margarito vs. Pacquiao seems a natural considering they are both Top Rank fighters in need of opponents.
At the same time, if Tony looks good at 154, he could campaign there. It?s a wide open division.?
For a picture by picture look at some of the telling moments surrounding Antonio Margarito and his well documented career please click on the collages below?
