Antonio Margarito may never have been the most talented of athletes but the Tijuana fighter has shown several qualities during his career that are essential towards success in the sport boxing. A rock iron chin, relentless pressure and ability to break his opponents down with an accumulation of punishment often made up for what he lacked in athleticism or skill and the fact that he was able to lay claim to a portion of the welterweight crown on three separate occasions says a lot about his temperament.
Last Saturday night all of Margarito?s best assets were on display against Manny Pacquiao in Arlington, Texas but unfortunately for him they did him little good as he was outclassed and punished over twelve lopsided rounds. When the final bell had rung Margarito came away putting up a valiant effort but one in which he took a serious amount of punishment while suffering a broken orbital bone. Scores of 120-108, 119-109, and 118-108 were all read for Pacquiao as the Filipino star captured a title in an eighth weight class while Margarito was left to ponder his own career.
When thinking of Margarito there are several telling images that come to mind.
He won his first world title in March of 2002 by outlasting game by limited Antonio Diaz in a punishing battle at Bally?s in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight was competitive early on before Margarito began to physically impose himself on the naturally smaller man over the second half of the fight.
Two years later Margarito engaged in a sloppy fight with Daniel Santos in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico in which he suffered a cut over his right eye after an accidental clash of heads, forcing the bout to the cards in the tenth round. Margarito would lose a technical decision in his attempt to win the WBO junior middleweight crown and opted to move back down to 147 pounds.
His two wins over Kermit Cintron were some of his finest work as he walked through powerful bombs from the Puerto Rican before breaking his will and making him fold on both occasions. Seeing Cintron have better success against nearly every other opponent he has stepped into the ring with is a testament to how much he was bothered by Margarito?s grinding attack.
In July of 2007 Margarito suffered a bitter defeat when he went up against the non-stop attack of Paul ?The Punisher? Williams in Carson City, California. Margarito gave away many of the early rounds before stepping up his game and turning the fight around late as he ultimately dropped a close decision.
One year later he produced the most impressive performance of his career when he halted Puerto Rico?s Miguel Cotto in the 11th round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cotto got off to a fast start but the fight changed in the mid rounds as Margarito broke through and began to break him down with a steady stream of punches. Cotto was dropped twice and refused to fight on as referee Kenny Bayless waived the contest off. It was a glorious moment for Antonio.
Images: Bloody pictures of Margarito during his loss to Pacquiao
Six months later Margarito found himself wrapped up in controversy as elements of Plaster of Paris were found in his hand wraps prior to his January 2009 fight with Shane Mosley. Margarito would end up losing a brutal ninth round stoppage to Mosley and was subsequently suspended by the California State Athletic Commission weeks later, with his career now the subject of much ridicule and mockery.
It seemed uncertain whether Margarito would ever be on the big stage again but he served his suspension and after Pacquiao had another fallout with Las Vegas-based Floyd Mayweather months back, promoter Bob Arum turned his sights to Margarito as a replacement to face off with his star fighter. Pacquiao-Margarito wasn?t the consensus choice of those within the sport but the fight became more welcomed as the weeks went by and the lead up to the contest was chalked full of intertwining storylines and trash talks from both camps.
Inside of the ring Margarito could do little to deter Pacquiao, who floated effortlessly and seemed to almost tag Margarito at will. Margarito was seriously hurt in the 4th round and found a way to stun Pacquiao in the sixth but outside of those telling moments it was simply a systematic and drawn out beating.
Margarito?s surgery to repair his orbital bone went well and he will now be out another six months to let the injury heal. He showed a lot of heart despite his loss and he full intends to fight again. He will be 33 years old the next time he sets foot inside of a ring but he likely has at least a few more spirited battles left in him.
Arum is reportedly keen on making Margarito-Cotto II sometime this summer in New York but the Puerto Rican bomber could be facing the stiff challenge of young upstart Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. sometime in March. A Cotto-Chavez bout would likely land in either New York or Las Vegas and would be far from a lock for Cotto, the reigning WBA junior middleweight champion, as Chavez is now working with trainer Freddie Roach and has shown great strides thus far.
If the Cotto rematch can?t be made there are still some interesting fights for Margarito. Former champion Joshua Clottey, who lost to Pacquiao in March, said he is moving up to 154 pounds for his next fight and is in search of some redemption himself. Margarito decisioned Clottey years back in a fight that was more competitive than expected and a rematch could tell us exactly how much each man might have left at this point.
I personally feel that a clash with come backing James Kirkland would be an eye-pleasing affair but the Austin, Texas brawler has ties to Golden Boy Promotions, who are currently in a bit of a standoff with Top Rank, Margarito?s promoter.
Regardless of what you think of Margarito?s actions in relation to the hand wrap scandal or his lack of talent as a fighter, you can?t deny that he is effective at what he does while making for his share of interesting fights. His time isn?t quite over yet and in half a year we will have a better gauge on what is next for Antonio Margarito.
Speaking of Margarito, I recently caught up with boxing historian Bert Sugar, who talked openly about the fight last weekend as well as Saturday night?s Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams clash. To hear all of Sugar?s thoughts please click HERE
