July 26, 2008, Antonio Margarito had just applied a pressure filled attack over eleven rounds weathering a boxing clinic, to force Miguel Cotto into submission to obtain the big stage victory he had sought for years.
Jim Lampley: Antonio Margarito has the victory he has been waiting for all his life.
Max Kellerman: That, was a modern boxing classic.
Jim Lampley: An epic fight, with an epic conclusion.
Max Kellerman: Jim, you said it. It went from an exhibition of skill to an exhibition of will.
It should have ended with that. A great fight between two hungry rising stars continuing the Puerto Rico-Mexico rivalry. A momentum swinging boxer?s brawl that had a dramatic ending. For six months after the fight it stayed that way. Then everything changed when Shane Mosley?s trainer, Nazim Richardson noticed a strange pad within Margarito?s hand wraps. Richardson ordered the wraps be redone and the pad was confiscated by the California boxing commission.
The rest is well known history. Margarito went on to be destroyed by Mosley and his knuckle pads went to a lab, where it was found that they had substances that make plaster of paris. But while the events of the night in California are known, a cloud of suspicion hangs over the Cotto-Margarito fight. What should have gone down as a classic fight is heavily tainted, as everyone speculates if Margarito had the illegal knuckle pads against Cotto and how much those pads played a role in his taking down the Puerto Rican star.
The first go round between these two was the fight that more than any other inspired me to start using my love of writing in the field of the sweet science. I had so much to say afterwards, I began writing a blog on my gym website and have not looked back. Except I often look back to that fight with so many questions.
I once considered it a great comeback from Margarito, to overcome the more talented boxer and prevail with pure heart and determination along with an iron chin. I wrote at the time that I was amazed by Margarito?s ability to take so much punishment and still move forward with heavy hands. I described him as the bad terminator in the second installment of the classic movies as he walked forward being shot by Cotto but healing instantly and hitting back harder. Now I question if it was heavy hands or plaster.
I remember after the fight seeing Cotto?s absurdly bruised and bloodied face and feeling bad for him, which is something a boxing fan should not admit amongst the machismo fight crowd. But the punishment was beyond belief, even in this sport. Now I ask, what was the real cause of Cotto?s re-arranged facial features.
Why did the Boricua bomber, who was known for backing up all his opponents forcing them into submission, have the tables turned. Did he finally meet his match or was he illegally destroyed by illegal knuckle pads.
