Antonio Margarito Makes Ring Return Against Roberto Garcia -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Mexico's three-time, former welterweight champion, Antonio Margarito, will be returning from a more than year-long ring absence on May 8 stemming from a suspension when competes in a 10-round, junior middleweight (154 pounds) fight against Texas toughman, Roberto "La Amenza" Garcia as the headline to Top Rank Promotion's Latin Fury 14 in Aguascalientes, Mex.

The 32-year-old Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs), of Tijuana, was suspended for at least a year by the California State Athletic Commission after being dethroned as WBA super world welterweight (147 pounds) champion following his ninth-round knockout loss to 38-year-old Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) on Jan. 24, 2009, and has been unsuccessful in attempts to regain his license with the CSAC and U.S. commissions overall.

The ring banishment of Margarito (pictured above, with Mosley) was the result of Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, discovering that the hard-punching Mexican's fist wrappings included a plaster-like substance.

Unable to return to the ring for the undercard of the March 13, Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey undercard, Margarito was initially expected to return to the ring against Oklahoma City resident Carson Jones (26-7-1, 15 KOs).

But on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Margarito will, instead, face the 29-year-old Garcia (28-2, 21 KOs), a native of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mex. who resides in Weslaco, Tex., and who is riding a five-year, 14-bout unbeaten streak that includes 10 knockouts.

Margarito-Garcia will be broadcast live on pay per view starting at 9 p.m. East Coast Time, and, 6 p.m., West Coast Time from Aguascalientes, which will be celebrating the San Marcos Fair.

The bout's undercard will feature 30-year-old WBA interim super featherweight (130 pounds) champion, Jorge Solis (38-2-2), of Guadalajara, Mex., defending his crown against Puerto Rico's former world title challenger, Mario Santiago (21-2-1, 14 KOs), of Ponce, as well as undefeated NABF lightweight titlist, Brandon Rios (24-0-1, 17 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., defending against former interim world champ, Urbano Antillion (27-1, 20 KOs), of Maywood, Calif.

Flyweight sensation Alfonso López (3-0, two KOs), of Mexico City, Mex., who is the son of legendary world champion, Ricardo López, will be making his pay per view debut.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com