Mexican-born Antonio Margarito
scored a first-round knockdown, benefited from two points being deducted from his opponent, and roundly won Saturday night's 10-round, unanimous decision over Roberto "La Amenza" Garcia in a junior middleweight (154 pounds) clash before more than 17,000 at the 17,900 capacity La Feria de San Marcos , in Aguascalientes, Mex.,Margarito won 100-88, 99-90, and, 99-89, on the three judges' cards, meaning that he lost only a combined two rounds over the course of the bout.
In victory, the 32-year-old Margarito improved to 38-6, with 27 knockouts, while the 30-year-old Garcia (28-3, 21 KOs) -- who was twice penalized for head butts -- had a five-year, 14-bout unbeaten streak ended that had included 10 knockouts.The performance ended a more than one-year ring absence for Margarito, who had been suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley dethroned him as WBA champion.
Margarito's ring exile resulted from Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson's discovery that the Mexican's fist wrappings included a plaster-like substance that was subsequently removed and confiscated prior to the fight.
With promoter, Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, being a chief support, Margarito has a number of options.
The best of the scenarios involves a potential match up opposite seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), who is the current WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion.
Reached in the Philippines where he is supporting Pacquiao during his run for congress, Arum told Nancy Gay of FanHouse that Margarito's rustiness in the fight was "expected."
"I think he looked rusty after 15 months, and he needed to fight," said Arum. "He needed the fight under his belt after the long absence."
Margarito has fought in California more than a dozen times during his career, but was unable to return to the ring for the undercard of Pacquiao's, March 13, unanimous decision victory over Joshua Clottey, at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium for a proposed bout against Oklahoma City resident Carson Jones (26-7-1, 15 KOs).
Arum believes, however, that Margarito's next fight "will be in the United States," mentioning that he hoped "to get Margarito licensed in various states, as he should be," such as "Nevada, or Texas, one of those places."
Arum said that a Pacquiao-Margarito fight would sell out Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where some 51,000 witnessed Pacquiao-Clottey.
"The most significant thing was the Mexican crowd, and how they greeted him," Arum said of Margarito's return against Garcia. "I think that any commission in the United States to whom he applies for a license will have to take that into account."
There is the chance, perhaps, to face the winner of a June 5 WBA junior middleweight title bout between former three-time world champion Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) and champion, Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs) to be fought at the new Yankees Stadium in New York.
Another potential fight involves a rematch with Lou DiBella-promoted, southpaw WBC junior middleweight king, Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs), whom Margarito knocked out in the seventh round in February of 2000.
Martinez is coming off of last month's unanimous decision over Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs), whom he dethroned as WBO and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) champion.
"Antonio wants Pacquiao. That's all that he talks about," said Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia, who is not related to Roberto Garcia. "Antonio wants it. The fans want it. We are ready right now."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
No comments:
Post a Comment