The latest chapter in the annals of "Crime Does Pay" stars boxer Antonio Margarito, who in his last major fight earned $2.3 million in losing to Shane Mosley. That was after his hands were illegally wrapped to include hardened plaster of Paris designed to inflict maximum damage on Mosley's person.
Fortunately, the performance-enhancing substance was discovered by an official before Margarito stepped into Los Angeles' Staples Center ring on that January night in 2009. On an even playing field, it was Mosley, the underdog, who turned Margarito into a punching bag. The fight ended in the ninth round with Margarito bruised and battered and on his way to being suspended from the sport.
The California State Athletic Commission revoked Margarito's license for a minimum of one year, then denied him after a subsequent hearing three months ago when he reapplied for a license. Both times the California commission rejected Margarito's claim that he was unaware the wrap contained an illegal substance. It had been placed there, Margarito said at both hearings, by his since-deposed trainer. 
Nevada, based on the California rulings, wouldn't even consider allowing Margarito to fight. But then up stood Texas, an apparent right-to-box state, and welcomed Margarito with open arms and without the formality of a pesky hearing. The lone decision-maker, William Kuntz, executive director of Texas' regulation and licensing department, concluded the California commission never found that Margarito knew his hands were armed with an illegal substance. "They found he should have known," Kuntz said in granting a license. 60,000-plus expected
And so on Saturday night, Margarito will meet Manny Pacquiao for the World Boxing Council's vacant 154-pound title in the second-ever main event at Cowboys Stadium. Promoter Bob Arum is expecting more than 60,000 paying customers. Arum and HBO's pay-per-view division believe it is not unreasonable to expect in the neighborhood of 1 million buys that would produce about $50 million.
That is considerably more than the 700,000 buys that generated $35.3 million when Pacquiao dismantled lesser-known Joshua Clottey at the first Cowboys Stadium boxing extravaganza in March. After all, Margarito's popularity in the Hispanic community, his boxing skills thought to be far superior to Clottey's and his notoriety are worth something.
For his participation, Margarito can earn a purse of as much as $6 million. A nice bump from $2.3 million.
To be sure, Pacquiao views Margarito as little more than a speed bump in his quest for a world title in an eighth weight class. And whatever baggage Margarito carries into the ring, he is expected to bring something to Cowboys Stadium that Clottey did not: an offense, a willingness to attack and not just survive until the final bell.
In the weeks leading to the fight, Margarito has steadfastly claimed he was not party to the loading of his gloves, which may be the most heinous crime in boxing.
"People can think what they want," he said through an interpreter while appearing on HBO's 24/7, a reality series whose goal is to build interest in the fight. "I didn't know what was in those infamous wrappings. The important thing is I am coming back."
His ex-trainer, Javier Capetillo, backed the boxer at the California athletic commission's initial hearing a month after Margarito was caught red-handed. But he has been silent since.
'Of course he knew'
Pacquiao laughed long and hard when asked at an early September news conference at Cowboys Stadium if it was remotely possible that an experienced fighter could not know there was a foreign object on his glove.
"Not possible," Pacquiao said. "Only in the movies. ... Of course he knew."
For his part, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said he was "100 percent certain a fighter would definitely know."
So why would Pacquiao, who has a squeaky-clean past and has evolved into boxing's biggest attraction, agree to fight Margarito?
Well, for one thing, Pacquiao's camp has been unable to agree to terms with Floyd Mayweather, considered the best and most lucrative possible opponent. For another, Margarito has a solid history in the ring and has the ability to attract boxing's most rabid followers, his fellow Mexicans. And most important, Pacquiao and Roach believe he is eminently beatable.
"We have to give him a chance to recover his character," Pacquiao said.
Even though the light middleweight maximum is 154 pounds, both fighters agreed that the maximum either could weigh at Friday's weigh-in will be 150 pounds. That's a concession to Pacquiao, who has never fought above 147 pounds, and then only one time, against Clottey. Margarito weighed in at 154 pounds when he fought for the WBO version of the light middleweight title in 2004. At 5-11, he is 4½ inches taller than Pacquiao and has a six-inch reach advantage.
"Size doesn't win fights," Roach said. "Skills do. I don't see this as a tough fight at all."
In addition to Pacquiao's superior speed, Roach promises meticulous attention to detail.
After he wraps Pacquiao's hands before they slide into their gloves, Roach promises to watch new trainer Robert Garcia wrap Margarito's hands.
"I don't trust anyone," Roach said. "There is no way he can get away with anything with me."
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Source: dallasnews.com
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