Manny Pacquiao Would Fight Antonio Margarito 'Outside of U.S.' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao would consider fighting WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) king Miguel Cotto or ex-world champion Antonio Margarito in a clash outside of the United States if a mega bout can't be made with undefeated welterweight (147 pounds) rival Floyd Mayweather, the Filipino titlist's adviser, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse on Friday.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 39 knockouts) has agreed in principle to put his WBO welterweight belt on the line against Mayweather, having given his unbeaten counterpart until mid-July -- or next weekend -- to sign the contract, Koncz said.

If agreed upon, Mayweather-Pacquiao would likely take place in Las Vegas on the proposed date of Nov. 13.

In the meantime, Koncz has begun to consider a rematch with Puerto Rico's Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) -- whom Pacquiao dethroned as WBO welterweight champ by 12th-round knockout in November -- or a match up opposite Mexico's Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs).

Margarito, however, still is not legal to fight in America, this after his boxing license was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission following an illegal hand-wrapping scandal in January 2009. Margarito is coming off of May's 10-round, unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in a junior middleweight clash that was fought in Mexico, which licensed him for the bout.

"As a matter of fact, we are looking at a venue outside of the U.S., and it doesn't make a difference whether it's Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto. It's not Mexico, but until I have a concrete deal in place, I don't want to divulge what country that is," said Koncz.

"But we're waiting on our options with Floyd Mayweather before considering either of those two as opponents," said Koncz. "And we have not made a decision as to whether Manny would be going to fight Cotto or Margarito."

Margarito had been suspended until Feb. 11 by the CSAC after a ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley in January 2009 dethroned him as WBA champion. Prior to the bout, Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, discovered that the Mexican's fist wrappings included a plaster-like substance that was subsequently removed and confiscated.

On Friday, Margarito (pictured at right) unsuccessfully applied for a license in Nevada, whose state athletic commission ruled that he must re-apply in California before attempting to fight anywhere in the United States.

Margarito testified to the NSAC that he had no knowledge of the wrappings -- instead blaming his trainer, Javier Capetillo, for the illegal substance in his gloves.

"The decision that the commission made on Margarito has a small bearing, obviously, in that it just eliminates Nevada from the picture," Koncz said. "But it doesn't eliminate a possible fight with Manny. If Manny decides to fight Margarito, just because he got denied in Nevada -- that's not going to squash the fight."

Koncz is in Puerto Rico in support of challenger Bernabe Concepcion, who will try to dethrone WBO featherweight (126 pounds) champion Juan Manuel Lopez there on Saturday night. While in Puerto Rico, Koncz said that he met with Cotto on Monday and discussed a potential rematch with Pacquiao.

"In a nutshell, I had a casual dinner with Miguel and Brian, Miguel's translator, who were both there. Some of it was just bull**** talk, and then, the rest was about the question of doing the rematch with Manny. That's the extent of what I want to reveal of our conversation," said Koncz.

"The question was whether Miguel is interested in a rematch with Manny, and the answer from Miguel was 'yes.' The rest of the conversation is private," said Koncz. "We agreed that we wouldn't talk publicly or disclose what else we had talked about."

Asked if he was expecting Mayweather to sign the contract for a bout with Pacquiao, Koncz said, "Read between the lines."

"If we thought that we were going to receive a contract next week, do you think that I would be looking around to see what our options are? Probably not. So we're considering all of our options because, in another week, we don't want to be caught with our pants down," said Koncz.

"If the fight is made with Floyd, and if he signs the contract, then so be it. And if he doesn't sign it, we're not sitting around waiting, as I have said many times," said Koncz. "So we're preparing to move on, looking at our options in the event that we don't receive a contract from Floyd next week."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Margarito rolls snake eyes, do we get stuck with Cotto-Pacquiao rehash? -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

Exalting form over substance, the Nevada State Athletic Commission tabled the boxing license application of Mexican Antonio Maragrito Friday.

President Obama was in Las Vegas but, evidently, is not taking any position on this vital matter. Bam Bam was there to push for Congress to inject more money into “green energy” projects and to hold some fundraisers for Sen. Harry Reid.

The NSAC vote was 4-1 to defer the “Margocheato” request. The commission said that Margarito should go before the Calfornia commission, which handed him a one year boxing ban after he was caught in the dressing room before his loss to Shane Mosley with illegally loaded handwraps.

Margarito promoter Bob Arum has been as stubborn as a mule in steering the fighter, whose suspension time is over in the Golden State, everywhere but California.

There was an aborted application in Texas and now this fumble in Nevada. But note Nevada's deferral of his application was procedural and never got to the merits.

If Margarito goes hat in hand, as I've often suggested to California and gets their nod, you can bet his second appearance in Nevada will be successful.

Let's hope King Floyd Maywweather deigns by July 17 (next Saturday) to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 or else Arum will reheat and rehash Pacman-Miguel Cotto.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Haye bananas to snub split -- The Sun

By FRANK WARREN, The Sun

AMERICAN TV paymasters HBO have pulled the plug on heavyweight boxing.
They say not enough people are interested in the States.

It is a blow to the division and especially to the Klitschko brothers, who have benefited most from the broadcasters' money.

Yet they will not be on the breadline just yet. Their fights in Germany attract crowds in excess of 60,000, as well as getting massive viewing figures on German TV.

The only way HBO will reverse their decision is if one of the Klitschkos fights David Haye or an American star hits the scene.

At the moment, neither seems likely.

Both Vitali and Wladimir want the Haye fight but it looks like The Haye-maker is stalling. This week he said he would not bow to the brothers' unreasonable financial demands.

It appears the nub of their dispute is how television money should be split.

Haye wants all the British TV revenue and says the Klitschkos can keep all the German cash. But the Klitschkos want 50-50 across the board.

It does not seem a huge stumbling block to me, as that was the deal when Ricky Hatton fought Manny Pacquiao.

The Klitschkos are the bigger draw and Haye, if he wants the fight, should cede some ground.

After all, he has agreed to fight both brothers for less money in the past only to back out.

Haye also has only one of the world titles, with the brothers holding the other three. I don't see where else he is going to get a better offer.

Another problem is that German outfit Sauerland Promotions have a stake in Haye's next two fights, while Golden Boy also say they have the US rights to represent Haye there.

Kalle Sauerland said: "David is keen on fighting one of the Klitschko brothers. But the devil is in the financial details."

So what is Haye's next move? There was talk of a fight with Audley Harrison. But Haye poured cold water on the match by stating he would 'never' share a ring with Harrison because Audley did not deserve the chance.

A lot of people, me included, will agree. The question is, who will be in the opposite corner to Haye in November?

Source: thesun.co.uk

Margarito's plans stymied by tabling -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito's plans for a major fall fight in Las Vegas, be it with Manny Pacquiao or a rematch with Miguel Cotto, the two bouts promoter Top Rank has talked about, were dealt a serious blow Friday when the Nevada State Athletic Commission tabled his application for a boxing license.

After a spirited hearing that lasted nearly two hours, the panel voted 4-1 to table his application, telling Margarito that he must first reapply for a license in California before Nevada will again consider his request. By tabling the application, it was not outright denied. Had the commission formally denied it, Margarito would not have been eligible to apply in Nevada again for a year.

The California State Athletic Commission revoked Margarito's license following his Jan. 24, 2009 ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley in a welterweight championship fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles over a hand-wrapping scandal that erupted in the dressing room in the moments before he was supposed to walk to the ring.

Naazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, objected to the way Margarito's hands been wrapped and when California officials eventually cut off the wraps to check them, illegal pads coated in a plaster-like substance, which had escaped the notice of the commission inspector who oversaw the wrapping procedure, were discovered in each wrap.

Margarito pleaded ignorance during the California hearing before it voted to revoke his license, as well as that of his trainer Javier Capetillo, who had wrapped his hands. Margarito, who has severed ties with Capetillo, pleaded ignorance again when questioned by Nevada commissioners.

"If I would have noticed there was something irregular or wrong I would have been the first person to say I can't go out and fight," Margarito said through a translator.

A year after the revocation, Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) was eligible to reapply for a license anywhere he wanted. Although he could have fought outside of the United States during the revocation, that likely would have reflected poorly on him when he came back to an American commission for a license. So he sat for more than a year before Mexican officials rubber stamped a license for him and he outpointed Roberto Garcia in a junior middleweight bout on May 8.

But the United States is where the big money fights are and rather than apply for a license in California, where Margarito has a lawsuit pending against the commission in the California Court of Appeals, he applied in Nevada, which is where Top Rank planned for him to fight.

While the Nevada commission could have licensed him, the feeling was that he should first go to California, which is most familiar with his case.

"I think he needs to go to California and clean this matter up," commissioner Raymond "Skip" Avansino said during the hearing. "They should be the first to rule."

Commission chairwoman Pat Lundvall, the lone dissenting vote, argued strongly on Margarito's behalf both for taking a vote and for licensing him.

"I do not think he has a duty legally or morally to go back to California," she said. "It is incumbent upon this commission to act upon the application. ... There is no value in kicking the can down the road."

In the end, Lundvall was outvoted despite her strenuous objection.

"We were hopeful that the commission would rule on the application after hearing our presentation and hearing Antonio answer all of their questions. He did and he did magnificently," David Marroso, Margarito's attorney, told ESPN.com after the hearing. "We're disappointed in their decision to, using their words, kick the can down the road, but we heard their instructions. Antonio, his family, the lawyers and Top Rank will huddle and decide what options we'll pursue.

"We believe he has paid his price. He's taken responsibility. We will assess our options and keep fighting just like he's always done. We will continue to fight. He didn't become Antonio Margarito by just staying down."

"I understand their position, but don't necessarily agree with it," said Top Rank president Todd duBoef, who was at the hearing while Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was in Puerto Rico promoting Saturday's Juan Manuel Lopez-Bernabe Concepcion featherweight title fight. "He has served his punishment in California and is not looking to fight in California, so why apply there for a license?

"The Margarito side doesn't believe the California commission was objective [when the license was revoked] and that they could not get an objective hearing from California now. They were hoping that Nevada would be more objective and see that a commission that Margarito is currently in litigation with would be compromised."

After Marroso made a presentation to the commission, Margarito was questioned at length about his hand wraps, the methods used to wrap his hands and about why he didn't apply in California before coming to Nevada.

"Before the fight, my trainer Javier Capetillo, my former trainer, put a knuckle pad made of gauze on my hand," Margarito said through a translator. "I learned later the knuckle pad had something irregular on the inside but I didn't know that truthfully in the moment. The knuckle pad didn't seem different to ones he had put on my hands before.


"I never felt anything hard or irregular. Everything I felt was that it was a knuckle pad that was normal. In that moment, I was focused on one thing and that was preparing myself to go out to the fight with Mosley."

Margarito said he had many opportunities to take fights out of the country during the time his license was revoked but elected not to out of respect for the American commissions.

"I thought about it and talked to my family and decided not to fight," Margarito said.

He told the commission he had severed ties with Capetillo and that "over the past year I have taken steps, spoken to my new trainer [Robert Garcia] about the wrapping process and about not breaking the rules. I have paid a very high price this past year. ... But I think I've earned the right to come before you and ask respectfully for a license to restore my reputation with the fans.

"I accept responsibility because they are my hands and that is why I have taken steps to make sure this never happens again."

When he was questioned about why he came to Nevada before going to California, Marroso brought up the pending lawsuit and Margarito said he had already served California's punishment.

"I think even today they probably wouldn't give me a license and I don't think that's fair," he said.

Marroso said despite Margarito's uneasy feelings about how he would be treated in California, that might be where they are headed.

"We could take the commission's instructions and proceed to California," he said. "This is not something we expected so it's not something we had thought through. We'll let Antonio digest this. We're going to digest it and huddle and come up with a game plan. It won't be long until the game plan is set and we act on it."

Margarito, 32, could go to California, he could fight again outside the United States or he could apply in another state.

"I think everybody was disappointed," duBoef said. "I think he's being victimized by red tape and a process prohibiting him from making a living. I sat next to his wife and you know she wonders where the next paycheck is coming from and that's very difficult."

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Commission disables Antonio Margarito’s application for boxing license -- Las Vegas Sun

By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun

Antonio Margarito appeared before the Nevada State Athletic Commission Friday to apply for a boxing license.

It appears he'll have to do so before the commission in California to get what he wants.

In a 4-1 vote, the commission tabled Margarito's application for a license and encouraged him to return to the California State Athletic Commission that revoked his license for a year in February 2009. Although there is no legal requirement Margarito receive his license there, those in favor of the decision stated California seemed to be a more appropriate venue for the discussion.

Margarito (38-6) received the one-year revocation after a California inspector found illegal substances placed in his hand wraps prior to a WBA welterweight title fight against Shane Mosley on Jan. 24, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Although the 32-year-old fighter has fully served that punishment, he and attorney David Marroso are hesitant to return to the California commission because of a pending lawsuit they filed as an appeal to its decision.

"We're very disappointed in the commission's decision," Marroso said. "We understand it though and we heard their suggestions. One thing I can tell you, and Antonio would agree with me, is we're not done fighting."

As he did during his February 2009 hearing with the California commission, Margarito stuck to his claim he had no knowledge that his trainer at the time, Javier Capetillo, had placed an irregular substance into his hand wraps for the Mosley fight.

The illegal substance was discovered when Mosley's trainer, Nazim Richardson, requested that Margarito's knuckle pads be inspected closer.

Margarito has replaced Capetillo with Robert Garcia and said he plans on paying closer attention to the details associated with his equipment before a fight.

"There's been a lot of misrepresentation on what happened in January," Margarito said. "I didn't have plaster casts on my hands like some people have commented.

"My former trainer put knuckle pads on that had irregular substances inside. I didn't know about them, truthfully. I would have been the first person to say, 'I can't go out and fight,' if I had known. But I didn't feel anything."

Marroso said he was unsure when Margarito would take his case to the California commission.

Margarito, who fought and won his most recent fight May 8 over Roberto Garcia in Mexico, said he has been waiting to negotiate the terms of his first fight back in the United States until after he's licensed.

It's been reported that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is looking to set Margarito up in a rematch with Miguel Cotto, whom he defeated via TKO in 2008. That fight likely would occur in Las Vegas in December, should Margarito receive his license by then.

In addition to disabling Margarito's request, the commission selected its officials for a lightweight title fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz scheduled for July 31 at Mandalay Bay.

Referee Vic Drakulich will oversee the action in the ring. The three judges scoring the fight will be Patricia Morse Jarman, Jerry Roth and Glenn Trowbridge.

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.

Source: lasvegassun.com

Arum: 'Gutless' Commission Makes Margarito Re-Apply in California -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Former world champion Antonio Margarito, whose boxing license was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission following an illegal hand-wrapping scandal, must re-apply for his license in California before attempting to fight anywhere in the United States in accordance with Friday's ruling by a five-member panel of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The 32-year-old Margarito (38-6, 27 knockouts) is coming off of May's 10-round, unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in a junior middleweight (154 pounds) clash that was fought in Mexico, which licensed him for the bout.

The performance ended a more than one-year ring absence for Margarito, who had been suspended by the CSAC after a ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley in January of 2009 dethroned him as WBA champion.

Margarito's ring exile stemmed from the discovery by Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, that the Mexican's fist wrappings included a plaster-like substance that was subsequently removed and confiscated prior to the fight.

Margarito, whose suspension ended on February 11, testified to the NSAC that he had no knowledge of the wrappings, instead blaming his trainer, Javier Capetillo, for the illegal substance in his gloves.

"The commission ruled by a four-to-one vote that Mr. Margarito's application to the Nevada Commission be tabled until he applies and has had an application heard for a California license by its commission. He does not have to be licensed by California, however, before coming back to us. He just needs to apply and have his case heard by the California commission before he comes back to us," said NSAC director, Keith Kizer.

"How they [California] vote on it and what they decide is up to them, but whether he's denied or approved by the California commission, he can then come back to us," said Kizer, adding that Margarito was accompanied to the hearing by his wife, an attorney and Top Rank Promotions' president, Todd duBoef, among others.

"Whether or not he gets a license in Nevada is not contingent on him getting a license by their [California's] commission, but it's contingent on him going there and applying and having his case heard by the California commission," said Kizer. "My understanding is that I don't believe that he has a license right now from any commission in the United States that allows him to fight."

The lone vote in favor of Margarito came from chairwoman Pat Lundvall. Saying that she did not "see in any value" the NSAC "kicking the can down the road," Lundvall strongly disagreed with that decision but was out-voted by the other four members of her panel.

"The other thing that was critically important to me upon review of all of these materials is the fact that the California commission made no findings of responsibility. They made no finding of culpability on an individual or a direct basis by Mr. Margarito," said Lundvall.

"What they found is the culpability laying with his trainer, and that [Margarito,] as the captain of his ship, to use their language, was responsible for his team, and that he needed to accept full responsibility for his team's effort," said Lundvall. "And he has served out the punishment, and he has served out the time. I don't see why we should fault him because of his team-members. Therefore, that's why I would support his application."

The commission, nevertheless, tabled its decision on Margarito, whom it instructed to return to California, which "has all of the information, which held a hearing, and, get it cleared up first," according to one member.

The motion allows Margarito the possibility of being reinstated in Nevada, but only after after the CSAC has made a decision. A flat out denial of Margarito's license by the NSAC would have effectively resulted in another, year-long, nationwide ban.

"It would be my motion to accept this application. I think that this is a fighter who has served his time, so-to-speak. He's done his punishment. We are a society by which when someone has served whatever punishment has been meted out by that society, then what we do, is we accept him back into it," said Lundvall.

"We don't give them some type of permanent revocation of a license, or to give them some type of a permanent sanction that forbids them from engaging their livelihood," said Lundvall. "So the invididual who has come before us, asking us to make a decision, yay, or nay, on his application to Nevada, I think that he deserves that kind of an answer rather than to write it off on somebody else."

Margarito's promoter, Bob Arum, called Friday's decision "an absolute outrage," adding that it "only means that Margarito's next big fight will be is going to be in Mexico" against either seven-division champion and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion, Manny Pacquiao, in November, or newly-crown WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion Miguel Cotto in December.

Pacquiao, however, is in negotiations for a potential bout against Floyd Mayweather that could happen in either November of May.

"The only person with an b**** on that commission is the chairwoman, Pat Lundvall, I mean, that is an absolute outrage not to have voted on this licensing decision. It's just an outrage," said Arum. "Pat Lundvall said it best: This demanded an up or a down vote. So I am totally, totally chagrined at how gutless the members of the commission are. The chairwoman was absolutely correct."

Margarito, who has filed a lawsuit against California, has fought in that state more than a dozen times during his career. But Margarito was not granted a license to return to the ring for the undercard of Pacquiao's March 13, unanimous decision victory over Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium. He would have fought Carson Jones (26-7-1, 15 KOs).

Arum said then that he believed 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."

"[Margarito] could apply in Texas, or apply for a license in any other state," said Kizer. "But his application here in Nevada would be held until he is heard in California and they decide however they see fit."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Bernabe Concepcion to 'Make it Tough' on Juan Manuel Lopez -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

The last time Bernabe Concepcion fought for the WBO featherweight (126 pounds) title was in August, when he battled then-champion, Steven Luevano, in a closely contested bout.

Trailing, 67-66, on two cards, and leading by the same amount on the third, the challenger from the Philippines inadvertently unleashed an errant punch after the bell ending the seventh round, flattening Luevano to his back and knocking him cold.

Under the circumstances, refereee Jay Nady had little choice but to disqualify Concepcion, ending his unbeaten streak of 20-0-1 that included 12 knockouts.

"I didn't understand what happened. I didn't hear the referee tell us to break. I threw the punch, and it landed after the bell," said the 22-year-old Concepcion. "I think that I was going to win that fight. I was in great condition, and I trained very hard to win the title that night."

Concepcion will get another opportunity to earn the WBO crown in a Showtime-televised bout on Saturday night, when he takes on 27-year-old southpaw titlist, Juan Manuel Lopez (28-0, 25 KOs) at Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, before Lopez's home fans in Puerto Rico.

"JuanMa is a great fighter. A very tough fighter who has a lot of power," Concepcion said of Lopez, who dethroned Luevano in January with a seventh-round knockout. "I'm going to have to use my speed and my footwork, and, at the same time, apply pressure. I'm going to make it a tough fight for him."

Concepcion (28-3-1, 15 KOs) has bounced back from the loss to Luevano with February's 10-round, unanimous decision over Mario Santiago, who entered their bout with a mark of 21-1-1 that included 14 KOs.

Lopez is in only his second fight at 126 pounds, having risen from super bantamweight (122 pounds).

In his last outting at 122 pounds in October, Lopez was admittedly "dizzy," and "buzzed," and seemingly one punch away from being dethroned by Tanzanian journeyman named Rogers Mtagwa as WBO king.

Lopez, however, courageously retained his crown, even as teetered around the ring virtually out on his feet from the end of the 11th throughout the 12th.

But if he gets Lopez in that kind of trouble, Concepcion said that he won't let the champion off the hook.

"I've watched that fight. [Lopez] said that he was drained and that's why. He lost energy because of the fact that he had lost too much weight," said Concepcion.

"I think that I can do the same thing that Rogers did -- or even more than that," said Concepcion. "But I think that if I get him in that kind of trouble, I'll put a lot more pressure on him and finish him off. But it's going to be a great fight."

Like Lopez, Concepcion knows a little bit about being on the end of a comeback victory.

During a contentious match up with Giovanni Caro in September of 2008, Concepcion trailed on one of the three cards and was cut badly over one of his eyes.

After examining Concepcion following the seventh round, ringside physicians nearly stopped the fight. But Concepcion responded, scoring a knockout in the eighth.

"The referee strongly considered stopping the fight, but I wanted to take one more round, so he gave me one more round," said Concepcion, who began boxing at the age of 16.

"It's all about heart, and I showed that I had heart. And I did it. I won the fight," said Concepcion. "That was a very big victory for me. It was important to me. It was a great fight."

Since then, Concepcion's bravery has won the hearts of his Filipino countrymen. That includes his idol and seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), holder of the WBO welterweight (147 pounds).

"Bernabe has all of the ingredients to make a great champion," said Pacquiao on the website of Top Rank Promotions, which handles both Pacquiao and Concepcion. "He works hard and is focused only on boxing. We have very high hopes for him."

Those words are not lost on Concepcion.

"That means that Manny is there supporting us. He's my business manager," said Concepcion. "Manny knows that I'm going to work hard, and he knows that I trained very hard for this fight. That means a lot that Manny Pacquiao would say that about me."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Antonio Margarito dishonored the sport by using illegal handwraps and should be banned from boxing -- New York Daily News

By Tim Smith, New York Daily News

Antonio Margarito had his boxing license revoked in California over a year ago. Margarito appeared before the Nevada Athletic Commission to get his license back on Friday.

They should tell him to take a hike.

Margarito tried to enter the ring with illegal handwraps in a welterweight title match against Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angles on Jan. 24, 2009. The illegal wraps were discovered by Naazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, and the California inspectors confiscated the wraps and had Margarito re-wrap his hands. He was allowed to fight and Mosley demolished him in a lopsided match, knocking out Margarito in the ninth round.

The California commission had test done on the wraps and discovered that they contained a Plaster of Paris type substance that would harden inside the gloves as Margarito's hands sweated during the match. In effect he would have been fighting with bricks in his gloves midway through the fight.

Margarito's license was revoked and he couldn't fight in the U.S. for a year, but after that he was free to re-apply to any commission for a license to fight. He was going to apply for a license in Texas on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey match at Cowboys Stadium on March 13, but his application was withdrawn when it looked like it would be a drawn out process.

The discovery of the illegal handwraps before the Mosley fight immediately cast suspicion on some of Margarito's previous fights, particularly those against Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron, whom he beat on devastating knockouts. The beating that Cotto took might have done longterm damage to his career. Cotto has never publicly claimed that Margarito used illegal handwraps in their fight, but he has his suspicions.

Margarito claimed he didn't know anything about the illegal handwraps and made his trainer, Javier Capetillo, the fall guy. He has since fired Capetillo.

It is a weak argument, because as the fighter who enters the ring, Margarito is the captain of the ship. He should know whether his handwraps feel strange or not. It is similar to athletes who claim to have unknowingly ingested performance enhancing drugs because their conditioning coaches spiked their Frosted Flakes before breakfast. Each professional athlete should know everything that is going on in his camp and if something goes wrong, he is ultimately responsible.

Luis Resto held onto the same argument for years, claiming that Panama Lewis pulled the stuffing from his gloves without his knowledge before his fight against Billy Collins Jr. at Madison Square Garden in 1985. Resto finally admitted his role in that horrific beating of Collins in the marvelous documentary "Assault in the Ring" last year. Resto and Lewis were both banned from boxing for what they did.

Margarito's boxing fate should be no less.

Margarito hasn't taken any responsibility for what almost happened that night in the Mosley fight. At the very least he shouldn't be licensed again until he owns up to his responsibility and is made to realize that he was involved in something that goes against all tenets of sportsmanship, particularly in a violent combat sport like boxing. Fighting with loaded gloves is tantamount to taking a loaded gun into the ring. The intent is to do irreparable harm, more damage than you would be able to do otherwise. And the ramifications are more tragic than would normally occur.

After he suffered that beating by Resto, Collins lapsed into alcoholism and depression and many believe he deliberately drove his car off the road and killed himself near his home in Tennessee.

For the most part the Nevada Commission has been tough on those who have violated the rules and had their licenses suspended. But they haven't issued lifetime bans, just large fines and suspensions. Mike Tyson, who bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear in a match in Las Vegas in 1997, wasn't given a lifetime ban, though it took a few years for him to regain his license.

The wheels are already in motion for Margarito to get back into the ring in the U.S. He has already fought in Mexico, defeating Roberto Garcia in a junior middleweight match on May 8. Margarito filed paperwork with the Nevada Commission for a license on June 18.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is already thinking of putting Margarito in against Cotto for a rematch. He is also looking at Margarito as a fallback opponent for Pacquiao if they can't reach an agreement for Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

This is all about money for Top Rank and Margarito, who is 32 years old and running out of top-earning years. But there is a larger principle involved and that is whether a man knowingly dishonored his sport and deliberately sought to inflict permanent damage on an opponent. The Nevada Commission should have told Margarito to find another line of work.

Source: nydailynews.com