Antonio Margarito helps disadvantaged boxers fly to national championships
Antonio Margarito has helped fund four local boxers to allow them to compete in the 2010 National PAL Boxing Championships in San Antonio, Texas, boxingscene.com confirmed Thursday.
The Olympic hopefuls’ attempts to raise funds selling tamales, tortillas and bracelets reportedly only accrued $300 dollars.
When Margarito heard of the misfortune he offered to pay a round trip airfare and room accommodations for the fighters. Asked for an explanation, “The Tijuana Tornado” said he sympathised with the fighters.
“I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to have a dream crushed because you have no money.”
Margarito presented a check to the fighters at his training camp at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in California. With the funds the young hopefuls can now try to dominate the tournament, making them
one step closer to representing USA at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Margarito is currently in intense training for his upcoming junior middleweight bout against seven-division titlist Manny Pacquiao. The bout, which is expected to be fought in front of 70,000 fans at
the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, will be for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title.
The Mexican fighter came under controversy in January 2009 after it was determined his hand wraps were loaded for a fight with “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Margarito’s boxing license was revoked after the bout
by the California State Athletic Commission. In a bid in recent months to renew his license, Margarito appealed to the commission but was rejected on two occasions. In light of events he was forced to apply for a boxing license in Texas, where he had no
trouble obtaining one after filling out a form and sending in the required $20.00 fee.
Margarito has maintained, if not his entire innocence from the incident, that he nonetheless wasn’t conscious of the wraps being loaded. He placed the blame on former trainer Javier Capetillo. Many in
the boxing world have scrutinized him for the controversy and suggested he should be permanently banned from the sport.
Actions like these however might go some way towards rehabilitating his tarnished image.
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