Margarito still can’t fight in US soil
“He has to go California to apply,” were the words advised by Nevada commission executive Keith Kizer to former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito in relation to his request for a boxing license.
Margarito was stripped of his license and was suspended for at least a year in California for his involvement in a hand-wrapping scandal in his January 2009 fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles. Before the bout, officials reprimanded Margarito after they discovered an illegal plaster-like substance in his hand wraps. Margarito had his hands rewrapped but subsequently lost his WBA title to Mosley. In defense, Margarito claimed that he knew nothing about the illegal substance in his wraps and placed the blame on his trainer Javier Capetillo, whom he fired thereafter.
More than a year after the incident, the 32-year old Margarito finds himself back in the ring, albeit outside of U.S. shores. Margarito is set for a once in a lifetime clash with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on November 13, 2010. Margarito, who still has issues with the Nevada Athletic Commission, must answer certain queries in order for the bout to happen in money-rich Las Vegas.
Margarito—anxious to know the results of his application to obtain a license to box in the state—appeared before the Nevada commission, only to be directed to re-apply for a license in California instead. A panel of commission members voted 4-1 to table the request for a boxing license and advised Margarito to seek to reinstatement in California first.
This irked Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.
“The only person with balls 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.”
After Margarito filed a lawsuit against the state of California for revoking his license, re-applying may be a big problem for the former champion. This problem now becomes colossal for Top Rank, which has lined up two potential fights this year. .
Now, the main objective for the fight promoters is to find an ideal place to stage the fight or seek an immediate amnesty from the Nevada Athletic Commission.
“[The decision] only means that Margarito’s next big fight is going to be in Mexico,” Arum said.
Pacquiao’s camp said that if the fight with Margarito should take place outside the United States, so be it. Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz also revealed that Pacquiao could also possibly fight in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
“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.
After spending more than 15 months outside the ring, Margarito was still able to show flashes of brilliance and came back to defeat Roberto Garcia last May in a junior middleweight bout that was fought in Mexico. Margarito defeated Garcia via a 10-round unanimous decision, thus improving his record to 38 wins and six losses, with 27 KOs.
With the win, Margarito’s camp remained confident that their prized fighter still has the goods to keep up with the best. But, of course, the pound-for-pound king stands in his way. Koncz is confident that Margarito will get his chance—regardless of where the fight takes place.
“If Manny decides to fight Margarito, just because he got denied in Nevada—that’s not going to squash the fight,” Koncz said.
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