Texas will license Margarito, set to meet commission
According to numerous sources a deal has been reached for the upcoming Nov. 13th bout between seven-time division titlist Manny Pacquiao and former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. The fight will take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Lem Satterfield of Fanhouse reported that Margarito has been “assured” he will be granted a license for the bout. He is set to meet with the California State Athletic Commission today to appeal a suspension which was issued in February of last year.
The suspension was based on a hand-wrap issue in which a hardened substance was found in Margarito’s wraps before a bout with Shane Mosley. The fight was allowed to continue with new wraps, but Margarito’s license was immediately revoked and he was consequently accused of illegally tampering with the wraps. Margarito has denied that he knew anything about the wraps, and the truth itself remains to be seen. The boxing world has shown strong divide on whether or not he ought to be deemed guilty or not.
A source with knowledge of the Pacquiao–Margarito negotiations said: "A deal has been made, it's going to go to Dallas. And [Margarito] has been assured a license in Dallas."
Assuming Margarito’s suspension is removed by California, which seems likely in light of recent developments, there shouldn’t be a problem obtaining a license in Texas. Protests that Margarito shouldn’t be ‘rewarded for cheating’ will likely fall on deaf ears as there may not prove to be enough evidence to keep the ban on the fallen fighter.
Bob Arum’s excitement about having the bout in Texas mirrors the excitement of many. He recently spoke of having a “past history” with having fights at the Cowboys Stadium, and noted that the match would be a great draw due to large Mexican base in support of Margarito, and the fans that came out for a recent Pacquiao bout against Josh Clottey in the same venue. “There's a feeling that because Margarito is Hispanic and [Joshua] Clottey, to be honest about it, was virtually unknown to the public, that this would do better. Jerry [Dallas Cowboys’ owner] thinks we'll do 70,000. The Hispanic fans have followed Margarito."
Pacquiao drew in roughly 50,000 fans for a fight in March against Joshua Clottey. On the other hand, Margarito is sure to be a draw, if not for his official boxing record and stature as a Mexican fighter, for his controversy. A ticket price has yet to be decided upon.
Many analysts have argued that Arum is sticking to tried and tested business guns by putting Pacquiao, an Arum promoted fighter, against Margarito, who likewise fights out of Top Rank. The fact of the matter is that because Margarito has been boxing’s newest undisputed “badboy,” he is an instant hit on the marketplace. On a larger scale, it might even be speculated that he did the impossible: if he’s found guilty of the offenses, it could be said that the best thing he did for his career was commit the ultimate boxing faux-pas.
Interestingly, Arum has always taken the side that denies Margarito’s involvement in the controversy. This makes perfect sense from a business and promotional standpoint, as Margarito is his fighter. Instead he has from the first tried to promote the “Tijuana Tornado’s” innocence, even going so far as to call the official inquiry “bizarre.” "It's the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced," Arum said to ESPN.com. "It's not going to hold up. The commission determined that Antonio knew nothing and did nothing wrong, but that he is head of his team, so he's responsible for the trainer and, therefore, it is appropriate to revoke his license.
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