By Sam Gregory: The only lose on Miguel Cotto’s otherwise unblemished record came at the hands of Antonio Margarito in an eleventh round stoppage July 26th of 08’. That lose seemed to take on a completely different meaning after the so called “Wrapegate” controversy that sprang up when Margarito’s hand-wraps were found to be illegal prior to his January 24th bout with Shane Mosley.
According to some members of the media, “Without the hard, plaster of Paris-like inserts in the hand wraps, Margarito’s punching power was not nearly as devastating against Mosley as it appeared to be against Cotto”.
Up until recently Cotto has held his tongue over his displeasure with promoter Bob Arum who is the promoter of both Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.
In spite of the fact that Margarito had his license revoked for one year by the California State Athletic Commission, Arum promised to circumvent the ruling by having Margarito fight in Mexico. Cotto sees that maneuver as a blow against the sport of boxing.
Speaking to a reporter in Puerto Rico, Cotto let it be known that he was very angry with Top Rank. Cotto said, “It seems like Top Rank is not thinking about the welfare of a human being and is only concerned with money. They (Top Rank) know that Margarito and his team knew what they were putting on his hands. As boxers we rise to the ring to show our skills and physical abilities and this is a lack of consideration by playing with the health of another fighter,” Cotto told Primera Hora.
Margarito, along with his trainer, Javier Capetillo, was found guilty of trying to place an illegal, plaster-like substance in his gloves before his welterweight title defense against Shane Mosley at the Staples Center. Mosley won the fight with a ninth-round TKO and three weeks later Margarito and Capetillo had their licenses revoked for a year. They can apply for reinstatement next February.
Even though Margarito’s trainer Javier Capetillo reportedly took responsibility for what happened, the California State Athletic Commission gave Margarito a one year suspension that almost certainly will be honored by other member states in the Association of Boxing Commissions.
Margarito has let it be known he would like to keep busy by fighting in Mexico, where the suspension is less likely to be observed.
In defense of his fighter Bob Arum said, “They deprived a young man of his livelihood after finding him innocent of any wrongdoing. That offends me as someone who graduated from law school. It offends me as an American. Americans don’t punish somebody who is proved to be innocent of any wrongdoing.”
Miguel Cotto has let it be known at every opportunity how he adamantly disagrees with Top Rank’s plan to bring back Antonio Margarito in June/July for a show in Mexico.
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