Borges BLASTS Margarito and Arum

Borges BLASTS Margarito and Arum!
thesweetscience.com
By Ron Borges

If Antonio Margarito fights anywhere, inside or outside the United States, for the next year, the California Athletic Commission should ban him from boxing for life.

If Bob Arum promotes him, or uses one of his minions like Fernando Beltran to do it, he should be banned as well.

These are harsh words and not written without much thought. Three weeks have passed since Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo, were accused of tampering with the hand wraps Capetillo put on the welterweight champion’s fists before his Jan. 24 fight against Shane Mosley. Since then the CSAC has revoked both of their licenses, effectively banning them from boxing in the United States for a year but making it easier for them to find work in rings outside the U.S. Predictably, Arum has screamed bloody murder that the Constitution has been trod upon by the 7-0 vote of the limp-writed CASAC that concluded Margarito was responsible for what was put on, and under, those hand wraps.

Margarito argued that he had no idea what was going on and that if anyone was at fault it was Capetillo. His defenders in the media claim he was penalized only for a strict rule infraction, as if there are two types – strict and what else exactly?

Margarito said he noticed nothing even though he was found to have moistened wraps and a hardening knuckle pad according to the commission’s inspectors, who by the way never would have noticed had Mosley’s trainer, Nazim Richardson, not questioned those wraps even though Che Guevara was allegedly “inspecting’’ the wrapping as it was being done.

If Margarito noticed nothing then what that tells me is he’s used to wearing wet wraps since how do you not notice your wraps on your hand are wet? How do you not notice knuckle pads that were, according to inspector Mike Bray, “moist and dirty looking with a white substance smeared across the pad, like a cast plaster’’? How do you not notice any of that? Were you sleeping?

The only way I can think of is you’re used to it.

Perhaps there is another explanation but Margarito didn’t offer one and Capetillo’s was the lame equivalent of “a sparring partner ate my homework’’ when he claimed another fighter put the wrong wraps in the equipment bag.

You mean he put the ones with the brick in them but you didn’t notice? Didn’t notice that they were wet when it is clear in the California rulebook that you cannot moisten those wraps?

Here then is what Margarito and Arum want the boxing fan to believe – a veteran, world championship fighter didn’t notice his wraps were wet or his knuckle pads were smeared with some as yet unknown substance that commission inspectors say was hardening on his hand?

Didn’t notice that wet gauze? You ever had wet gauze on your hand or ankle or foot? Didn’t notice it was wet or didn’t notice anything different, that’s the real question.

Arum, predictably, went over the moon when his fighter was suspended, insisting “It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever experienced. It’s not going to hold up. The commission determined Margarito knew nothing and did nothing wrong but that he is head of his team, so he’s responsible for the trainer…How can you revoke somebody’s license when they didn’t do anything wrong or attempt to do anything wrong? Capetillo admitted he made an inadvertent mistake and said Tony knew nothing about it.’’

Well, there’s testimony you can rely on. Margarito’s trainer, who is paid by him, says he knew nothing. That’s what Bernard Madoff said after he wired that $15.5 million in dirty money to his wife, too.

Nobody knew anything. It all just happened. Just like all of a sudden a fighter who six years ago was 26-3 with 17 knockouts suddenly blossomed into a guy who wins 11 of his next 12 with 10 knockouts. One minute Antonio Margarito is knocking out slightly more than half the guys he’s faced (58.6 per cent) and then, against far more difficult competition, he’s knocking out 91 per cent of the guys he beats?

The latter doesn’t even qualify as circumstantial evidence against Margarito but it should make you wonder. So should the way he destroyed Kermit Cintron twice, the same Cintron who went the distance against a larger Sergio Martinez last Saturday night to earn a questionable draw. So should the beating Margarito gave another Arum fighter, Miguel Cotto, making him quit on one knee after damaging him in a way no one had come close to and made him retreat in a way he never had before.

That’s two guys who had fought a total of 64 times and had one common denominator – the only man to ever beat them was Antonio Margarito and he knocked the stuffings out of both of them.

That doesn’t mean Margarito’s gloves were loaded in those fights. It doesn’t mean that was what Capetillo was up to on Jan. 24 in the locker room at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before Nazim Richadson did what the commisison’s inspectors did not – which was his job – and noticed something didn’t seem or feel right about the hand wraps on Margarito’s hands. What it does mean is that the state of Denmark may not be the only place where something is rotten.

The CSAC, for the record, never said as Arum claimed that Margarito knew “nothing.’’ What they said was he’s responsible for what’s put on his hands if he’s going to be paid to assault another man with them for a living.

What Capetillo and Margarito did that night will forever taint his accomplishments and call into question their honesty. What Arum did after that ruling was make a fool of himself but at least one with enough transparency that his other top fighter, Cotto, saw through it.

Speaking to a reporter from Primera Hora in Puerto Rico last week an angry Cotto said of Arum, “It seems like Top Rank is not thinking about the welfare of a human being and is only concerned with money. They know that Margarito and his team knew what they were putting on his hands.

“TO TELL PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT BOXING THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE PUTTING ON HIS HANDS IS HARD TO BELIEVE. EVERYONE IN HIS GROUP WAS CONSCIOUS OF WHAT WAS BEING DONE FOR THE FIGHT WITH MOSLEY.’’

Earlier Cotto said on a national conference call with the media to hype his Feb. 21 fight against Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title that, “This is a sport, not a slaughter house…If he’s suspended for one year, he should be suspended everywhere. I don’t think he should fight. If he can’t fight in the United States, he shouldn’t be able to fight at all.’’

After Cotto’s surprisingly blunt criticism, Arum said Cotto was entitled to him opinion but Margarito is entitled to make a living and if there are places in Mexico or elsewhere willing to license him he will remain his promoter and that he would “do the best I can for him.’’

The best thing Bob Arum could do for Antonio Margarito is tell him to serve his time because the penalty is a slap on the loaded wrist. Margarito has not fought more than twice a year since 2000. He fought on Jan. 24 and earned millions and in theory could fight again next Jan. 24, meaning he would have missed one fight from his normal two-fight per year schedule of the past eight years.

That’s not much of a penalty for, at best, putting his reputation and his sport’s legitimacy at risk and, at the worst, putting another man’s life at risk.

As for Bob Arum, his handling of this matter reminds you once again just how boxing marginalized itself as a sport in the eyes of the American public. It committed suicide with a lot of co-conspirators helping to load the gun.

Pretty good argument. Tough to dispute that ko percentage change, and not noticing your wraps being wet.

A very compelling argument, but to play Devil's Advocate how come no one noticed anything wrong with his hand wraps before? That's not to say that Margarito did or didn't cheat in the past, but could no one pick up on a little thing like wet hand wraps?

Borges is spot on. Here is my take on Margarito which I have held off on until all the findings were released. I went after the issue diffrently but it helped me get clarity:

Sometimes getting to the sunshine can be a lifelong trek; some make it, others don’t.

--Holmcal



I recently wrote a piece entitled, “Never Fall in Love with a Fighter.” Many readers responded by indicating their own examples of having fallen prey to this syndrome-- and then having their hearts broken. I am no exception, for it happened to me when Joe Louis was KO’d by Rocky Marciano and it happened again and again after that. Still, in boxing, it’s difficult not to really engage one or two boxers in a way that sets you up for a big fall. I did it with Antonio Margarito and once again my heart was broken, but this time, the fall was not only due to his brutal defeat at the able hands of Sugar Shane Mosley, but also by the manner in which the hand wrap controversy played out.

It is not my style to “pile on” a person when he is down. In this case, Margarito is about as far down as one can get. And if he makes the mistake of fighting in Mexico or some other county, he will badly impact his chances of getting his license approved. Indeed, he may well be done for good, as there is no assurance his revocation will be overturned in a year--if ever. And if he is given a life-time ban in the United States, the issue of whether he fights on in another country will provide the grist for many an interesting article.

Yes, he has broken my heart. I always viewed him as a great pressure fighter and one who “stalks, stuns and closes” in a uniquely entertaining way, but the shine is gone now. I have moved him aside --likely for good. Yes, there can be an appeal to the Commission’s findings and yes there could be a possible action in the courts of law, but in my view that would only prolong the misery. At the end of the day, rightly or wrongly, the fighter is in charge of his corner (though I question the wisdom of that principle and its inconsistent application). Therefore, he must accept responsibility whether willful intent was present or not. He owns it plain and simple and what Antonio owns here is an infraction that in my view is the very worse one in boxing.

(1983)

Again, however, it’s easy to kick a man when he is down and to do so with mob mentality. That’s not my thing, though I make no excuses and have no pity for what Antonio or his manager did. In the final analysis, we the fans are the ones who really were hurt by this; we were betrayed. Now he and his trainer will pay the piper. If that means a ban for life in the United States, so be it; I can live with it.

The punishment should be commensurate with the severity of the offense and the offense in this instance conjured up a violent and bloody night in New York City in 1983 when I attended the Davey Moore-Roberto Duran fight at Madison Square Garden. It conjured up an under card when a good looking kid from Tennessee came to New York City and got mugged. He was a kid from a small town see who had gone to the big city and met the dark side of boxing. His name was Irish Billy Collins, Jr.

Never forget what happened to Irish Billy.

Well just to add to this, here are the thoughts about it from Dan Rafael that were made during his chat last Friday.

ESPN: Chat with Dan Rafael - SportsNation


Nick(KY): In your heart of hearts, putting "oh there's not any evidence" aside...do you think Marg had the loaded gloves against Cotto?

Dan Rafael: Yes

Garth (CT): Hey Dan, It's unfortunate about Margartio but now alot of his victories will be questioned especially those beatdowns of Cintron and Cotto.

Dan Rafael: You're right. His wins are tainted just like all those home runs Bonds and McGwire and A-Roid hit.

JP (Columbus, OH): Bob Arum needs to cut the disingenuous act regarding Margarito's hand wraps. I get that he's sticking up for his fighter, but NOBODY is buying it. To call the suspension a travesty is just stupid.

Dan Rafael: Arum's rants about it are a joke. Nobody buys his holier than thou attitude.

Jeff (Pittsburgh, PA): Dan, do you think Margarito will fight in Mexico in the next year? I can't imagine that any fighter is actually dumb enough to go fight in a town where they are encouraging a guy who got caught cheating to come fight.

Dan Rafael: Arum says he will. One thing is for sure -- if he does fight if he goes back to California in a year to ask for his license back, the commission will look very poorly upon him for going around the revocation and fighting outside the US. What Margarito needs to do is take his medicine like a man, sit the year, show remorse and come clean and then maybe he'll get his license back.

Steve(NY): Props to Cotto for taking the high road. I know he gave his opinion about thinking Marg should be suspended everywhere(which I agree with) but he also didn't make excuses about his loss. Dude is a class act.

Dan Rafael: I agree.

Marc (Newton, MA): Is there any backlash on the supposed officials who sign off on the hand wrap, i think they are as much to blame as anybody in that situation. If there is strict handwrap checking policy it eliminates any form of handwrap cheating period.

Dan Rafael: I agree. I had asked that question many times. Obviously, the inspector responsible for supervising the wraps did not do his job properly and should be held accountable for an abject failure.

Derek ( Edmonton, Alberta): Dan, shouldn't Arum be worried that if Marga-cheato fights in Mexico the Cali commision will not reinstate him after only one year?

Dan Rafael: 100%.

Nick (Chicago): In your professional opinion is it really possible for a fighter not to know if the wrap on his hands feels different than it should or normally does?

Dan Rafael: I have a hard time believing a fighter does not know exactly what is on his hands. Do you think a football player doesn't know about his helmet or a baseball player doesn't know about his glove? Margarito must think we are all stupid.

Donald (New Orleans): I find Margarito's trainer's excuse unacceptable. It's similar to what Sammy Sosa came up with when he was busted corked bat that he allegedly used for batting practice only. AT NO TIME SHOULD A TRAINER HAVE PLASTER IN HIS SUPPLIES. Your thoughts? Keep up the good work.

Dan Rafael: I agree.

Brian (DC): I think Mosley hasn't criticized Margarito too harshly because he knows first-hand what it's like to be accused of cheating...

Dan Rafael: I have thought that as well.

Dan (Nutley, NJ): Do you think they should overturn the Cotto/Margs fight, and make it a no-contest? Apparently you and every freak (except me) has ruled that Margarito had his hands wrapped in plaster for that fight.

Dan Rafael: Regardless of what we think, unless there is evidence of some wrongdoing you can't overturn that result or any other result. It will always be tainted though because of what people think happened.

Derek ( Edmonton, Alberta): Dan, your thoughts please on Jose Sulamain's comments on Margarito's ban?

Dan Rafael: Typical and something for which I have zero respect for.

Taylor (Salt Lake City, UT): Dan, I was disgusted by Arum's statement comparing Marg's situation to Roger Maywether rushing the ring in the PBF/Judah fight. It's not apples to apples. Here's the difference: One trainer was reacting to a foul his fighter didn't commit, the other was trying to cheat and possibly do more serious bodily harm to another fighter. What a joke statement. Do you agree?

Dan Rafael: Yes, of course. Arum is throwing nonsense against the wall to see if it sticks and he thinks we are all stupid.

Rick, Marina, Ca: I read that Arum is already trying to set up a Marg vs Baldomir fight in Tijuana. Damn, Arum is trippin.

Dan Rafael: What a garbage fight.

Joe (Stamford, CT): Now that the initial posturing and outrage has subsided on the part of Margarito, Capetillo, Arum, et al., do you think they really will go through with a fight in Mexico?

Dan Rafael: The outrage has not subsided.

Jake (Tallahassee, Florida): Dan - News has it that Margarito can apply for a Nevada boxing license. What good is a suspension if the guy is free to fight in Mexico or Nevada?

Dan Rafael: He can apply for a license anywhere. But he won't get one, certainly not in Nevada. No chance.

Jack (PA): Is Floyd Mayweather now vindicated for not wanting to fight Margarito?

Dan Rafael: No, he still ducked him.

Jimmy (WY): Interesting to see that Antonio Marg's fell completely off your P4P list

Dan Rafael: I thought a lot about that and I talked a number of industry people I respect. My inclination was to drop him and every single person I spoke to agreed.

Dan Rafael: Between the hand wrap situation and him having his head handed to him, it was too much to keep him in.

Ricardo (LA): Did you dropping Margarito from your p4p have more to do with his performance or the hand wrap incident?

Dan Rafael: Both.

Scott (NYC): Hey Dan, Joining late. How can you say Margs had loaded gloves when the tests havgen't even come back yet as to what the substance was? It is unlcear if the extra substance in the gloves was for protection or to cause damage.

Dan Rafael: I didn't say it, the commission said it and his trainer admitted there was a foreign substance not allowed in there.

Jeff (South Dakota): Dan, Bob Arum is an idiot. He has totally compromised himself regarding Margarito. I don't care that he's a promoter & Margarito is in his stable. This issue is only about Bob trying to cut a fat hog & He ought to know better. He & Margarito are both an embarrasment to the sport.

Dan Rafael: Apparently, a TON of Freaks feel that way because the amount of comments on this topic is overwhelming today.

Derek ( Edmonton, Alberta): Dan, this is unreal: another site is quoting the WBC's Sulamain as saying he didn't want MannyPac to fight Hatton because of the risk involved. Sulamain also went on record in Pac's favour during the Hatton/Pac negotiations, and now is claiming the Margacheato ban is discriminatory against Mexicans. How can he be allowed to hold his office and be so clearly biased and opinionated? The WBC disgusts me.

Dan Rafael: Sulamain's comments should not be taken seriously about anything. He's a complete blowhard.

Any sympathy I might have had for Margo vanished after reading Sulamain's despicable comments. Oh, but wait, he is in the Hall of Fame. How disrespectful of me!

Pass the puke bucket.

Good Arguements Danny , that Arums insistence adding the interest by money and giving his neck knowing the violation that Margaro commited , give a lot to say..................

Quote:

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Dan Rafael: You're right. His wins are tainted just like all those home runs Bonds and McGwire and A-Roid hit

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Gotta agree. That's the bad thing. This incident will definitely put a question mark on his accomplishments. Still, how can we explain the fact that Margarito took Cotto's punches with ease?
Not sure if Bob Arum is really helping or if it will be just better for Margarito and everybody around him just to keep it quiet, apologize, and face the consequences (suspension, electric chair, etc.).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chino

Quote:

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Dan Rafael: You're right. His wins are tainted just like all those home runs Bonds and McGwire and A-Roid hit

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Gotta agree. That's the bad thing. This incident will definitely put a question mark on his accomplishments. Still, how can we explain the fact that Margarito took Cotto's punches with ease?
Not sure if Bob Arum is really helping or if it will be just better for Margarito and everybody around him just to keep it quiet, apologize, and face the consequences (suspension, electric chair, etc.).

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The thing is he didn't get a tko win by absorbing punches. If that was the case Tex Cobb would have killed Holmes. Hell, Andrade would kill everyone he's fought. The fact is that Margarito has a great ability to take a punch. If Cotto fainted from exhaustion after punching Margarito so many times that would matter. I don't think Cotto's nose got broken by Tony taking his punches.

Dan Rafael had a great point. Everyone looks at Bonds' HRs as tainted and this is without a positive test. (common sense doesn't need hard evidence) If you look at the Margarito facts its overwhelming probable he did this in other fights. First off, the loaded wraps were used before,they had a blood stain on them, and the trainer said he accidentally grabbed another fighter's wraps(laughable). What are the chances that they try this once after all these fights and then get caught first try. How can they be so good at hiding the loaded wraps(it got past inspection easily) them if this is their first attempt. And then Margarito steps up his competition tremendously and Margarito's KO percentage skyrocketed to unreal numbers. Either something is fishy or its consistently easier to knockout a world class fighter then it is to even get a decision against a bad fighter. To all those excuses the Margarito team keep throwing...hi my name is Brian and I was born yesterday please tell me more.

Dan Rafael had a great point. Everyone looks at Bonds' HRs as tainted and this is without a positive test. (common sense doesn't need hard evidence) If you look at the Margarito facts its overwhelming probable he did this in other fights. First off, the loaded wraps were used before,they had a blood stain on them, and the trainer said he accidentally grabbed another fighter's wraps(laughable). What are the chances that they try this once after all these fights and then get caught first try. How can they be so good at hiding the loaded wraps(it got past inspection easily) them if this is their first attempt. And then Margarito steps up his competition tremendously and Margarito's KO percentage skyrocketed to unreal numbers. Either something is fishy or its consistently easier to knockout a world class fighter then it is to even get a decision against a bad fighter. To all those excuses the Margarito team keep throwing...hi my name is Brian and I was born yesterday please tell me more.

Dan Rafael had a great point. Everyone looks at Bonds' HRs as tainted and this is without a positive test. (common sense doesn't need hard evidence) If you look at the Margarito facts its overwhelming probable he did this in other fights. First off, the loaded wraps were used before,they had a blood stain on them, and the trainer said he accidentally grabbed another fighter's wraps(laughable). What are the chances that they try this once after all these fights and then get caught first try. How can they be so good at hiding the loaded wraps(it got past inspection easily) them if this is their first attempt. And then Margarito steps up his competition tremendously and Margarito's KO percentage skyrocketed to unreal numbers. Either something is fishy or its consistently easier to knockout a world class fighter then it is to even get a decision against a bad fighter. To all those excuses the Margarito team keep throwing...hi my name is Brian and I was born yesterday please tell me more.

Dan Rafael had a great point. Everyone looks at Bonds' HRs as tainted and this is without a positive test. (common sense doesn't need hard evidence) If you look at the Margarito facts its overwhelming probable he did this in other fights. First off, the loaded wraps were used before,they had a blood stain on them, and the trainer said he accidentally grabbed another fighter's wraps(laughable). What are the chances that they try this once after all these fights and then get caught first try. How can they be so good at hiding the loaded wraps(it got past inspection easily) them if this is their first attempt. And then Margarito steps up his competition tremendously and Margarito's KO percentage skyrocketed to unreal numbers. Either something is fishy or its consistently easier to knockout a world class fighter then it is to even get a decision against a bad fighter. To all those excuses the Margarito team keep throwing...hi my name is Brian and I was born yesterday please tell me more.

Dan Rafael had a great point. Everyone looks at Bonds' HRs as tainted and this is without a positive test. (common sense doesn't need hard evidence) If you look at the Margarito facts its overwhelming probable he did this in other fights. First off, the loaded wraps were used before,they had a blood stain on them, and the trainer said he accidentally grabbed another fighter's wraps(laughable). What are the chances that they try this once after all these fights and then get caught first try. How can they be so good at hiding the loaded wraps(it got past inspection easily) them if this is their first attempt. And then Margarito steps up his competition tremendously and Margarito's KO percentage skyrocketed to unreal numbers. Either something is fishy or its consistently easier to knockout a world class fighter then it is to even get a decision against a bad fighter. To all those excuses the Margarito team keep throwing...hi my name is Brian and I was born yesterday please tell me more.

Well as for the knock out thing it could of been that Margrito did start out at 16 so maybe his power might of gotten better as he matured maybe not but alot of his earlier fights might not have been koing people because he was not grown into his body yet as for the wraps still like to wait and see what was the substance and how much more affect it has then a fist like the guy in the interveiw said i wish it did not take so long to find out.