Margaritos Camp Offers An Explanation

[Trainer Monkey]

Margarito’s Camp Speaks on Hand Wraps Controversy

SportingNews.com - The Sporting Blog

While most of the news surrounding the Shane Mosley/Antonio Margarito fight this past Saturday surrounds the dominant nature of Mosley’s upset victory, the boxing world remains in a state of silent shock and anticipation over another pressing issue – the illegal substances that were discovered in Margarito’s hand wraps prior to the fight, substances that were described by both Mosley’s chief second and a representative of the California State Athletic Commission as “plaster-like.”

The substances were removed and taken by the CSAC. If, after examination, the board deems that Margarito was trying to load his gloves to add more pop to his punches, he will be punished and his reputation will take a severe hit. Meanwhile, boxing will have another black-eye controversy on its hands. Margarito’s brutal victory over Miguel Cotto last July was one of the highlights of boxing’s stellar 2008 campaign, a fight that I deemed right here at TSB to be the Fight of the Year. Should it come out that Margarito was plastering his wraps for Mosley, many will suspect that he did so against Cotto as well and that it played a role in his victory, tarnishing what right now remains Margarito’s finest moment in the ring.

The first comments on the controversy emerged today from Margarito’s camp, as Francisco Espinoza, Margarito’s co-manager, addressed the issue to the Mexican newspaper, Primera Hora. As reported over at Boxingscene.com, Espinoza denied that there had been any wrongdoing by Margarito or his trainer, Javier Capetillo, and offered the explanation that the “plaster-like” substances in question were actually gauzes that had been prepared two weeks before the fight with a wet cloth that caused the gauze to become humid and then hard.

To put it mildly, this is an explanation that leaves a lot to be desired. If you are familiar at all with “gauze,” then you are probably aware that when it gets wet, it doesn’t tend to harden into anything that could be described as “plaster-like,” not unless it has been doctored in some way.

I am a big fan of Tony Margarito and so I am not prepared to convict him without a trial. The substances removed from his gloves, whatever they were, are now in the custody of the CSAC and that body will rule on the issue in due time. Until then, I say he’s innocent until proven dirty.

That said, this is a very serious issue. In boxing’s most notorious case of glove-doctoring, Luis Resto actually did jail time for assault after pummeling Billy Collins with loaded gloves in a fight in 1983. Given the gravity of the accusation, I have been hoping since Saturday night that some plausible explanation for the condition of Margarito’s gloves would be offered quickly and succinctly by either the fighter or his camp. The crap that his co-manager came out with today does not meet those expectations, not by a longshot.

I know that there is room for human error in anything, but it's not like they ONLY checked his gloves for THIS fight.

Are we assuming that every time before this fight the inspection of gloves was ill-executed? As far as i know, wraps and gloves are checked in the dressing room by whichever commision, and they watch the trainer wrap the boxers hands.

This brings up a few aspects:

A.) That Tony ONLY did this for this fight, considering the same inspection/monitoring of wrapping his hands has been provided in all of his fights.

B.) That Tony has consistently done this and that the people in charge of monitoring the wrapping of boxers gloves do not do a great job, and have missed it in his previous fights.

If this same process is practiced in every fight, then I do not see how you can count Tony at fault for his previous fights.

To be honest i'm not defending him, i'm just trying to look at this situation as neutral as possible.

There are issues like this in many sports. Steroids in baseball.. Loaded bats in baseball.. Goalie's having pads that exceed the maximum size in hockey..

Granted these are not as dangerous as loaded gloves, they are still the rules of their respective leagues, and it is up to the league to catch the cheaters.

Usually when somebody gets tagged for something like this,there's been rumours floating around for quite awhile,and nobody has had the guts to bring it up before.
Its a weird sport that way,while there may be alot of boxers,there are only so many gyms trainers,managers,and promoters out there. If your going to call foul on someone,youd better be damned sure when you do it,because most of us know each other,and if your wrong.........

[KananKrus]

I think this hole is a very deep one. Not one where one can still dig out.

Margarito Leaves Mess in His Trail - Boxing FanHouse

Jail time looming? This is a bottom line boxing is surely not ready, nor comfortable dealing with at the moment.

[RP33]

Usually when somebody gets tagged for something like this,there's been rumours floating around for quite awhile,and nobody has had the guts to bring it up before.
Its a weird sport that way,while there may be alot of boxers,there are only so many gyms trainers,managers,and promoters out there. If your going to call foul on someone,youd better be damned sure when you do it,because most of us know each other,and if your wrong.........

eh, i don't know about that.. As i said, in other sports, lets say baseball, if someone is cranking out homeruns at will, no one is apprehensive about checking the bat. i've seen it happen a number of times.. I've seen goalies get their equipment checked between periods..

i previously stated that these types of "cheating" aren't as serious as loaded gloves considering you're putting a fighters LIFE at risk.. Are you trying to say that if a commision is in charge of a fight, in charge of rules to be executed, meaning they are RESPONSIBLE for mishaps, that they would be apprehensive to say "can you rewrap those gloves?" or closely monitor the wrapping and easily questioning the trainer/fighter where they see any foul-play? It's something done in the process of wrapping, not after the fact.

I don't see any harm in that, nor is it an "accusation" of someone cheating.. It's just part of the game to make sure they are abiding by the rules. It's not a right and wrong thing. It's simply abiding by the rules and monitoring the wrapping..

[SigmaMu]

Javier Capetillo, and offered the explanation that the “plaster-like” substances in question were actually gauzes that had been prepared two weeks before the fight with a wet cloth that caused the gauze to become humid and then hard.

WTF?

Tony with out his rigged wraps got exposed. END OF.

Like I said before, both Cintron and Cotto need to call this phuker out ASAP.

[Trainer Monkey]

Really RP?
There were rumors floating for years that Craig Nettles was corking his bat,it took the thing exploding for him to finally get caught.
Gaylord Perry is in the Hall Of Fame, and he bluntly said his best pitch was a spitball
Both of those are illegal,though I will say,I have no idea why they are.
The rules call for a wooden bat and your own physical skills.So who cares if the bats hollow,or one of your physical skills is to hock a luger on cue?
Never really understood those two rules. I can see bringing in a foriegn object to scuff the ball,or loading your bat with lead shot to get more oomph behind it.

[amat]

You don't know why corking a bat is illegal? Really? The ball has a cork center, cork on cork = ball goes farther.

In every sport if you aren't cheating you aren't trying. John Ruiz and the Klitschkos have bent the rules to heavyweight titles. But you can't load your gloves, you just can't. That kills people I'm shocked there isn't more outrage over this. Needs a full investigation if the CSAC can't handle it then the feds should imo. That doesn't mean you turn into Danny G but that's really bad that a fighter in the post-Billy Collins era would ever be caught with loaded gloves.

[Trainer Monkey]

You don't know why corking a bat is illegal? Really? The ball has a cork center, cork on cork = ball goes farther.

In every sport if you aren't cheating you aren't trying. John Ruiz and the Klitschkos have bent the rules to heavyweight titles. But you can't load your gloves, you just can't. That kills people I'm shocked there isn't more outrage over this. Needs a full investigation if the CSAC can't handle it then the feds should imo. That doesn't mean you turn into Danny G but that's really bad that a fighter in the post-Billy Collins era would ever be caught with loaded gloves.

Actually the reason to cork is it increases your hand speed through the strike zone so you can sit on a pitch longer.
But its still a wooden bat.
How you cork a bat doesnt involve alot of cork,you bore out the center and pack it with wood shavings,the cork part is,you put cork over the hole,and cover it with wood glue.
It still has enough size to catch the ball in the zone but it allows the batter to sit on a changeup or a curve a little longer.

[killersheep]

Where is the WBA in all this? This was a WBA title fight correct, shouldn't they shoulder some responsibility in checking equipment prior to the fight?
Shouldn't this be part of the sanctioning bodies tasks?

Maybe I'm out of line here, but my interpretation of "sanctioning" is saying this is a legal title fight.

[Trainer Monkey]

Where is the WBA in all this? This was a WBA title fight correct, shouldn't they shoulder some responsibility in checking equipment prior to the fight?
Shouldn't this be part of the sanctioning bodies tasks?

Maybe I'm out of line here, but my interpretation of "sanctioning" is saying this is a legal title fight.

The state has to sanction the bout as well,its not just up to the WBA. So if the state athletic commission doesnt like it,you cease to have a fight.

[Julius Rain]

this is bad, i hope tony is innecent.

[JazMerkin]

That explanation sounds like a steaming pile of shit, although I'm hoping this ain't true, partly because of the respect I have for Margarito even if I ain't particularly a fan of his, and secondly because boxing really doesn't need this right now

[Spicoli]

I dont like it.Lets be very clear,nothing is conclusive and finalized regarding this weekend.I can not and will not speculate and cast out a mans career and charectar on speculation and inconclusive circumstances.From what Ive seen live and on video post Cotto in the ring,there was a man with zero to hide,oblivious to wrong doing and flaunting his wraps all over for all to see.There are MANY people that have questions to answer,A fighter stands alone in the ring...but before and after they rely on Commissions,Santioning bodies,the State officials and his handlers to take care of surrounding aspects and enforcing the rules.Tony will and has taken the hit alone though.Frankly,my mind is pretty fukked up right now.