Calling A Spade A Spade 01.22.10: Forgive Me, Boxing, For I Have Sinned

Posted by Ryan Bates on 01.22.2010

Antonio Margarito's suspension is almost up; is boxing ready to bring back the Tainted Tornado? Ryan Bates explains why it should.

In the proverbial words of Chris Isaak, Baby did a bad, bad thing.

Before you think this is an article about Wrapgate, it's not. Trust me, I don't want to write anymore about Wrapgate than you want to read about it. It's a dead horse. It's more than dead. We all know Antonio Margarito had tainted handwraps going into his fight against "Sugar" Shane Mosley in January of 2009, and Javier Capetillo put them there. Capetillo knew he was doing wrong; Margarito probably knew what was going on, but we can't prove it. They both lost their licenses in boxing for a year; Bob Arum kicked and screamed and spit and swore he was taking them all to Mexico to beat the system. However, nothing ever came of those threats, so that, as they say, was that.


But now, it's January 2010, and the 30th is right around the corner. Top Rank is preparing the paperwork to get Antonio Margarito back in the ring to fight Carson Jones on the undercard of Pacquiao/Clottey in March. And according to Arum, he should have no reason not to get it. This has caused a minor uproar in the boxing world which I anticipate will turn into a major cacophony sooner rather than later. But, that being said, let's call a spade a spade...

ANTONIO MARGARITO DID THE CRIME, AND NOW HE'S DONE THE TIME. LET THE MAN BOX.



Now before everyone jumps down my throat and cries foul, let me make one thing clear: Do I think he loaded in other fights? Yes. I personally think he loaded in the Cotto fight, and least one of the Cintron fights in addition to the Mosley fight. And I don't buy his theory of ignorance, that he didn't realize what Capetillo was putting on his hands. Having trained myself, you know when your wraps are different. It's noticable.

So I certainly do not think Margarito is innocent. I damn sure don't believe Capetillo is innocent, and he should not be licensed ever again. But Margarito... see, here's the thing. We can speculate all day, but we can't prove anything. We can't prove that Margarito was loaded in other fights, and we can't prove that he wasn't ignorant of the wraps without a polygraph. With that being said, he was suspended for a year and a year has gone by. License him.

Take a look at all the other people who have done dirty deeds done dirt cheap in boxing, who we've let continue to fight:

Thrown Fights: Though maybe it's not as common as it was in Jake LaMotta's era, if you thought that fixed fights ended with "The Raging Bull," think again. A good, recent example is Sergio Medina. Who's that, you ask? Would it help if I told you he fought Juan Manuel Lopez on the undercard of De La Hoya/Pacquiao? Oooohh, that guy. That fight looked less like a boxing match and more like Medina scrambling into a corner in fear. Later, Medina admitted to throwing the fight because JuanMa's camp had sent him death threats. Then he took that story back, and left us without a story to believe. This is the type of person that should never put on gloves again. And yet, just last year he fought in his native Argentina. The upside to this story? He lost to a guy who was 6-14-4. Via disqualification. Karma, people, karma.

Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley, and other PED users: I hate talking bad about Fernando. He was my favorite boxer to watch back in the day. He was the hometown hero. Shane Mosley was no schlub either; he was a So Cal fighter to the core. But both had insecurity; both wanted just a little too much, and out came the drugs. Vargas failed his drug test after losing to Oscar De La Hoya, and Mosley admitted to being linked to BALCO's "the cream" and "the clear" (though he claims he didn't know what they were when he took them).

And yet, both men, who were caught cheating, trying to unnaturally create stronger, more damaging punches, were allowed to continue boxing; in fact, Mosley may have had the stars align to give him a shot at the new face of "fair fighting" (scoff) Floyd Mayweather. How's that for a second chance?

Mike Tyson: He's a wack job. You love him, I love him, but he's Nutty McCuckoo. He was a dominating figure in the late-'80s to mid-'90s heavyweight scene, and then THIS happened:



HOLY CRAP! He did WHAT? No speculation required, the proof is in the footage. And yet, a year later, the same state that revoked his license gave it back to him by a 4-1 vote. In 1999, Tyson would go on to try to break Francois Botha's arms. Good job, Nevada.

My point is this: We've given plenty of others second chances. Why does Antonio Margarito not deserve one as well? You know more eyes will be on his locker room in March than most NCAA basketball games. And, if the Texas State Athletic Commission has an ounce of brains between them (which is not a given – this is Texas boxing, after all), Capetillo will not be receiving his license back. Given these guidelines, the likelihood he would try something like this again is minimal; if he was dumb enough to do it again, I say throw him out of the sport and jail him.

What really is "The Heart Of The Matter?" I think it's about forgiveness... forgiveness, even if, even if, you don't love Antonio anymore. (Chris Isaak, Don Henley... who said boxing and contemporary crooners don't mix?)


ONE MORE SPADE IN MY HAND: Really quickly, kids... I know I've been critical of Andre Berto before, but his choice to pull out of the fight to be with his family and countrymen in Haiti is absolutely commendable. I stand by it 110%.

If you're still looking for a way to donate to Haitian relief, please consider picking up an Andre Berto Haitian relief T-shirt from our friends at Everlast. It's $20 and all proceeds go to earthquake relief. Growing up in Southern California, I know the devastation a major earthquake can bring, so if the spirit moves you, click the link and get yourself a shirt.