Freddie Roach confirms reports that former three time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Tijuana, MX, has asked the vastly experienced trainer to be the man in charge of his corner.
Margarito, who is seeking legitimacy after being suspended for one year for illegal hand wraps, has stated that he is seeking a bout this summer, possibly in Tijuana.
MyBoxingFans.com exclusively speaks with Freddie Roach. Watch the video.
First off Margarito’s hand were never wrapped. Naseem Richardson noticed something odd as soon as Capetillo laid the wraps across Margarito’s hands.
Margarito officially never hand his hands wrapped, he never got a chance to feel or notice anything out of place. A lot of fighters simply put there hands up and allow there trainers to wrap without any particular regard, as long as it feels comfortable.
The substance that was being used was in a powder form, that would harden after getting wet from perspiration, which in turn would have taken several rounds to build up that kind of sweat, and odds are Margarito still wouldn’t have notice due to the adrenaline rush.
Margarito shouldn’t be punished for the act of another. Capetillo took full responsibility and said Margarito had no prior knowledge.
That is good enough for me, and Margarito should get a second chance at his livelihood from his 1yr suspension.
fuck i dont want to see that fight
1st margarito is a cheater
2nd its 2 big for pacman
3rd he is dirty boxer
goodbye maragarito youre boxing career is done
and any body boxer dont want to fight u your such a looser
Will be looking out for your next exclusive, Edgar and all the good work that you do here. But I get the sense that the TT doesn’t need, at this particular juncture, to be giving more press interviews (neither he nor his team have helped himself to date on that score since this mess broke), or listening to lawyers pitching strategies whereby he gets off on procedural technicalities of chain of custody or definitions (and it should be noted: a reckless unawareness/disregard of an obvious dangerous risk is more or less the equivalent of “knowing” so that argument, apart from the fact that it defies common sense (he didn’t notice wet plasterized guaze when he was being wrapped?) in this context, won’t fly); what he needs to do right now is surround himself with those friends who have his best interests at heart– even if that means confronting some hard truths and showing some tough love. I often thought if Mike Tyson had just one person looking out for him in this light and during these critical junctures, his career (and life) wouldn’t have been the train wreck it later became. I’m not sure if the TT can extricate himself from his current predicament unscathed and without any serious repercussions, but he might be able restore some degree of honor to his reputation by making the right moves from here on out.
One additional note: Hurray for Marco Antonio Barrera for having the courage today to risk the inevtiable wrath and speak out for what is RIGHT and what is now obvious from the evidence we know to date: based on the Moseley fight alone, the conduct Margarito and his entourage were proven to have crossed the UNCROSSABLE line in the sport. Such actions are unconscionable, unpardonable and unforgiveable. Wise up and stop being a sucker FREDDY, you’re being used and manipulated. Its kind of like when Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker got caught plundering their ministry in the late 80’s; in a futile effort to save themselves, they turned to the “trusted” Jerry Falwell to extricate themselves out of their own mess and “vouch” for them. Eventually, even a sharp guy like Jerry F. figured out that his continued work on their behalf would only result in him being tarred by the scandal himself. FREDDY– your Jerry F. in the above scenario. The only winning move for you here is not to play or otherwise get involved.
OH– and just my two cents, but MAB got robbed in broad daylight over in England, and DK waits two weeks to protest? .
Well said Jon. Wholeheartedly agree with your conclusions. (My only quibble is that while AM/Team Margarito is now apparently a proven cheater as to Mosely if the LA paper has the story right, its only circumstantial–although most certainly highly suspicious– that they were cheating in prior bouts as well, after their integrity (or lack thereof) has already been established.). But for the most part, I couldn’t have said it better.
Let me preface my comments by also expressing that not a single bone in my body wanted the allegations about Margarito to be true. One, I am a big fan of the sport who doesn’t want to see it deteriorate through self-inflicted scandal any more. And two, while I can’t honestly say I was a big fan, but he was one guy in the sport whose story was compelling, and whose achievements/improvement in the ring you had to respect and usually handled himself with class. So none of what follows is celebratory at a man’s (if not a genuine hero to some in his community and his fans) downfall; rather, it should be read at anger at a man’s (or teams collective) weakness and foibles..
I’m sorry, anybody in the boxing community who gives a damn for the integrity of the sport and the safety of its participants should all be rising and speaking as one on this to call for the lifetime ban of ANY AND ALL who were involved in this episode–especially since nearly three months into this scandal–no one has come close from the Team Margarito camp to acknowledge, much less telling, the truth; instead, we get repeated denials, stories/excuses, claims of mysterious “mistakes”, the need for nutrititionists, eye surgery a week before the fight, baslesscharges of racism/discrimination designed to inflame the Mexican/Mexican-American communigty etc. Maybe I’m just a Boy Scout, but what happened to honor and a man’s individual integrity? The TRUTH is the TRUTH, its not whatever facts can be “proven with no reasonable doubt” against me in a court of law or before the Cali Boxing Commission. That’s the refrain of the guilty criminal, not a man of honor.
In short, all of Team Margarito needs to be treated as radioactive in the sport— for at least a year, and maybe more until they come clean. And now a full crminal investigation now needs to be conducted by the state authorities, as well as a full investigation by the boxing community/commissions to see just how far back such conduct may have occured. Period.
But just when you think this scandal couldn’t have tarred and sullied the sport of boxing any more, along comes father/confessor figure FREDDIE ROACH all too willing to grant absolution after hearing a Margarito crying jag. Did it look something like this?
http://pa.photoshelter.com/img-show?_bqH=eJxLKS_wdQ4vMHHMq4z3N9TNdMzKywvzrPRzNs.3MjExsDIytbLyDrf1Ti3KzSzRds7MKynKz1PzjHcJdkYT1FaLd3QOsS1OTSxKzgAA6_kdGA–&_bqG=42&I_ID=I0000aTB6ZaIKMac
Poor Tony shedding tears now that he has been caught red (plastered) handed…. if I can slightly alter a lyric from Connie Francis: “Who’s Crying Now?” (I’ll grant you that that bout may have been the only time Tony acted in a way I thought was classless/disrespectful towards an opponent– at least until recent revelations). And I still suspect that any tears currently being shed are of the crocadile variety, or are only being shed now that he realizes the millions his conduct has flushed down the sewer.
And with that, even if Margarito issued a tearful plea, SHAME ON FREDDIE ROACH for even thinking of dealing with him right now and trying to redeem someone who hasn’t even confesed his sins yet, much less served his appropriate penace. This was the same FREDDIE, after all, who weeks ago claimed one of his fighters suspected Tony was loading his gloves in sparring, but sat on his hands and didn’t do anything about at the time FREDDIE– since you seem to be susceptible to tearful pleas, maybe you should listen to the tearful story of Billy Collins’ family survivors (they too are members of the boxing family fraternity after all) before deciding to collect another paycheck and tarring your own stellar reputation by intervening in this tar pit which will only get yourself covered in its ooze and slime. Or should I say elements of plaster of paris.
Follow Cotto’s stellar example on this Freddie– stay far away and fight to save the integrity of the sport.
Freddie Roach is a great person, trainer and is about as respected and honest part of the boxing community as there is.
Regardless, I feel that there are two things that demand being banned for life from the sport.
1. Involvement with gamblers to control the outcome of fights.
2. Intentionally cheating by creating an advantage that can physically ruin another boxer by the use of foreign objects.
I think that Antonio Margarito should be banned for life and that his boxing record should be removed.
To use plaster against against another man is not boxing, it is assault with a weapon with the intent to permanently injure hurt and potentially kill another man.
Now I understand where he got that punching power from, in his fight with Cotto. Just look at that fight and the condition of Cotto at the end of the fight.
Cotto wasn’t being hit be another fighters hands, he was begin hit with hard plaster that was administered by someone else’s hands.
For a veteran like Antonio Margarito to deny knowing that wet plaster of paris was being put on, underneath his gloves embarrasses him and boxing.
To claim ignorance destroys any credibility that Margarito might have as well as destroy any potential for him to be given another chance.
The first thing he needed to do was to come clean, which he didn’t, along with his mouthpiece Bob Arum who REALLY made a total fool of himself by ranting and raving about how Margarito had nothing to do with this.
I just think that a zero tolerance policy should be given to boxers who use substances that can physically damage other boxers. It is more of an issue that should be given to law enforcement, for it is about assault with a weapon, not boxing.
Antonio Margarito, let his own greed take over what seemingly was a great career and a great story.
Jon
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