Margarito cleared of wrongdoing in july 2008 over Cotto!
Margarito cleared of wrongdoing in July 2008 victory over Cotto Story Highlights
Nevada has cleared Antonio Margarito in his 2008 victory over Miguel Cotto
Margarito is still being investigated for his recent loss to Shane Mosley
He's accused of hiding a hard, plaster-like substance inside his gloves
By Chris Mannix, SI.com
Antonio Margarito (right) defeated former welterweight champion Miguel Cotto last July.
AP
NEW YORK -- While he awaits the results of a California State Athletic Commission investigation into whether he attempted to pack his taped hands with an illegal substance before his WBA welterweight title fight against Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito has been officially cleared of any wrongdoing in his July 2008 win over former welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Speculation has been that Margarito, who is being accused of attempting to apply a plaster-like substance under his tape to increase his punching power before his fight with Mosley, may have attempted this tactic before, specifically in his brutal win over Cotto. Not so, according to Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
"You can't prove a negative," Kizer told SI.com. "But I'm as certain as I can be that Margarito did not do anything illegal against Cotto."
According to Kizer, fighters are closely monitored during the taping process in Nevada. Representatives of the commission check and recheck the fighters' hands, and the opposing trainers are allowed to be present during the taping.
It is not uncommon, according to Kizer, for fighters to attempt to add extra padding to their tape in order to protect their hands during a fight. Oscar De La Hoya's camp asked to be allowed to place an extra strip of tape on De La Hoya's hands before his recent fight with Manny Pacquiao but was denied because even an extra strip is against the commission's rules.
"Most of the time, fighters are just trying to protect their hands," said Kizer. "I've heard of fighters wanting to put tissue inside their gloves to keep their hands safe."
Kizer said he hopes that the situation with Margarito turns out to be a misunderstanding.
"I hope nothing comes of this," said Kizer. "It's dangerous for any fighter to do anything illegal that could add to their punching power. Think about it -- what if one of the punches kills someone? Now we're talking about manslaughter."
Still, if Margarito is suspended in California, said Kizer, Nevada will "respect the suspension" and not permit Margarito to fight in Las Vegas for the length of the suspension. Kizer added that even if Margarito, who is not currently licensed in Nevada, was not suspended, the boxer would have to satisfactorily explain his actions to the Nevada commission before they would agree to license him.
The results of the California investigation are expected to be announced this week.
Nevada has cleared Antonio Margarito in his 2008 victory over Miguel Cotto
Margarito is still being investigated for his recent loss to Shane Mosley
He's accused of hiding a hard, plaster-like substance inside his gloves
By Chris Mannix, SI.com
Antonio Margarito (right) defeated former welterweight champion Miguel Cotto last July.
AP
NEW YORK -- While he awaits the results of a California State Athletic Commission investigation into whether he attempted to pack his taped hands with an illegal substance before his WBA welterweight title fight against Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito has been officially cleared of any wrongdoing in his July 2008 win over former welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Speculation has been that Margarito, who is being accused of attempting to apply a plaster-like substance under his tape to increase his punching power before his fight with Mosley, may have attempted this tactic before, specifically in his brutal win over Cotto. Not so, according to Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
"You can't prove a negative," Kizer told SI.com. "But I'm as certain as I can be that Margarito did not do anything illegal against Cotto."
According to Kizer, fighters are closely monitored during the taping process in Nevada. Representatives of the commission check and recheck the fighters' hands, and the opposing trainers are allowed to be present during the taping.
It is not uncommon, according to Kizer, for fighters to attempt to add extra padding to their tape in order to protect their hands during a fight. Oscar De La Hoya's camp asked to be allowed to place an extra strip of tape on De La Hoya's hands before his recent fight with Manny Pacquiao but was denied because even an extra strip is against the commission's rules.
"Most of the time, fighters are just trying to protect their hands," said Kizer. "I've heard of fighters wanting to put tissue inside their gloves to keep their hands safe."
Kizer said he hopes that the situation with Margarito turns out to be a misunderstanding.
"I hope nothing comes of this," said Kizer. "It's dangerous for any fighter to do anything illegal that could add to their punching power. Think about it -- what if one of the punches kills someone? Now we're talking about manslaughter."
Still, if Margarito is suspended in California, said Kizer, Nevada will "respect the suspension" and not permit Margarito to fight in Las Vegas for the length of the suspension. Kizer added that even if Margarito, who is not currently licensed in Nevada, was not suspended, the boxer would have to satisfactorily explain his actions to the Nevada commission before they would agree to license him.
The results of the California investigation are expected to be announced this week.
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