Have You Forgiven Antonio Margarito?

Antonio Margarito, aka “Tony,” might just be the ultimate bad guy of boxing; over still-recent times, anyway. And you know why. The once so admired Mexican warrior committed the ultimate sin in attempting to enter the ring with loaded wraps, this his losing fight with Sugar Shane Mosley.

The fact that Margarito was busted by trainer Naazim Richardson, wasn’t the full story.

We still do not, to this day, know if Margarito got away with cheating in previous fights. We will never know. Miguel Cotto, stopped by a rampaging Margarito in an epic from July of 2008, this in the Mexican’s fight prior to being stopped by Mosley, is certain Margarito fought with tampered gloves, or wraps, that night.

There are other fighters who shared a ring with Margarito who are suspicious, including Kermit Cintron, who twice got stopped by Margarito. Again, we will never know, but Margarito has always insisted he was no knowing cheat, with the shamed fighter preferring to let his trainer, Javier Capetillo, take the blame.

But Margarito, prior to becoming forever known by his highly unofficial nickname of “Margacheato,” was one heck of a fighter.

So, is Margarito’s ring career worth celebrating? Even remembering? Have you forgiven Margarito for what he (allegedly) did.

Going pro in January of 1994, in Tijuana, Margarito, aged just 15, would soon be thrilling fans with great action fights. Later still, Margarito would find himself first challenging for, and then winning, world titles. Margarito, who picked up a good win that later became more prominent, this over future champ Sergio Martinez, then boxed a no-contest with Daniel Santos. In his second shot at the WBO welterweight title, Margarito stopped Antonio Diaz in 10; this the fight that Margarito would years later tell Ring Magazine was his proudest moment.

After three retentions, bogeyman Santos took the belt in a rematch, this via a technical decision. But Margarito’s run as WBO champ was not over, with his biggest – and most notorious – fights still to come. Solid wins over Cintron and Joshua Clottey saw Margarito defend the belt, while tall puncher Paul Williams defeated Margarito via decision in 2007.

Prior to the loss to “The Punisher,” Margarito was put forth by Top Rank as a foe for Floyd Mayweather. Reports informed us how Mayweather declined the fight. As per a RingTV.com article, Mayweather was offered the princely sum of $8 million.

Rebounding after the Williams defeat, Margarito, now aged 30, smashed Cintron again, the repeat win seeing him claim the IBF welterweight title. Then came Margarito’s biggest win, the 11th round stoppage of Cotto in what was a great fight. Now the WBA welterweight ruler, Margarito was a genuine fan-favourite.

But then came the Mosley controversy/disgrace. And “Tony” would never, ever be looked at in the same way. Mosley, who fought one of his best fights, cracked Margarito’s rock of a chin for a ninth round stoppage win. Margarito, his reputation equally blasted due to the wraps scandal, didn’t fight again for 16 months.

When he did come back, the fans not trusting him, Margarito was not the same force. Beaten up badly by Manny Pacquiao in 2010, this despite outweighing Pac-Man by a considerable margin, Margarito’s face took a fearful hammering, his eyesight really suffering. A rematch with Cotto saw Margarito pulled out after nine rounds, his right eye a hideous mess.

Retirement, and a permanent one, seemed to be Margarito’s sole option. But, after over four years out, a faded Margarito came back, with him winning three fights but not looking at all impressive in either bout.

Margarito exited for good whilst sporting a 41-8-1 no contest (27 KO) record.

So how great was Margarito? Was he ever great? How many of Margarito’s big fights were on the level, fought fairly, with no tampering of either his wraps or his gloves, or anything else? To repeat, we will never know. As such, we can’t say how great Margarito was, or if he was ever great.

What do passionate boxing fans think of Margarito today, and can his reputation ever come close to even partially recovering?