By James Slater: The main man at welterweight right now, Antonio Margarito has his next fight tentatively pencilled in for November 1st. But who will “The Tijuana Tornado” fight? A better question is who SHOULD Margarito fight?
Ask any fight fan this question, and the most likely name you will get in reply is Paul Williams. Already having beaten the Mexican warrior by a close points verdict, “The Punisher” is clearly the single most sensible choice of opponent for “Tony” in his next fight. The holder of the WBO title (which he originally won from Margarito, before losing it to, and then regaining it from, Carlos Quintana), the freakishly tall welterweight is surely a fighter the WBA champ would like to get it on with again.
Giving Margarito a chance to gain revenge for a loss he feels was unfair, the rematch would likely be a very interesting fight. It does not seem like happening, though. At least not in November. Take one look at BoxRec.com, and you will see – shock, horror – that the name of Zab Judah is next to Margarito’s in relation to the November 1st bout. Could this fight really happen? After losing to Joshua Clottey this past Saturday, for his sixth defeat as a pro, Judah is clearly undeserving of another, immediate, shot at a world title. Listen to some of the whispers on other boxing web sites, and you will realise it’s not just the listing on BoxRec that is cause for concern, however.
It seems a lot of people really do believe Judah will be next for the fearsome Mexican (and admit it, you wouldn’t be overly shocked if things turned out this way, would you?). Apparently, Judah’s conqueror in Clottey will be unable to fight as soon as November because of the torn bicep he suffered whilst beating Zab up at the weekend. Why this makes Judah a realistic alternative is unclear, especially as he suffered a cut so bad he will probably be in no shape to fight in less than three months time himself. But would Zab take the fight if it was offered to him? You bet he would.
But who would pay to see such a fight? With Williams apparently out (due, in large part, to the issues promoter Bob Arum has with Williams’ adviser, Al Haymon), the search is on at the moment for Margarito’s next victim – sorry, opponent. Clearly, Clottey should be next in line after “The Punisher,” but don’t bet on him landing the fight. You can rule out Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Andre Berto, too – because all three fighters have other business to attend to either shortly before, or shortly after November. Carlos Quintana would not be seen as a creditable foe, not after he was iced inside a single round in his last fight (and we all know who that was against). So who does that leave?
The unlucky Joshua Clottey just doesn’t look like getting the rematch he so badly wants. Not marketable enough, while too dangerous at the same time, “The Hitter” will not be given any chance at all to ruin some future mega fights for Margarito. No, Margarito himself is in no way shape or from avoiding Clottey, it is simply a case of the new IBF champ not being on the Mexican’s radar.
Why do I think Zab Judah is on Margarito’s radar!?