By James Slater – It seems the 12-round beating he took at the hands of Manny Pacquiao was far worse than it looked for Antonio Margarito. According to a news piece on fight news.com, “Tony” not only suffered a broken orbital socket in the November 2010 fight, but also a detached retina. One of the most serious injuries any boxer can fall foul of, a detached retina has ended many a great career.
As fans know, the 33-year-old Mexican warrior was looking ahead to a fall meeting with Miguel Cotto, in what would have been a return of the “Tijuana Tornado’s” 2008 stoppage win over the Puerto Rican.. Now, with Margarito’s very career hanging in the balance, the word is Cotto, the reigning WBA 154-pound champion, may face another Mexican in Julio Cesar Chavez Junior instead.
This match-up, one that has been set to go before, is reliant on “The Son Of A Legend” coming out of his June 4th fight with Sebastian Zbik with a win. If Chavez Junior wins this fight, he will likely make his first defence of the “regular” WBC middleweight belt against Cotto; who would be seeking a title in a fourth weight division.
It seems then, as though the career of Chavez Jr. is approaching its most exciting phase yet. On the down side, the career of Margarito may be over. Many fans may have a tough time having any sympathy for Antonio, due to the whole hand-wraps scandal that will forever be attached to his name and legacy, but no fighter deserves a detached retina.
Such an injury does not always spell the end for a fighter; as the legendary “Sugar” Ray Leonard proved in the mid-1980s. Leonard had successful surgery on his eye and was able to continue his career (most famously beating Marvellous Marvin Hagler in 1987). Maybe Margarito will be as fortunate.