Antonio Margarito Was Beaten Before He Entered the Ring Against Shane Mosley

In everything that we do, we must always be prepared, mentally and physically. Without one of these, we would not be successful in what we want to do unless luck is smiling on us at that moment.

In sports preparation, it is very important before the athletes hit the big lights. In the NBA, NFL, or Major League Baseball to name some, they hold regular practices to prepare for the next game.

Other athletes do change their appearances that others may find intimidating just to gain that mental edge.

As with boxing, preparations may be different but still the result of getting the “win” turns out to be the same. Physical and mental preparations are the key elements to winning.

Boxers go through months of pain before a fight through routine conditioning exercises that sometimes makes the trainee bored and of course sparring.  Though some fighters don’t spar a lot as to basketball teams who don’t engage in so much scrimmages during practice.

Trainers device a plan on how to condition the minds and physicals of their fighters before fight time. The two elements go hand-in-hand. If one is missing, the possibility of doom is inevitable.

Would you believe that Antonio Margarito was already derailed emotionally before entering the ring against Mosley?

Mosley's trainer, Nazim Richardson’s discovery of alleged illegal hardened plasters on Margarito’s bandage went straight to his head minutes before they stepped into the ring.

You are not human if you are not affected by that incident.

The said incident in the locker room was an intangible factor in Margarito’s defeat. 

Who wouldn’t be affected by that.  A fighter being looked up to by fans for being big and strong and might who bulldozes opponents away at will be branded as an alleged cheat with hardened plasters?

Imagine, someone catches LeBron James in the locker room eating some “power spinach” a la Popeye and putting some spring in his shoes. That would make you say “Oooohhh, that’s what make him so strong and jumps so high.”

Antonio’s presumed innocent until proven. But the gold bar that was lost here was R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

With Margarito, the respect that he once had will be clouded with doubt.

Because of so many things going on his mind minutes away before the big fight, directly or indirectly affected his performance that night.

He was blown away even before the first round bell sounded. The mental beating that he had did it for the night.

Mosley put on a hell of a show and credit is due to him. He bullied the bully into submission. He deserved the win. And Richardson deserves the same.

They capitalized on the advantage right from the start. They won the "chess" part of the game and eventually the physical followed.