Antonio Margarito License Decision a Victory for Everyone...Except Fans

To the surprise of no one who follows boxing on a regular basis, Antonio Margarito was approved to fight in Texas on Thursday, clearing the way for him to fight Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium on Nov. 13.

The decision came with a distinct lack of drama because promoter Bob Arum had maintained all along how confident he was that Texas would clear his man to fight.

That confidence turned out not to be misplaced, as regulators seemingly had their minds made up before they even had to make a ruling.

That stands in stark contrast to the five-hour questioning Margarito endured last week in California, the state that suspended him for having loaded hand wraps that were discovered before his 2009 fight against Shane Mosley.

Even Nevada, which eventually chose not to decide at all, gave a Margarito license with more thought than Texas.

It's just the latest stop on the Margarito career roller coaster, which crested two years ago when he out-slugged Miguel Cotto in the summer of 2008 but hit rock bottom when the hand-wrap controversy transformed him from blue-collar champion to cheater in the eyes of many boxing fans.

Yet 18 months later, he now stands on the cusp of the biggest payday of his life. And he certainly enjoys a much higher profile because of the controversy, which should be "Exhibit A" for the idea that any publicity is good publicity.

He's not the only winner either. Arum has to be ecstatic, as he now has a big fight to put on at a venue he clearly admires. Since he promotes both men, he doesn't even have to negotiate with anyone.

Pacquiao gets the opportunity to add a world title belt in an eye-popping eighth weight class, though only the WBC can properly explain why two men who have one combined fight at 154 pounds in the last five years are competing for a light middleweight title.

With any luck, Pac Man can put on a show that helps ease the pain of people who were hoping to see him battle Floyd Mayweather for pound-for-pound supremacy this fall.

So it's a happy ending for everyone, right? Not quite.

One can't help but feel like the ticket-buying public is getting hosed in this deal.

Yes, Manny's legions of followers will be happy that he's back in action, but it will be against a man many don't think deserves the opportunity...and a poor substitute for Mayweather.

Had Texas decided to honor Margarito's California suspension, Arum may have been forced to look outside Top Rank to get Pacquiao back in the ring in November.

Say, to Juan Manuel Marquez for example, who has been champing at the bit for another shot at Manny.

There's also no guarantee the in-ring product will be that exciting. Almost by default, it will end up more interesting than Pacquiao's last trip to Dallas, a snoozer decision over a timid Joshua Clottey.

But even though both fighters have reputations for hard-hitting action, there are reasons to fear a stinker this time out.

Margarito's size advantage could force Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach to be extra cautious, or Pac Man could simply be too quick with his feet and fists for the Tijuana Tornado to track him down.

Make no mistake: people will still watch. I'm even considering making the trek to Texas to see the bout in person, as much for the venue as for the fight itself.

It's just that there's something distasteful about the whole thing, both in terms of wondering whether Margarito has paid the proper price and the sense that the fans are just going to be grudgingly accepting this fight because it's what's being offered.

No amount of glee or relief on the part of the winners in this saga will change that.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com. Follow his Twitter feed @Nick_Tylwalk or the site's feed @boxing_watchers.