Manny Pacquiao Vs. Antonio Margarito: Margarito Disrespects The Sport Again

Boxing can be an ugly sport.  From its inception, history dictates a timeline filled with back-room deals, thrown fights, steroids and controversy.

However, among all the duplicities in boxing, there has always been a hint of decorum.

A “fighter’s code” is what keeps the sport sufferable and amid the inhumanity most fighters do their best to remain respectful of the unwritten rules.

Last week Margarito and his trainer Roberto Garcia chose to disrespect the sport of boxing, its fans and the brave pugilists who grace the canvas.

The California Boxing Commission revoked Margarito’s license to fight for one year in January, 2009 after a questionable plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps prior to his bout with Shane Mosley.

Antonio has vehemently denied any knowledge of the substance and requested a reinstatement from the California Boxing Commission after he served his suspension. It was denied.

Texas granted Margarito a license to fight for his November 13, 2010 bout with Pacquiao.  Since that time, Margarito has expressed his gratitude to the Texas Boxing Commission and implored the boxing community to believe he is a man of honor.   

"Obviously, I feel bad about anything that could have happened," Margarito told the L.A. Times. "I'm going to show in my next fight and from every fight from now on that I didn't do those things with my [hand] wraps."

After watching HBO 24/7 Episode II, I seriously doubt the sincerity of those statements.

At the Oxnard Boxing Academy, home of the Margarito training camp, trainer Roberto Garcia and Antonio Margarito made light of the entire incident.

Hoisting a large paver-stone on to Margarito’s hand and wrapping gauze over it, Garcia exclaimed “Don’t look Antonio!”

The entire camp found this satire hilarious and Margarito played it up for the HBO cameras.

I found his actions to be unacceptable.

Antonio Margarito, whether you feel you did nothing wrong in the hand wrapping scandal or not is irrelevant. 

It’s the perception of impropriety and your lack of appreciation for the second chance you’ve been given that disgusts me the most.

If you truly did nothing wrong, and are grateful to the Texas Boxing Commission for believing you had nothing to do with the hand wrapping incident, why would you pretend to be doing just such a thing?

Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.  Margarito, this incident tested your core and you have revealed your true nature.  Just as you have crassly dismissed any wrongdoing, so should the boxing community with your rest of your boxing career.