Antonio Margarito: Is This His Redemption? Can He Shake The Stink Of Cheating?

“I think that beating Manny Pacquiao will make people forget my past" - Antonio Margarito

Will it? Let’s put it to you. If Margarito wins will you forget about his past? Will you forget about the loaded wraps they busted him with as he gloved up for the “Sugar” Shane Mosley fight? Will you think he didn’t have them against Miguel Cotto? Does anyone think he’s never had them before all this blew up?

Can Margarito ever shake the stink of being thought of as a cheater in a way so very unforgivable in boxing?

Let’s face it; loaded gloves are one of the most heinous and unforgivable scumbag things to do. It’s the lowest form of cheating that can be done in the Sweet Science.

If Antonio were caught taking steroids or human growth hormones, we’d be angry, but ultimately that’s forgivable. If against Cotto he just kept slamming violently away at Miguel’s crotch we’d be angry, but still we’d be more forgiving.

If Margarito was bitten by a Zombie from ’28 Days Later’ and tried to eat Cotto we’d be concerned, but still be more forgiving.

Loading wraps or gloves is simply unforgivable. It’s one of boxing’s ultimate sins.

We’ve all read articles, blogs and comments accusing and condemning, as well as defending Antonio on the issue, and at this point in time shouldn’t we consider the past as being the past? Hey, the reality is that he served out his punishment and he has a license to fight. Shouldn’t we be saying “case closed”?

What makes this interesting is that we’re not satisfied. We’re not over it and we don’t have any sense of closure.

Using Mosley’s scandalous past  (involving steroids) as an example, we’re satisfied. He hasn’t tested positive for anything and truthfully no one really cares about it anymore. It’s very simple for us. He hasn’t tested positive. He is not cheating.  The past is the past. We have a sense of closure.

Let’s look at Pacquiao. There’s currently a lingering suspicion about him using performance enhancing drugs, and while we think it sucks and that’s it’s unfair IF he IS using something, there’s simply a mild concern over it. Nothing substantiated and there’s a more passive or excusable attitude towards the suspicion. There isn’t a bloodthirsty outrage over it.

When it comes to loading gloves though there is in inherent sense of wrath, anger and fury about it. It’s simply the lowest and most unacceptable form of cheating in boxing.

This is what Margarito is stuck with.

There’s an amazing aura of destructive wickedness that seeps through Margarito that lately is a combination of his fighting style that has become painfully and somewhat naturally fused together with the perceived evil deed that he has done.

Interestingly, this has made Antonio more of a compelling figure. Watching HBO’s ‘24/7 Pacquiao-Margarito’ has been fantastic in watching Antonio train. The passion in which he trains, the sincere love he shows for his craft and the desperateness of his quest for redemption makes him incredibly sympathetic and extremely likeable, and yet, there’s something about him that conjures up a Richard Nixon type of emotional response. There’s something untrustworthy, something dark and something poisonous that percolates and oozes out of him.

Again, this is what Margaito is stuck with.

This is a do or die fight for him. To him, this fight can clear his name, can exonerate him, and can remove the stink of cheating that clings to him and wafts into the ring before he even arrives.

Margarito says that “beating him [Manny Pacquiao] will stop the talk that I went into the ring with something illegal”.

I find myself wanting to like Margarito, but unable to come to grips with what happened. If he does beat Manny will that change my mind? Or will it change my perception of Antonio Margarito?

No.

Pacquiao is not the fighter that will give Margarito redemption if victorious.

Don’t get me wrong, this is going to be a fun as hell fight and I’m psyched for November 13^th, but this is not Antonio’s Margarito’s redemption fight.

Buster Paris always enjoys receiving your thoughts, comments and questions – please feel free to leave any below.