Antonio Margarito


Antonio "Tony" Margarito Montiel is a Mexican-American former professional boxer who competed between 1994 and 2017. He held multiple welterweight world championships, including the WBO title from 2002 to 2007, the IBF title in 2008, and the WBA title from 2008 to 2009. He also challenged three times for a light middleweight world title between 2004 and 2011. Nicknamed El Tornado de Tijuana, Margarito was known for his aggressive pressure fighting style and exceptionally durable chin.
In 2009, just before his fight with Shane Mosley, Margarito was involved in an incident where he was caught with illegal hand wraps containing gypsum which, when combined with moisture, forms plaster of Paris. His signature stoppage victory over Miguel Cotto in 2008 was subsequently called into question. Following consecutive losses to Manny Pacquiao and a rematch against Cotto, Margarito retired from boxing in 2012 but returned for three more fights between 2016 and 2017.

Early life and amateur career

Margarito was born in Torrance, California. From the age of two he grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, where he and his brother spent a lot of time in a neighborhood boxing gym.
He compiled a record of 18-3 in his relatively brief amateur career, indicating that he may have turned pro quickly due to financial concerns.

Professional career

Welterweight

Margarito made his debut at the age of 15, beating Jose Trujillo in Tijuana by decision. On April 25 he achieved his first knockout, defeating Victor Angulo in the second round. On October 17 he suffered his first defeat, a six-round decision to Victor Lozoya. Over the next six bouts, he went 4–2. Following that, his financial situation dramatically improved and from there he went 28–2–1, with notable wins over Alfred Ankamah, Juan Soberanes, future World Middleweight Champion Sergio Gabriel Martinez, Buck Smith, David Kamau and Frankie Randall, a former World Light Welterweight Champion who became the first man to beat Julio César Chávez in 91 fights.

First world title fight

On July 21, 2001, he got his first world title try against southpaw Daniel Santos for the WBO Welterweight title at Bayamón, Puerto Rico's Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum. The fight had to be stopped in the first round as a consequence of a clash of heads that opened deep gashes on both fighters and sent them both to a nearby hospital. Because the fight had not gone at least four rounds, a technical decision could not be awarded. The bout was declared a no contest and Santos retained the belt.

WBO welterweight champion

Santos then vacated the WBO title to go up in weight and pursue the WBO Light Middleweight Championship and Margarito was assigned to fight Antonio Díaz for the vacant title in front of an HBO Boxing audience. On March 16, 2002, Margarito crowned himself world champion, beating Diaz by knockout in round ten. He defended that crown with a decision in twelve over Danny Perez Ramírez and a knockout in two over former WBA title holder Andrew Lewis. Lewis was a southpaw and a hard puncher, but had been exposed as having a weak chin, while Margarito proved that he has a world class chin. He publicly asked for a unification bout with then WBC and WBA Champion Ricardo Mayorga.
At this point, Margarito considered going up in weight to try to lure Fernando Vargas, Oscar De La Hoya or Shane Mosley into a lucrative fight, or Santos into a rematch at the light middleweight division. On October 17, 2003, Margarito made his light middleweight division debut with a two-round knockout win over Maurice Brantley in Phoenix, Arizona.
On January 31, 2004, back in the welterweight division, he retained his title with a second-round knockout of Canada's previously undefeated Hercules Kyvelos.
Margarito faced Daniel Santos in a rematch on September 11 of the same year at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan for Santos' WBO Light Middleweight title. The rematch also ended because of a headbutt, but this time, as the fight had already reached the four rounds mark needed for fights like these to be decided by judges, Margarito lost by a split ten round technical decision. He was down on two scorecards when the fight was stopped.
On April 23, 2005, Margarito retained his WBO welterweight title against another Puerto Rican, undefeated world class puncher Kermit Cintron, dropping him four times on his way to a fifth-round knockout. This was regarded as one of his best wins.
After almost a ten-month layoff, Margarito returned to the boxing ring on February 18, 2006, retaining his title with a first-round knockout of Jaime Manuel Gomez, who had lasted eleven rounds with Mosley for the IBF Lightweight title eight and a half years before.
On December 2, 2006, Margarito defeated future champion Joshua Clottey by a twelve-round unanimous decision. Margarito set a Compubox all-time record of 1,675 total punches thrown in a twelve-round bout. In the aftermath of the fight, it was revealed that Margarito had injured his ankle a week before the fight, but went on to fight regardless of the injury.

Losing and regaining the WBO welterweight title

On July 14, 2007, Margarito lost a 12-round unanimous decision to undefeated challenger Paul Williams, losing his WBO belt. After the bout, Margarito heavily disputed the decision, claiming that he had landed the most meaningful punches. Williams, however, landed the most punches according to compubox.
On April 12, 2008, Margarito engaged in a rematch with Cintron, who had won the IBF Welterweight title belt following his loss to Margarito in 2005. In the early rounds, Cintron struck Margarito with several flush power shots to the head, but Margarito remained unhurt and continued to execute a game plan of continuously moving forward and pressuring Cintron. In the sixth round, Margarito landed a liver shot, knocking Cintron out and taking the IBF title. As the referee counted Cintron out, HBO cameras captured Margarito from a neutral corner, gesturing upward with his arms and urging Cintron to get up so that the two men could continue fighting.

Margarito vs. Cotto

Following his successful rematch with Cintron, the IBF ordered him to fight a mandatory defense against the organization's number-one contender, Joshua Clottey, whom Margarito had previously defeated in 2006. Rather than agreeing to a rematch with Clottey, Margarito vacated the IBF title and agreed to a fight with undefeated WBA Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. The Cotto-Margarito match took place on July 26, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Margarito won in the 11th round via technical knockout. Margarito had lost almost all the early rounds, but he came back with relentless pace, eventually winning in the 11th round, in which was one of the best fights of the year. At the time of the stoppage, Margarito was ahead by two rounds on two judges' scorecards, with one judge having it even. Prior to his fight with Shane Mosley, Margarito had a record of 37 wins, 5 losses and 1 no contest, with 27 wins by knockout.

Margarito vs. Mosley

Margarito fought Shane Mosley on January 24, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California to defend his WBA title and for the vacant Lineal Welterweight Championship of Lineal Champs and Cyber Boxing Zone . The Ring did not recognize this bout for its vacant Welterweight Championship despite the fact it pitted The Ring #1 ranked welterweight, Antonio Margarito, vs. The Ring #3 ranked welterweight, Shane Mosley. Coming in the bout, Margarito had just stopped the previous The Ring #1 ranked welterweight and current The Ring #2 ranked welterweight, Miguel Cotto. In the fight, Margarito was battered and outclassed by Mosley and lost the fight and his WBA title by 9th-round technical knockout.
After the knockout loss, Margarito said he was weight-drained during the fight, and was also suffering from dehydration and back problems.

Tampered handwraps controversy

Controversy erupted before the fight when Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, observed that Margarito had a pasty white substance in his handwraps. One doctor described this material as plaster hidden in the wrapped hands of Margarito, leading to accusations that he may have been trying to cheat. At Richardson's insistence, California State Inspector Dean Lohuis called for Margarito's hands to be rewrapped. According to Judd Burstein, the attorney for Mosley, Margarito had wet pads in the wrapping. Mosley's doctor, Robert Olvera, likened the material to the type of plaster used to make casts. Burstein said he seized the pad removed from the wrapping and another pad found in Margarito's dressing room. Both were placed in a sealed box that was given to Lohuis for further study. The California Department of Justice laboratory later confirmed the substance to be similar in nature to plaster of Paris.
In late January, the California State Athletic Commission suspended Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo, pending investigation. At the hearing, Margarito claimed he did not know what was in the wraps, while Capetillo admitted to making "a big mistake" by placing the wrong inserts into Margarito's hand wraps. The commission voted unanimously to revoke Margarito and Capetillo's licenses for at least one year. While it found Margarito did not know about the gloves, it took the line that as head of the team, he was responsible for Capetillo's actions.
The commission officially stated that Margarito did not know of the substance in his gloves but as the "captain of his ship" as stated by the same commission, he was responsible for it, thus the upheld suspension.
Since state boxing commissions generally honor suspensions imposed in other states, this action effectively banned Margarito from boxing in the United States.
In November 2009, it emerged that red stains on the hand wraps Margarito used in the Cotto fight were similar to the stains on the inserts seized before the Mosley fight. This has raised suspicions that Margarito's gloves were loaded for that fight and possibly others as well.

Margarito vs. Garcia

Margarito was scheduled to return to the ring on March 13, 2010 against Carson Jones, pending his relicensing, on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard. But for reasons unspecified, promoter Top Rank announced he would not return.
Margarito expressed interest in fighting Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao if the latter's bout with Floyd Mayweather did not materialize.
His comeback fight was postponed until May 8 and was held at Aguascalientes, Mexico, where he faced light middleweight contender Roberto García. Margarito won a ten-round unanimous decision over Garcia to capture the vacant WBC International Light Middleweight title. The judges’ score cards were 99–89, 100–88 and 99–90, all in favor of Margarito.
Margarito knocked Garcia down in the first round, the first time Garcia was knocked down in his boxing career.

Margarito vs. Pacquiao

On July 23, 2010, Bob Arum announced that Margarito would face Manny Pacquiao for the WBC Light Middleweight championship that was vacated by current Middleweight champion Sergio Gabriel Martinez. The fight took place on Saturday, November 13, 2010 in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as Margarito got a boxing license in Texas, United States. In his camp for this fight, Margarito had four southpaw sparring partners who are; Karim Martínez, Cleotis Pendarvis, number one mandatory for the WBA Light Middleweight title, Austin Trout, and U.S. Olympic silver medalist Ricardo Williams. Margarito had a 17-pound weight advantage, a 5.5 inch height advantage, and a six-inch reach advantage. Margarito was dominated by Pacquiao and took a savage, brutal, relentless beating for 12 rounds, and suffered bad eye damage in this fight. On the fourth episode of HBO reality show 24/7, it was observed that one week before the fight, Margarito weighed in at 154 lbs with the fight scheduled at a catchweight of 150 lbs. The fight wound up being a unanimous decision loss for Margarito, with the judges' scorecards being 120–108, 119–109, and 118–108. Margarito was taken to the hospital directly after the fight where it was discovered that his left orbital bone had been fractured. Surgery had to be postponed to two days later as his face was too swollen to operate on.
Five weeks before the fight, Margarito and boxer Brandon Rios were interviewed by Elie Seckbach and the video taken showed both of them mocking Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach who has Parkinson's disease. On the Thursday before the fight, Margarito publicly apologized to Roach and to everyone suffering from Parkinson's.

Margarito vs. Cotto II

On December 3, 2011, Margarito was defeated by Miguel Cotto via TKO by doctor stoppage in the 10th round. The fight was stopped at the start of the 10th round because of the condition of Margarito's right eye, which was swelled shut. This was the same eye that was badly damaged in his previous fight with Manny Pacquiao and the one that almost kept the New York State Athletic Commission from granting him his boxing license because of the special procedure that was performed on it in 2010. Margarito retired following this fight.

Comeback

Margarito came out of retirement in 2016, winning two bouts that year. He faced Carson Jones on September 2, 2017, winning a slugfest by seventh-round technical decision after a cut opened up on Margarito's eye in the early rounds.

Personal life

Margarito resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Lorena, whom he married after his first marriage to his childhood sweetheart Michelle, whom he married in 1999, came to an end.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
50Win41–8 Carson JonesTD7, 3:00Sep 2, 2017 Gimnasio Manuel Bernardo Aguirre, Chihuahua City, MexicoUnanimous TD after Margarito was cut from an accidental head clash
49Win40–8 Ramón ÁlvarezSD10Aug 13, 2016 Baja California Center, Rosarito Beach, MexicoWon vacant WBO–NABO light middleweight title
48Win39–8 Jorge Páez Jr.UD10Mar 5, 2016 Mexico City Arena, Mexico City, Mexico
47Loss38–8 Miguel CottoRTD9, 3:00Dec 3, 2011 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.For WBA light middleweight title
46Loss38–7 Manny PacquiaoUD12Nov 13, 2010 Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S.For vacant WBC light middleweight title
45Win38–6 Roberto GarcíaUD10May 8, 2010 Plaza de Toros Monumental, Aguascalientes City, MexicoWon vacant WBC International light middleweight title
44Loss37–6 Shane MosleyTKO9, 0:43Jan 24, 2009 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Lost WBA welterweight title
43Win37–5 Miguel CottoTKO11, 2:05Jul 26, 2008 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won WBA welterweight title
42Win36–5 Kermit CintrónKO6, 1:57Apr 12, 2008 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Won IBF welterweight title
41Win35–5 Golden JohnsonTKO1, 2:28Nov 10, 2007 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
40Loss34–5 Paul WilliamsUD12Jul 14, 2007 Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S.Lost WBO welterweight title
39Win34–4 Joshua ClotteyUD12Dec 2, 2006 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
38Win33–4 Jaime Manuel GómezTKO1, 1:14Feb 18, 2006 The New Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
37Win32–4 Kermit CintrónTKO5, 2:12Apr 23, 2005 Caesar's Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
36Win31–4 Sebastián LujánTKO10, 2:57Feb 18, 2005 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
35Loss30–4 Daniel Santos10 Sep 11, 2004 José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto RicoFor WBO light middleweight title;
Split TD after Margarito was cut from an accidental head clash
34Win30–3 Hercules KyvelosTKO2, 0:54Jan 31, 2004 Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
33Win29–3 Maurice BrantleyTKO2, 2:47Oct 17, 2003 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
32Win28–3 Andrew LewisTKO2, 2:31Feb 8, 2003 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
31Win27–3 Danny Perez RamírezUD12Oct 12, 2002 Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California, U.S.Retained WBO welterweight title
30Win26–3 Antonio DíazTKO10, 2:17Mar 16, 2002 Bally's Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won vacant WBO welterweight title
2925–3 Daniel SantosNC1, 2:11Jul 21, 2001 Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto RicoWBO welterweight title at stake;
NC after Margarito was cut from an accidental head clash
28Win25–3 Robert WestKO1, 2:19Mar 30, 2001 Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
27Win24–3 Frankie Randall4, 3:00Dec 10, 2000 Shrine Building, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
26Win23–3 José Luis BenítezTKO1, 1:06Sep 17, 2000 El Gran Mercado, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
25Win22–3 David KamauTKO2 Jun 16, 2000 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.Won WBO–NABO welterweight title
24Win21–3 Sergio MartínezTKO7, 2:57Feb 19, 2000 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
23Win20–3 Efrain MunozKO2 Dec 15, 1999 Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California, U.S.
22Win19–3 Buck SmithTKO5 Oct 23, 1999 Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
21Win18–3 Danny Perez8Jun 12, 1999 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
20Win17–3 Daniel MendezKO3Jun 7, 1999 Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico
19Win16–3 Reyes EstradaKO2Dec 4, 1998 Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico
18Win15–3 Javier Francisco MendezKO10Jun 27, 1998 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
17Win14–3 Miguel GonzálezUD8Apr 24, 1998 Scottish Rite Event Center, San Diego, California, U.S.
16Win13–3 Cesar ValdezTKO5, 0:42Nov 29, 1997 The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
15Win12–3 Horatio GarciaUD10Jun 26, 1997 Reseda Country Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
14Win11–3 Juan SoberanesUD10Dec 2, 1996 Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California, U.S.
13Win10–3 Alfred AnkamahKO4, 2:59Oct 14, 1996 Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California, U.S.
12Loss9–3 Rodney JonesUD10Jun 28, 1996 Culver City, California, U.S.
11Win9–2 Juan Yoani CervantesKO4 Apr 18, 1996 Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
10Loss8–2 Larry DixonUD10Feb 26, 1996 Tijuana, Mexico
9Win8–1 Antonio OjedaKO4Sep 10, 1995 Tijuana, Mexico
8Win7–1 Carlos PalafoxPTS4Mar 18, 1995 Tijuana, Mexico
7Win6–1 Efrain MunozPTS4Jan 26, 1995 Tijuana, Mexico
6Loss5–1 Victor Lozoya6Oct 17, 1994 Tijuana, Mexico
5Win5–0 Francisco LopezTKO3 Aug 5, 1994 Ensenada, Mexico
4Win4–0 Cesar Roland1 Jun 27, 1994 Tijuana, Mexico
3Win3–0 Victor Angulo4 Apr 25, 1994 Tijuana, Mexico
2Win2–0 Gilberto PlataUD4Jan 21, 1994 Tijuana, Mexico
1Win1–0 Jose Trujillo4Jan 14, 1994 Tijuana, Mexico