In wake of last Saturday nights shocking revelation that Mexican Antonio Margarito had prepared to potentially use illegal elements to pad his gloves, many around the world of boxing remain in awe. For years Margarito remained under the radar, helping him establish the "most feared man on the planet" title, which now carries a totally different perspective than initially intended.
It should be duly noted that he remains innocent until proven guilty and all intuitions serve as nothing more than speculation, but that hasn't stopped fight fans around the globe from dropping the gavel in the proverbial 'court' of public opinion.
When you look back at the rise of Antonio Margarito, one key fight comes to mind as it relates to the possible initiating phase of this alleged glove padding. That fight being the showdown that took place last Summer between he and Puerto Rican phenom Miguel Cotto, when the powerful Cotto was battered and later stopped in the 11th round.
Many have seen Cotto cut in the past but never to this degree, and certainly not enough to stop the young fighter known for having the heart of a lion.
Only a few fights prior to the Cotto fight, Margarito faced Paul Williams in a slugfest that made it visibly appear as if he could do no true damage to anyone, as Williams left the ring with barely a few scratches after taking all Margarito could offer in a bout that stretched the full 12 rounds.
It was that immediately following that point where the power and mystique of Margarito began to intensify, as he ran through Cintron, Golden Johnson, and Miguel Cotto like a hot knife through butter.
As a result of the investigation into this possibility, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has indefinitely suspended the licenses of both Margarito and cornerman Javier Capetillo until they go to court on February 10th to address the matter before the board.
One would like to think that this matter will be washed away as an arrested development, but all indications appear that there's far more at stake.
If there was illegal elements involved, it may be to Maragrito's benefit that they were found before the bout, because such a finding after the bout could have produced a catastrophic ending, potentially even resulting in criminal charges.
If indeed it's true, that would be a sad day for not only the boxer and his fans, but the sport as well. It just often seems as if boxing can't win.
In many ways this allegation has taken a potential fight of the year from a positive, and instead shifted the spotlight to the fact that it paired a man with steroid allegations against a potential cheater.
It remains to be seen whether or not Margarito did prepare to cheat
> BOXING SCHEDULE > ROY JONES JR. TORNADO FUNDRAISER > FIGHT LIFE MAGAZINE 
