Antonio Margarito Montiel (born March 18, 1978) is a Mexican-American former professional boxer. Known for his aggressive, relentless fighting style and formidable punch resistance, Margarito held multiple world championships in the welterweight division, including the WBO title from 2002 to 2007, the IBF title in 2008, and the WBA (Super) title in 2008. His career was later marred by a significant hand wrap controversy.
Early Life and Career
Born in Torrance, California, Margarito was raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, and proudly represented Mexico throughout his boxing career. He began his professional boxing journey in 1994 at the age of 16. After compiling a record with several early losses, he steadily improved, known for his ability to absorb punishment and continuously advance on opponents.Championship Reign and Notable Fights
Margarito first gained significant attention in the welterweight division (147 lbs).- WBO Welterweight Title: On March 16, 2002, he defeated Antonio Díaz to win the WBO Welterweight title. He successfully defended this title seven times against various contenders, including notable victories over Kermit Cintrón (twice) and Andrew Lewis.
- Unification and Significant Victories: After losing and regaining the WBO title, Margarito's career peaked in 2008. He defeated Kermit Cintrón again, this time for the IBF Welterweight title, and then faced undefeated Miguel Cotto on July 26, 2008. In a highly anticipated and brutal fight, Margarito stopped Cotto in the eleventh round to win the WBA (Super) Welterweight title, widely considered his career-defining victory at the time.
Hand Wrap Controversy
The high point of Margarito's career was swiftly followed by a major controversy. Ahead of his January 24, 2009, WBA title defense against Shane Mosley, Mosley's trainer, Nazim Richardson, observed a plaster-like substance in Margarito's hand wraps. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) intervened, and new wraps were applied. Margarito went on to suffer a ninth-round technical knockout loss, his first stoppage defeat.- Suspension and Aftermath: Following an investigation, the CSAC determined that Margarito's former trainer, Javier Capetillo, had inserted illegal plaster-of-Paris inserts into the hand wraps. Both Margarito and Capetillo were suspended for one year by the CSAC. Margarito consistently denied any knowledge of the illegal substance, but the incident cast a significant shadow over his career, leading many to question the legitimacy of his prior victories, particularly the one against Miguel Cotto.
Later Career and Retirement
After his suspension, Margarito returned to the ring, fighting at light middleweight (154 lbs) and welterweight.- Manny Pacquiao Fight: In November 2010, Margarito fought Manny Pacquiao for the vacant WBC Light Middleweight title. Despite a courageous effort, he suffered a severe beating, sustaining significant facial injuries, including a fractured orbital bone, and losing by unanimous decision.
- Cotto Rematch: A highly anticipated rematch with Miguel Cotto took place in December 2011. The fight was stopped in the tenth round due to the deteriorating condition of Margarito's right eye, the same eye injured in the Pacquiao fight. Cotto won by technical knockout. Margarito fought two more times in 2016 and 2017 before officially announcing his retirement from boxing in 2017, concluding his career with a professional record of 41 wins (27 KOs), 8 losses, and 1 draw.