By Rick Reeno

Earlier this week, former champions Winky Wright and "Sugar" Shane Mosley, both 40-years-old, announced their retirements from boxing. Earlier today, former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, 34, joined the pack and revealed that he plans to walk away from the ring.

Margarito (38-8, 27KOs) has never been the same after taking a twelve round beating from Manny Pacquiao in the fall of 2010. During the action, he suffered a broken orbital bone and underwent several surgical procedures to correct the damage to his right eye.

There were numerous hurdles to get him medically approved to face Miguel Cotto in a rematch last December at Madison Square Garden in New York. Within a few rounds, the right eye began to swell at a rapid pace and the ringside physician eventally stopped the fight because of the eye in the tenth round.

Margarito will always be regarded as a tough competitor, but there will always be controversy when experts discuss his legacy because of the handwraps incident prior to his 2009 TKO loss to Shane Mosley in California. Prior to the fight, inserts containing a plaster-like substance were discovered in his wraps. The California State Atheltic Commission would later revoke his license for one year.

"He gave us a heads up last week. He said his body was breaking down. We certainly encouraged him to retire. We are gratified for all that we could do for him. We've made him financially secure. We fought like hell for him in order to do so. I'm really proud of what we all did at Top Rank and we wish Tony the best of luck for the rest of his life," Arum said.

"He was a fighter who never quit. He gave everything in every fight. He was not the most talented guy in the world, but certainly one of the most toughest."