By Jake Donovan
Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito is set for his return to the ring on Saturday night as he faces Roberto Garcia at La Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Both fighters made the contracted weight for their bout, which airs live via independent Top Rank pay-per-view (Saturday, 9PM ET). Margarito came in at the junior middleweight limit of 154 lb, while Garcia was slightly under the limit at 153 lb.
The fight will be Margarito’s first since coming off of a year-long suspension follow the aftermath of the events that preceded his knockout loss to Shane Mosley last January. Prior to the bout, Margarito’s handwraps were discovered to be loaded, a matter in which the California State Athletic Commission held both him and trainer Javier Capetillo accountable.
Margarito’s suspension ended more than three months ago, but he has yet to be approved for a boxing license anywhere in the United States. He has not applied for a renewal in California.
A comeback was attempted in March, where Margarito would’ve fought in Dallas in a supporting bout to the pay-per-view headlined by Manny Pacquiao’s virtual shutout of Joshua Clottey. However, a letter was submitted to the Texas Boxing Commission by the Association of Boxing Commissions, strongly discouraging the approval of a license without Margarito first appearing before the CSAC, thus canceling his planned fight with Carson Jones.
The status of his ability to fight in the states is unaffected this weekend, since the bout takes place south of the border. Whether or not it will be frowned upon by stateside commissions remains to be seen, although in fairness, Margarito waited out the terms of his suspension, having not fought in more than 15 months.
Despite the lengthy layoff, Margarito (37-6, 27KO) remains a solid betting favorite to come away with a victory this weekend. There are rumors of his being in line for a fight with Pacquiao in the fall, though there’s obviously a much bigger event awaiting the Filipino superstar. Should a deal be reached for Pacquiao to finally face Floyd Mayweather, Margarito and his handlers will have to look elsewhere for their next payday.
Of course, he still has to look at the guy standing across the ring tomorrow night. To his credit, he’s not taking anything for granted.
"I am so glad to get back into the ring. I really missed the crowds and all of the fans -- but I always kept training,” Margarito states for his first fight in Mexico in more than a decade. “I never left the ring. I feel strong and I am ready.
“During the last year I have always been in the ring working on my timing and keeping sharp. I expect Garcia to charge right at me on Saturday night. That is something I will deal with in the ring.”
He might have to deal with more than that. Garcia (28-2, 21KO) insists he is a new fighter, one that can box as well as slug.
“I am not the same fighter I was two years ago,” insists Garcia, who was born in Mexico but is now based in Texas I’m a world champion in waiting. And one thing is for sure – Margarito is going to have trouble hitting a moving target."
Garcia was a staple of the original Solo Boxeo series before its first run ended in 2008. He has since been treading water, facing pedestrian opposition while awaiting a major opportunity.
Needless to say, this will be by far the biggest fight of Garcia’s career, a fact not at all lost on the fighter.
“My preparation was just not hard, but smart. This has been my best-ever training camp. My claws are sharpened. Working with Freddie Roach also means a lot of film study. Freddie knows everything there is about Margarito.
Perhaps he might even know more about him than the trainer who will be standing in Margarito’s corner on Saturday night. Having spent his entire career with Capetilo, Margarito enters this fight with new trainer Robert Garcia (no relation to the opponent).
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .
