By Mark Vester
If the junior middleweight bout between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito takes place in the United States on November 13, it will not be in Las Vegas. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Top Rank, who promote both boxers, withdrew a request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission add Margarito's application for a provisional one-fight license to its August 9 agenda.
"Through conversations we've had, I didn't think we had any chance of prevailing in that meeting," said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. "We took it off the calendar. We're not counting on Las Vegas."
Margarito, who had his license revoked for one year in February 2009 when an illegal substance was found in his hand wraps prior to a fight with Shane Mosley on January 24 2009, will appear before the California State Athletic Commission on August 18.
If the California commission approves his license, the fight will likely head to Cowboys Stadium in Texas, where Pacquiao fought Joshua Clottey in March. If California rules against Margarito, the fight Pacquiao is then expected to take place in Mexico.
"We've moved on, and he's going to go before the California commission," Arum said. "Hopefully, they'll be fair and approve his license, and then we'll announce where the fight is going to be."
