Personal top 20 favs

[Holtol]

There isn't one shred of evidence that Margarito ever fought with loaded gloves or knew what his trainer did to his wraps.

I think it is unlikely that he ever fought with loaded gloves. Usally someone that a boxer trusts checks the wraps of his opponent. I think it would be hard to get away with loaded gloves. I don't mind Margarito as a boxer because he paid the price for his cheating. I don't know if Margarito knew that his wraps were being altered or not. And I don't know if Margarito had a good reason to harden his wraps either.

Even with hardend wraps I think Mosley could have won that fight. Margarito needed some sort of advantage for whatever reason. Mosley hit him hard enough to kill a man or cause serious brain damage.

[SCtrojansbaby]

A 6 year old girl could have beaten Margarito that night he wasn't even trying to win, his mind clearly was no where near the fight.

[Scott9945]

Other than he was caught with his gloves loaded: That's what the FBI refers to as a "clue".

Poet

It was actually his wraps that were loaded. He didn't even put on the gloves yet. The substance was only in his wraps for a short while and hadn't even dried yet when it was discovered.

As for previous fights, it is reasonable to be su****ious. But it's kinda like if I live in a large apartment building and get caught buglarizing one of the units. It doesn't prove that I was responsible for every previous burglary. It just gives crybabies like Cintron something they can clutch on to and excuse their losses.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

Here goes...most of these are from my lifetime, a natural bias, but as is...

1. Sonny Liston (the first fighter I ever followed when I started watching & learning)

2. George Foreman (The role as Sonny's successor endeared him to me)

3. Joe Louis (Grace, class & ability. You couldn't ask for more)

4. Gene Tunney (Precision, tactical thinking, grit & smarts. Simply, a ring genius)

5. Alexis Arguello (See Joe Louis description --- to a tee)

6. Pernell Whitaker (I could watch him & feel my jaw drop)

7. Oscar De La Hoya (Absolutely fearless match-maker in an age where everyone
else was pandering to the almighty, '0.' A throwback warrior)

8. Wilfred Benitez (A unique defensive wizard, it was one of truest joys I ever had
as a fight fan watching him beat Cervantes for history. Was so sure he would become so much more)

9. Sal Sanchez (An inspiration for his chin, precisio-punching, & above all, his super-human endurance. It was just amazing)

10. Marvin Hagler (I just loved everything about the man)

11. Carlos Ortiz (Simply, Puerto Rico's greatest ever, & a hugely under-rated fighter historically)

12. Joe Frazier (Undeniable for his courage & simplicity in approach. Hit 'em hard & hit 'em long, until they fall. Willing to die to land just one more shot. Bravery personified)

13. Ezzard Charles (Brutally under-appreciated in his day, a superb Champion with arguably the greatest resume in history. Fought HOFers like they were going out of style)

14. Rafael Marquez (I just love this kid. He's all fire, punch & his chin always makes for an exciting battle)

15. Manny Pacquiao (An excitement machine, & a true freak for the record books. Boxing will be poorer when we lose him --- you are all watching history unfold)

16. Ray Mancini (A fearless kid with real small-town charisma & simple charm. Gave it all every time out --- no excuses, no exceptions)

17. Arturo Gatti (So much heart & desire to please the fans. The way his face distorted when Ward landed that bodyshot in their first fight --- he got up, & there can be no finer example of what this man was about)

18. Jimmy Young (Never got his due in the day, a smart, humble, clever fighter with an excellent Boxing brain. Arguably beat Foreman, Norton & Ali. They definitely robbed him of Championship status, he beat Ali)

19. Willie Pep (Astonishing boxer, probably better defensively than even Tunney, Benitez & Whitaker, mentioned above. Beating Saddler after a plane crash that bad is something, truly, no other FW in history could do)

20. Jack Dempsey (What an image, what a star, & what a fire! A raging inferno --- seeing him in the flesh must've been one of the great sights in Boxing history)

[StarshipTrooper]

It was actually his wraps that were loaded. He didn't even put on the gloves yet. The substance was only in his wraps for a short while and hadn't even dried yet when it was discovered.

As for previous fights, it is reasonable to be su****ious. But it's kinda like if I live in a large apartment building and get caught buglarizing one of the units. It doesn't prove that I was responsible for every previous burglary. It just gives crybabies like Cintron something they can clutch on to and excuse their losses.

I'm pretty sure if there were a string of burgleries in my complex and you got caught burglerizing an apartment you'd go to the top of my list as the perp for the others. In Margacheatos case, it's no different than a guy who hits a lot of homeruns getting caught corking his bat: All his other homers are immediately and permanently suspect. That cloud is NEVER going away. Get caught cheating once and you're guilty until proven innocent for eternity.

Poet

[The Surgeon]

We will never know and that's just how it is. Everything to do with the Cotto fight is speculation but it obviously leaves a huge question mark above the fight and frankly most of his career. Regardless to who believes it or not.

And even if he didn't load his gloves in any fight of his career besides Mosley and regarldess to if he has never actually used them in the ring, the fact is he tried to cheat against Mosley that potentially could have killed him.

It's inexcusable.

Yeah im with u on this one Dan. No excuse for it either way but im of the opinion he had used them before and of the opinion he knew damn well his gloves were loaded. It disgusts me that he is still making such good money from this great sport he so badly disrespected

[The Surgeon]

It was actually his wraps that were loaded. He didn't even put on the gloves yet. The substance was only in his wraps for a short while and hadn't even dried yet when it was discovered.

As for previous fights, it is reasonable to be su****ious. But it's kinda like if I live in a large apartment building and get caught buglarizing one of the units. It doesn't prove that I was responsible for every previous burglary. It just gives crybabies like Cintron something they can clutch on to and excuse their losses.

Yeah but Scott he went out or at very least if ur the most trusting man alive his Camp went out with the intension of punching shane mosley with an illegal substance on his hands potentially giving him severe brain damage or even killing him. They hadnt dried yet but they would before long and then Shane's health would be paying the price for Margs cheating.

Mabey he used them before mabey not but i for one am as su****ious as hell and even if he didnt use them before **** em su****ion and doubt over his previous work is part of the price he has to pay for what he attempted to do

[Holtol]

Yeah im with u on this one Dan. No excuse for it either way but im of the opinion he had used them before and of the opinion he knew damn well his gloves were loaded. It disgusts me that he is still making such good money from this great sport he so badly disrespected

What bothers me when people blame Margarito is that they don't know the whole story. Its a lot eaiser to get away with peds then loaded gloves. People who test for peds can be bribed, people who check wraps are people the boxer trusts so they would not be easy to bribe. I would not be so quick to think all the iformation you hear to be the truth, could be corruption and lies. All I know is Margarito was caught, could have been a set up for not being a good lap dog or something else, who knows?

[SBleeder]

This list is based solely by my preferences of in-ring performance. What I think of a guy on a personal level/his stardom/etc. is not included. These are my 20 favorite fighters of all time to watch, the guys I consider to be the most exciting:

1. Ricardo Lopez
2. Pernell Whitaker
3. Wilfred Benitez
4. Willie Pep
5. Thomas Hearns
6. Muhammad Ali
7. Gilberto Roman
8. Sonny Liston
9. Michael Nunn
10. Niccolino Locche
11. Chris John
12. Gene Tunney
13. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
14. **** Tiger
15. Harold Brazier
16. James Toney (as a middleweight)
17. Sugar Ray Robinson
18. Larry Holmes
19. Hank Lundy
20. Sugar Ray Leonard

[Scott9945]

Yeah but Scott he went out or at very least if ur the most trusting man alive his Camp went out with the intension of punching shane mosley with an illegal substance on his hands potentially giving him severe brain damage or even killing him. They hadnt dried yet but they would before long and then Shane's health would be paying the price for Margs cheating.

Mabey he used them before mabey not but i for one am as su****ious as hell and even if he didnt use them before **** em su****ion and doubt over his previous work is part of the price he has to pay for what he attempted to do

Your points are all valid Surgeon. Let me tell you my take on it. Based on what I've read/heard, Margarito had a terrible camp for the Mosley fight. He had to drop a lot of weight and was listless in training. His trainer panicked and tried to get an edge. IMO Margarito would have still gotten his azz kicked even with loaded gloves. He couldn't hit Shane with anything solid. As we've discovered after his follow up fights, Mosley wasn't really that good, but Margarito made him look like a superstar.

As for his previous fights, people forget that the California commission signed off on those wraps too. They were obviously fooled. But the Cotto fight was in Nevada and those wraps were inspected by a different commission and Cotto's own people. It just bothers me that so many just assume that Margarito couldn't have beaten him without cheating. I believe that he'll be vindicated when they have a rematch this summer.

Margarito was liable and paid the penalty he deserved. But I personally think the outrage and assumptions about him have been way over the top.