Antonio Margarito licensed in Texas

[Fibroso]

Antonio Margarito licensed in Texas





By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com


Disgraced former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito was licensed to box by Texas regulators on Thursday, paving the way for him to meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight belt.
Margarito and Pacquiao will meet Nov. 13 on HBO PPV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. It will be Pacquiao's second consecutive fight at Jerry Jones' $1.2 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys, but against a far more controversial opponent than Joshua Clottey, whom Pacquiao easily outpointed there on March 13 on the arena's first boxing card.
"After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules," William Kuntz, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, said in a statement.
Texas received Margarito's completed application on Monday and acted quickly.
Margarito's application for a license in Texas was approved despite California denying him a license on a 5-1 vote earlier this month.
The California State Athletic Commission revoked Margarito's license in the wake of his January 2009 knockout loss to Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Before the fight, Margarito's hand wraps were found to have illegal inserts coated in a plaster-like substance. His hands were re-wrapped and he lost the fight. A couple of weeks later, Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo, who had wrapped his hands, had their licenses revoked.

[rokko]

this fight will bring a lot of much needed income to the state of texas.i like everyone else would rather see pac fight someone else.with pacs darting in and out style he should have no problem with the big statue. i will watch this fight.

[Fibroso]

Fighting for a fake tittle, this will be a rap. Don't be surprise if Margarito falls to the canvas in the first round. Anything can happen here, best bet is no bet. :stop:

[KIDWCKED]

I knew along that Magarito would be reinstated in Texas,there just way to much emphasis on money for Jerry Jones and perhaps the commision and others as well..Wether it will be a good fight or not has yet to be determined..Margarito was no slouch before his vacation and possibly the Tijuanna Tornado is up for another battle.If he is this should be a good one in my opinion..Peace...

[lpinoy]

C/P

After being revoked by the California State Athletic Commission earlier in the month, Antonio Margarito’s application for a boxing license in the state of Texas was approved and the Texas State commission granted him a boxing license on Thursday.

This gives the go ahead for a Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito showdown at the Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium in Texas — a place where Manny Pacquiao last fought — drawing over 50,000 people to see his fight against Joshua Clottey in March.

Margarito was not the first choice of opponent for Manny Pacquiao, the first choice was Floyd Mayweather Jr., but he didn’t seem interested in negotiating or making the super-fight with Pacquiao happen, and Bob Arum moved onto the next choice, which was Antonio Margarito.

The press-tour for Pacquiao-Margarito will start next week and head to three key cities, Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas. The fight will be at a catchweight of 151-pounds for the vacant WBC Junior-Middleweight title (154-pounds).

The fight will be on HBO Pay-Per-View and will have a Pacquiao vs. Margarito HBO 24-7 series to help promote the fight on HBO.

[lpinoy]

C/P
Fightnews

“I want to thank the state of Texas for granting me a boxing license which enables me to continue my passion for the sport of boxing in the United States. I have dedicated my life to giving the fans of the sport entertainment and excitement. On November 13, this great opportunity will ultimately be fulfilled when I battle Manny Pacquiao.”

[Fibroso]

The fight will be at a catchweight of 151-pounds for the vacant WBC Junior-Middleweight title (154-pounds).

There we go again, catch-weight of 151- pounds for a vacant tittle of 154-pounds. Same as they did with Cotto. So many good fighters at 154 pounds with a better record than Margarito yet he does as he pleases. How many legal tittles does Paquiao holds?

[rokko]

i dont see what the problem is about this title. it has been vacant for months and nobody at 154 has tried to fight for it.no matter what pac does there are certain people who rag on him for any thing he does. where are all these fighters at 154 who would like to fight for this belt. enlighten me

[aquariusone]

Jerry Jones is a big man in Texas. Not necessarily in big positive terms, but big nonetheless. When he acquired the Dallas Cowboys and fired Tom Landry, he became a hated man but being a brash and astute entrepreneur (worth $1.2 billion in assets), he bulldozes himself into financial coups.

The more than 50,000 people that jammed the new spanking stadium in the ho-hum Clottey/Pacquiao fight is enough to convince him that a repeat performance would be very profitable. The State of Texas and the TDLR is not about to disagree with him. Granting Margarito the licence guarantees an economic manna in tourists dollars for the next few months to come. It is a sound fiscal decision.

The snobbish folks in California and Nevada are now left salivating for a missed business opportunity.

It only goes to show that in today's economy, when moral issues interfere and clash with economic issues, the latter prevails. Oscar dela Hoya's outburst and arrogant declaration that Margarito should be ban for life is now mute as obviously Texas was not listening. Besides, it could be sour grapes as he and Schaefer missed out on a multi-million dollar payday with their "boy" snubbing the "biggest fight prospect" of the decade.

The only question is how many minutes will this fight last? Margarito could care less; the sooner it ends, the more attractive the risk/reward ratio. After all, he is laughing all the way to the bank.

[Fibroso]

i dont see what the problem is about this title. it has been vacant for months and nobody at 154 has tried to fight for it.no matter what pac does there are certain people who rag on him for any thing he does. where are all these fighters at 154 who would like to fight for this belt. enlighten me

Nobuhiro Ishida 22-5, Cornelius Bundrage 30-4, Sergi Dzinziruk 37-0, the unknowns, Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, etc. Pac is a Great Fighter, his Promoter is a snake.....No way Margarito should be getting this fight. Yet another reason why boxing is in the Sorry State that it is. What Margarito claims to not know, the plaster in his wraps found before the Mosley fight, If he didn't know he should have. Now lookin back, it all makes sense Margarito supposedly a slow starter, of course awaiting for the plaster to harden, go back to the Cotto fight, its obvious.
Terrible fight for boxing.... Pac still a great fighter....ARUM still a Snake.

[rokko]

Nobuhiro Ishida 22-5, Cornelius Bundrage 30-4, Sergi Dzinziruk 37-0, the unknowns, Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, etc. Pac is a Great Fighter, his Promoter is a snake.....No way Margarito should be getting this fight. Yet another reason why boxing is in the Sorry State that it is. What Margarito claims to not know, the plaster in his wraps found before the Mosley fight, If he didn't know he should have. Now lookin back, it all makes sense Margarito supposedly a slow starter, of course awaiting for the plaster to harden, go back to the Cotto fight, its obvious.
Terrible fight for boxing.... Pac still a great fighter....ARUM still a Snake.

my point was nobody was interested in this belt untill pac and margarito decided to fight for it. all the fighters you mentioned would love to fight pac for the payday not the belt. if anyone wanted the belt there has been plenty of time to go after it. boxing has always been controversial and i see no change soon. i agree margarito should not be getting this fight or any other for an appropriate time which should be longer than the one year he has served

[PHONETOOL]

Texas to Receive Margarito with Open Arms


by Paul Magno

Not only is Texas ready and willing to play host to Antonio Margarito as he takes on Manny Pacquiao November 13th, but from the looks of things, they may even be willing to do some publicity work for Margarito’s damaged public image.

Although it hasn’t been announced officially, an approval from the Texas state commission is pretty much a done deal and will likely be announced within the next 48 hours or so.

Last Wednesday, the California State Athletic Commission voted 5 to 1 to uphold their revocation of Margarito’s license based on their feelings that the fighter hadn’t put forth the minimal effort to acknowledge his transgressions and rehabilitate his professional conduct. But the hearing was a mere formality as, per ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) statement, Margarito is now “free to pursue licensure with any ABC member commission” after making the effort to be reinstated by the commission that initially leveled the punishment.

Texas, or any other state for that matter, is now free to consider licensing Margarito and there won’t even need to be a hearing. The matter will likely be handled in the same manner as if Margarito were just any other fighter looking for a license: A written application, $20 dollar fee, and, later, the proper medical work.

While some states may still have reluctance in signing boxing’s modern day pariah, the Texas commission has never been one to suffer from a guilty conscience or ethical dilemmas.

A Las Vegas home for the Margarito-Pacquiao clash isn’t out of the question, especially since Team Pacquiao insiders have said that Manny, personally, prefers a Vegas venue, but Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, is not likely to let go so easy and won’t hesitate to throw some of his influence around in an effort to assure Margarito getting a hero’s welcome in Texas.

Dickie Cole, Texas’ program manager of combat sports, may have offered a glimpse into the way the commission is leaning when he gave a statement recently to the LA Times.

“If a man serves his time for his crime, he’s served his time and needs to be released,” said Cole of Margarito.

Then, in a shocking, but not surprising, breach of professional ethics, Cole crossed the line from impartial official to flat-out publicist.

“My personal opinion is what he had on his hands doesn’t give you any advantage over an opponent,” Cole said. “Do I personally think it’d help his hands or be detrimental to his opponent? No. It’d have no effect on his punching power.

“I’m not a policeman,” Cole continued, “but it appeared the evidence against him was weak. I don’t think the kid is a bad person. Now, technically, he’s legally able to fight here…”

Cole won’t be personally involved in approving or denying Margarito, but it’s been widely reported that he is dealing directly with Margarito’s and Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, as well as Jerry Jones in an effort to make this bout happen in his state.

The first phrase that comes to any sane person’s mind when discovering that the head of a state regulatory commission is actively courting promoters, fighters and venue owners is “Conflict of Interest.” But such things don’t concern the 79-year old Cole, who has made a career out of blatant conflicts of interest.

Cole is the guy who arranged for his son’s firm to be the official insurance provider to promoters who seek to do business in Texas and then, on top of that, appoints that same son, Laurence, as referee to those high-profile fights despite being widely recognized as one of the sport’s least competent referees by media and fans.

And let’s not even comment on the quality of judges that continually get the call for main stage boxing shows under Cole’s supervision.

Texas had no problem licensing Edwin Valero, who had bleeding on the brain and was unable to get licensed anywhere else in the US. And it surely won’t have a problem with issuing a license to Margarito for, as Dickie Cole told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times, wearing tainted knuckled pads that “might have been there only to protect Margarito’s hands.”

On second thought, after seeing how they do business and hearing the sewage seeping from their boss man’s mouth, Texas may be the perfect home for Margarito after all.

courtesy of The Boxing Tribune


http://theboxingtribune.com/2010/08/texas-to-receive-margarito-with-open-arms/

[Fibroso]

my point was nobody was interested in this belt untill pac and margarito decided to fight for it. all the fighters you mentioned would love to fight pac for the payday not the belt. if anyone wanted the belt there has been plenty of time to go after it. boxing has always been controversial and i see no change soon. i agree margarito should not be getting this fight or any other for an appropriate time which should be longer than the one year he has served
It wasn't their decision, it was the only card Arum had under his sleeves for this event to take place. Fighting for a 154 tittle in a catch-weight of 151 is not legal. Like it wasn't legal the championship fight with Cotto for the 147-pound at 145. This promotions are violating boxing rules but so are the fighters involved. That is probably why Floyd didn't fall to his knees and Oscar criticized Margarito by the way Mexican like him, that tells you a lot. Why not give Cotto a rematch and make it legal. What are they afraid of, a stronger Cotto at 154 pounds?

[rokko]

3) WEIGHT CATEGORIES

The World Championships shall be recognized in the following weight categories of divisions:

Mini Flyweight Up to 105 lbs or 47.63 kgs.

Jr. Flyweight Up to 108 lbs or 48.99 kgs.

Flyweight Up to 112 lbs or 50.80 kgs.

Jr. Bantamweight Up to 115 lbs or 52.16 kgs.

Bantamweight Up to 118 lbs or 53.52 kgs.

Jr. Featherweight Up to 122 lbs or 55.34 kgs.

Featherweight Up to 126 lbs or 57.15 kgs.

Jr. Lightweight Up to 130 lbs or 58.97 kgs.

Lightweight Up to 135 lbs or 61.24 kgs.

Jr. Welterweight Up to 140 lbs or 63.50 kgs.

Welter weight Up to 147 lbs or 66.68 kgs.

Jr. Middleweight Up to 154 lbs or 69.85 kgs.

Middleweight Up to 160 lbs or 72.58 kgs.

Super Middleweight Up to 168 lbs or 76.36 kgs.

Light Heavyweight Up to 175 lbs or 79.38 kgs.

Cruiserweight Up to 200 lbs or 90.91 kgs.

Heavyweight Over 200 lbs or 90.91 kgs.

4) WEIGHT

In General

Weight determines the championship contests. If the Champion and/or the challenger fail to make the prescribed weight at the time of the official weigh-in, either or both of them shall have two hours from that time to make the prescribed weight. If either or both contenders fail to make the prescribed weight within the additional two hour period of time, these regulations remain in full force and effect and the contest shall be held as an overweight title fight or a non-title fight as the case may be. The scales that are to be used in the official weigh-in should be available to both the Champion and the challenger at least two hours before the time of the official weight-in.

Weigh-ins for Postponements

If a Championship is postponed after a weight-in for not more than 48 hours, a new weigh-in will not be necessary.

Overweight Contestants

If a World Champion fails to make the prescribed weight for his category and the challenger makes weight, the Champion shall lose the title at the scales, and the Championship shall then and there be declared vacant. The Championship may not, however, be won at the scales. The fight shall be carried out as planned, and if the challenger, having made the weight, wins the contest, the challenger shall be the successor of the Championship; but if the prior Champion whose Championship was vacated at the scales wins the contest, the championship shall remain vacant.

If the Champion makes the weight and the challenger fails to do so, the Champion, whether or not he loses the fight, shall retain the title.

these are the wbo rules each weight class says up to it says nothing about being under

[Fibroso]

In the event that a World Championship Title becomes vacant, the two (2) leading available contenders as defined by the I.B.O. in their sole and absolute discretion shall fight for the Title and for this purpose they shall be given a period of no more than thirty (30) days to negotiate the best possible contract with a duly qualified Promoter. If the parties cannot come to an agreement in that period of time, the Chairman of the World Championships Committee will request purse offers for such contest in accordance with the procedure established in Article 6 of this Regulation.

From the same source.............:innocent:

[rokko]

In the event that a World Championship Title becomes vacant, the two (2) leading available contenders as defined by the I.B.O. in their sole and absolute discretion shall fight for the Title and for this purpose they shall be given a period of no more than thirty (30) days to negotiate the best possible contract with a duly qualified Promoter. If the parties cannot come to an agreement in that period of time, the Chairman of the World Championships Committee will request purse offers for such contest in accordance with the procedure established in Article 6 of this Regulation.

From the same source.............:innocent:

the two leading contenders had there thirty days plus to make a fight--nobody stepped up which allowed arum to negotiate a fight

[lpinoy]

C/P
By;USA Today

In a statement posted on the department's website, Executive Director William Kuntz said, "After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules. Based on the review of the above information, I have authorized the issuance of a license to Mr. Margarito."

Margarito, who hasn't fought in the U.S. since being stopped by Shane Mosley in January 2009, will fight Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight (154-pound) title.

Pacquiao, currently a congressman in the Philippines, will be seeking a title in his record eighth weight division. He's the only boxer to win titles in seven weight divisions.

Before the Mosley fight in los Angeles, a plaster-like substance was found in Margarito's handwraps. He had his license to box in the U.S. revoked for a year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision that was upheld by most other states.

Todd DuBoef, president of Top Rank, which promotes both Pacquiao and Margarito, admitted he was becoming pessimistic about Margarito's chances, and said he was relieved by the decision.

"Early on in the year, we expected this license," DuBoef told USA TODAY Thursday night. "But as we went through the calendar year, it became more and more difficult. My expectations were so low (for getting Margarito licensed) because this process has been kicked around so much, we feel very fortunate, and we're very appreciative to the state of Texas for issuing this license."

DuBoef said he expects preparations for the Nov. 13 fight at Cowboys Stadium to proceed now that the license has been issued. "Obviously, with the approval in Dallas, it's appropriate to pursue those venues that came to the table quickly," he said.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said last week that after a long dinner meeting with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently, most of the major points for holding the fight at the new stadium have been agreed to.

"We have a few things to work out, then we'll have an announcement — soon, certainly within days," Jones told the Associated Press. "It was worth the wait. I'm pleased that we're in the position we are."

It will be the second fight for Pacquiao at the $1.25 billion stadium, which opened last year. He drew 51,000 fans in March for a unanimous decision victory over relatively unknown African Joshua Clottey. Arum said he thought with the Mexican Margarito fighting Pacquiao, they could draw up to 70,000.

Margarito has fought only once since his ill-fated debacle with Mosley, defeating Roberto Garcia at super welterweight on May 8 in Mexico, nearly 16 months after he was suspended.