The California State Athletic Commission voted 5-1 on Wednesday to deny Antonio Margarito a license to fight in its state.
Margarito, 32, appeared before the board hoping to get its blessing to fight again after being suspended in February 2009 for having an illegal substance in his wraps before his January 2009 bout against Sugar Shane Mosley at Staples Center.
The illegal substance was discovered after Mosley’s trainer Naazim Richardson felt Margarito’s wraps during a prefight inspection and demanded they be cut off and examined. After the hardened wraps were removed, Margarito lost his welterweight title to Mosley that night and was suspended for a year by the CSAC. Such suspensions are traditionally honored throughout the United States.
A native of Tijuana, Margarito fought last May in Mexico and is trying to land a Nov. 13 fight with Manny Pacquiao either in Las Vegas or Texas. When Margarito first sought to get licensed by Nevada, the commission there told him to go back to California for approval.
That hearing was held yesterday and the commissioners didn’t think Margarito had accepted enough responsibility for what happened. The disgraced boxer continued to claim he didn’t know his then trainer Javier Capetillo was fitting him with illegal wraps.
At one point Margarito was asked if he had ever apologized for his actions.
“No,” he said speaking through an interpreter. “That’s what I am here for. I’m here to answer any of the questions. And I’m here to make an apology, not only to the commission but the entire world for not knowing what was in those wrappings.”
It was discovered during questioning that Margarito has been sparring in Oxnard, Calif., without a sparring license, which is illegal. Margarito said he was unaware of the law. He claimed to be unaware of a lot of things regarding his case, which didn’t sit well with commissioners.
“You can delegate authority but not responsibility,” one commissioner said in scolding Margarito.
Having been rebuffed by Nevada and California, Margarito will attempt to get licensed in Texas in time for a Nov. 13 fight against Pacquiao.
“We’re very optimistic Texas will grant the license,” said Margarito’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank. “But that is up to them.