January 9, 2025 • 27 mins
In the world of boxing, where grit and glory go hand in hand, few scandals have left a more indelible mark than the one involving Antonio Margarito. A fighter known for his relentless aggression and seemingly unstoppable power, Margarito was on top of the world—until the night that changed everything. When the truth came out, it wasn’t just his opponents who were shaken, but the entire sport. Join host Jay Harris as he unravels the story of how one fighter’s fall from grace exposed a dark underbelly in boxing, leading to questions that still linger today.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to playing dirty sports scandals. Step into the
juice bar, have a seat, and pop the lid on
your favorite insulated tumbler. I'm your host and Maurista Extraordinary
Jay Harris. Today, I've got a tail on tap that
really packs a punch. Because it's about the boxing sensation,
Antonio Margarito, You're going to need all your energy to
(00:28):
keep up with Antonio, so drink up and let's go.
Antonio Margarita was born on March eighteenth, nineteen seventy eight,
in Torrance, California, but when he was two years old,
his family moved to Tijuana, Mexico. It was a move
(00:49):
that would shape young Antonio profoundly. Now, modern day Tijuana
had a reputation for violence, and with its sky high
crime rating of eighty two point six nine, largely attributable
to cartel activities, that's probably not too far off the mark.
Back in the nineteen eighties, Tijuana was less bloody, but
still an incredibly tough environment at which to grow up.
(01:12):
To feel confident, Antonio and his brother started boxing at
a local gym, and by age eight, Antonio was seriously training.
Boxing quickly morphed from an escape and survival mechanism into
a calling for Antonio, who turned professional in nineteen ninety
four at just fifteen years old. In Mexico, fifteen is
(01:33):
the minimum age for boxers to go pro versus eighteen
in the US. It's a big decision that comes with
some big and brutal swings. Antonio's early, unrelenting professional career
provided him with a strong foundation for future success in
the ring. He didn't win every match, but he honed
his skills against fearsome competition and built a reputation as
(01:57):
a fighter who could take a punch and keep relentlessly.
By his early twenties, Antonio was making real waves in
the boxing world, both in Mexico and in the US,
and had become known for his iron chin and aggressive style.
Freddie Roach, who was regarded as one of the best
boxing coaches of all time, having trained Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Coto,
(02:20):
Julio Sis, Archavez Junior, and George Saint Pierre, among many
other champions, described young Antonio Margarito as tough as they come.
He just keeps coming forward and he's got a great chin.
He breaks you down over time. As Antonio climbed the
rank says a young fighter, he proved Freddy Roach's words
(02:42):
to be true, establishing himself as one of the most
durable and dangerous welterweights. For you who don't know, welterweight
is a weight division having a maximum limit of one
hundred and forty seven pounds, So Antonio Margarito wasn't hulky,
just hardened. His breakthrough came in two thousand and two
when he won the World Boxing Organization or WBO welterweight
(03:05):
title by defeating Antonio Diaz. My proudest moment is when
I won my first world title, Antonio Margarito later told
the ring through his co manager Sergio Diz Junior. It
was certainly a milestone victory and it ushered in the
beginning of a dominant reign for Antonio Margarito, who would
(03:25):
go on to successfully defend his title seven times, solidifying
his reputation as a feared contender and gaining him the
nickname El Tornado de Tijuana or the Tijuana Tornado. Promoter
Bob Aram explained what it was like to see Antonio
in the ring, saying, Antonio Margarito is a warrior. He's
(03:46):
the kind of fighter that fans loved because he leaves
everything in the ring. There's no quit in him. It
was true, there was no quit in Antonio, and throughout
most of the two thousands, it seemed there was no
stopping him either. In two thousand and five, he destroyed
Kermit Centron, a rising star with a perfect record in
(04:07):
the ring, winning by technical knockout or TKO in the
fifth round. From there, he enjoyed crushing victories over Joshua
Claudie and Paul Williams, reinforcing his dominant status as top welterweight.
But it was on July twenty six, two thousand and eight,
when Antonio Margarito beat the previously undefeated Miguel Coto at
the MGM Grand that he was elevated to a boxing legend.
(04:31):
Antonio absorbed Miguel's best shots and kept going, eventually wearing
down his famous opponent and securing a TKO victory in
the eleventh round. Dave Larzelier of Sporting News wrote that
it quote was unquestionably the fight of the year, and
Kenny Bayless, the referee for the bout, called it the
best fight I've ever done. Antonio became the Ring magazine's
(04:55):
number one ranked boxer in the welterweight division. He was
on top of the boxing world, enjoying respect, admiration, and
plenty of money. The Tijuana Tornado stars seemed to be
ever rising, but his success was about to fall under
a cloud. I'm just going to wash this glass out
(05:15):
and refill it with clean water before the dirt starts flying. Okay, now,
I'm ready. The year two thousand and nine started strong
with the boxing world buzzing with excitement for the January
twenty fourth fight between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley, who
was in the International Boxing Hall of Fame and who
(05:36):
was considered by the ring in both two thousand and
two thousand and one to have been the best active
boxer pound for pound. Shane was formidable competition for Antonio
and everyone anticipated an incredible match. The two fighters would
be facing off at what was then called the Staples
Center in Los Angeles to the largest crowd the venue
(05:57):
had ever hosted twenty thousand, eight hundred twenty Adrenaline fueled
fans packed the stands, eager to see that two greats
duke it out. But as Antonio and Shane prepared for
the bout, tension filled the locker rooms, and not for
the usual reasons. Shane Moseley's trainer, naze Richardson, was overseeing
(06:18):
the pre fight hand wrapping. This is a standard procedure
before any major fight and usually goes off without a hitch,
but Nazin Richardson quickly became alarmed. As he observed Antonio's
hands being wrapped. Something caught his eye that seemed far
from right. He would later recall the moment saying, I
noticed something in the hand wraps that didn't look normal.
(06:42):
When I touched it, it felt hard, like a cast.
Of course, any trainer worth their salt wouldn't allow their
fighter anywhere nearer ring to get pummeled by cast like fists.
Nazem demanded that the raps be removed from Antonio's hands
and be inspected more closely. Upon doing so, he discovered
a substance embedded within the gauze that felt highly unusual
(07:07):
and far more rigid than the standard materials used in
hand wraps. It felt like plaster of Paris, Nazim explained.
When I touched it, I said, no, this ain't right.
Nazim alerted the officials, who then conducted a thorough on
site investigation. Their findings were horrifying. Antonio Margarito's hand wraps
(07:30):
were confirmed to contain a plaster like substance that could
harden further as it dried and turned the well toweight
champion's fists into potentially deadly weapons. The gravity of the
situation was immense. For you to fully appreciate the significance
of Na Sin Richardson's foul play finding, you need to
understand just how dangerous the sport of boxing is. Even
(07:54):
when fighters do play by the rules, Boxing is brutal.
Beyond the spectacle of punches thrown and dodged their lives,
the ever present, ever real risk of injuries, many of
which can have lifelong consequences. The repeated blows to the
head that boxers endure can lead to traumatic brain injuries
(08:14):
and chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a degenerative brain condition.
Ct can lead to symptoms like memory loss, confusion, aggression,
and eventually severe dementia. The dangers of traumatic brain injuries
and CTE are not just theoretical. They've been experienced by
(08:36):
some of the greatest names in boxing. Muhammad Ali, who
was widely considered to be the greatest of all time
was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in nineteen eighty four, a
condition linked to the repeated head trauma he suffered during
his career. Ali's painful decline was a stark reminder of
the price even the top boxers can pay for their
(08:56):
time in the ring. Another tragic case is that of
Jerry Quarry, a popular heavyweight in the nineteen sixties and
nineteen seventies. Jerry developed dementia pugilistica, a form of CTE,
and by his mid fifties he was unable to perform
(09:17):
daily tasks. According to The New York Times, when Jerry
Quarry was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
in October nineteen ninety five, he was so disabled that
he could not sign his name for autograph seekers. Jerry
eventually died at the age of fifty three, his brain
ravaged by years of punishment in the ring. More recently,
(09:40):
the story of Meldrick Taylor, who won the nineteen eighty
four Olympic gold medal in the featherweight boxing competition, has
made waves, detailing the long term effects of repeated head trauma. Meldrick,
known for his incredible speed and skill suffered from slurred speech,
memory loss, and other symptoms consists with CTE as he
(10:01):
aged a stark contrast to the vibrant athlete he once was,
and when Meldrick was arrested on June fourth, twenty nineteen,
after threatening a man at gunpoint and then engaging in
a ninety minute stand up with police, his irrational and
dangerous actions were also attributed by many to CTE. Given
(10:22):
these examples, it's clear that the risk of brain damage
is already high in boxing under normal circumstances, and that
if such an injury is sustained, it has the capacity
to destroy the fighter's life and the lives of those
around them. It's devastating now understanding that, you can appreciate
(10:42):
why Shane Moseley's trainer, Nazem Richardson, was so horrified at
the discovery of Antonio Margarito's plaster wraps. Under normal circumstances,
the gloves and hand wraps that fighters use are designed
to protect both the fighter's hands and their opponents head
cushioning the impact and spreading the force of the blow
(11:04):
to lessen its impact. Just imagine if that cushion was
removed and if instead of soft padding, the opponent's gloves
hid something hard, something that would almost certainly turn their
punch into a lethal weapon. Plaster of Paris, when wet,
(11:24):
can be molded and shaped. Once it dries, it hardens
into a solid mass. If Nazim hadn't caught its use,
and if Antonio's wraps had been allowed to harden under
his gloves, it would have been like having his fists
encased in concrete slabs. Every punch he threw at Shane
Mosley would have inflicted far more damage than usual, with
(11:46):
a much higher risk of causing severe injury or even death. Now,
Antonio Margarito had always been known as a brutal fighter,
but the idea that he might have intentionally tried to
weaponize his fists was chilling. It wasn't just about gaining
an unfair advantage in the ring. It was about putting
another man's life in jeopardy. As Nazine Richardson explained, if
(12:10):
that stuff had gone unnoticed, we could have been looking
at a tragedy. The seriousness of the potential violation couldn't
be overstated, and the incident was instantaneously scandalous. This wasn't
just cheating. It was reckless endangerment at the highest level.
Officials acted swiftly removing Antonio's hand wraps and then rewrapping
(12:33):
his hands under careful supervision. The fight would go ahead,
but the damage to Antonio Margarito's reputation was done. Shane Moseley,
who was aware of what had happened in the locker room,
entered the ring at Staples Center determined to prove a point.
He was myopically focused on his performance, unlike Antonio, who
(12:56):
seemed uncharacteristically distracted. Shane dominated Antonio throughout the match, and
in the ninth round, he unleashed a barrage of punches
that overwhelmed the Tijuana Tornado, leading the referee to stop
the fight and declared Shane Moseley the winner by technical knockout.
(13:17):
The loss was a major blow to Antonio Margarito's career,
and immediately following the fight, the California State Athletic Commission
launched an investigation into his hand wraps. Plastergate wasn't just
going to disappear. In meeting with the Commission, Antonio Margarito's trainer,
Javier Capetillo, attempted to shield his fighter from the fallout,
(13:38):
explaining that he'd accidentally put the wrong inserts into the
hand wraps and that he just reached for the wrong
pads in his equipment bag. I committed a big mistake,
Javier Capatio told the panel and standing room only crowd.
I don't want this young man, Antonio Margarito, to have problems.
I'm here to cover any responsibility. I take full response ability.
(14:00):
I committed this innocent mistake, but the California State Athletic
Commission wasn't so sure that it had been an innocent mistake,
and on February tenth, two thousand and nine, after thorough
examination and a vote of seven to none, their organization
announced that trainer Javier Capitio's license was permanently revoked and
(14:23):
that Antonio Margarito's boxing license was revoked, banning him from
fighting in the United States for at least a year.
The conduct of both mister Margarito and mister Capeitia was
unacceptable and threatened the health and safety of another licensee.
Carrie Lopez, the director of the state's Department of Consumer Affairs,
(14:44):
which licensed its fighters, told the Associated Press today's action
shows that both the Department of Consumer Affairs and the
California State Athletics Commission take the issue of boxer's safety
very seriously and will move quickly when a licensee's actions
threaten the safety of others. The Commission's decision split opinion
(15:07):
in the boxing world, with some believing that the ban
on Antonio, who claimed not to have been aware of
the plaster in his wraps, was unfair, while others felt
he should have been kicked out of the sport for good.
Promoter Bob Aerram told ESPN that the commission's ruling was
the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced and that it's
not going to hold up. The commission determined that Antonio
(15:30):
knew nothing and did nothing wrong, but that he is
head of his team, so he is responsible for the trainer,
and therefore it is appropriate to revoke his license. How
can you revoke somebody's license when they didn't do anything
wrong or attempt to do anything wrong. Javier Capatillo admitted
that he made an inadvertent mistake and said Antonio knew
(15:52):
nothing about it. Antonio Margarito is a nice guy and
deserves better than this. But legendary coach Freddie Roach took
the opposite opinion of Bob Aaron, saying, the Commission gave
Antonio one year suspension, but deep down, you know, I'm
the kind of person who thinks that if you do
something like that, you should be suspended for life. I
(16:12):
thought the sentence was light. Regardless of conflicted opinions on
the Commission's ruling, one thing was for sure in the
boxing community, Antonio Margarito had gone from a champion to
a pariah overnight. Many fighters stepped up to express their
doubts about previous matches, questioning the legitimacy of his past victories.
(16:35):
Among the boxers demanding a look at Antonio's historic wins
was Miguel Coto, who had been undefeated before his contentious
two thousand and eight fight with the Tijuana Tornado, questioning
the match that he was most proud of for its legitimacy.
Must have been a blow to Antonio's ego that win
at the MGM grand had been the pinnacle of his career,
(16:57):
but Miguel Coto insisted that the match added up for
him then and that it certainly didn't now. His defeat
had been so physically devastating, with his face battered and
swollen from the relentless punishment delivered by Antonio. At the time,
many had marveled at Antonio Margarito's seemingly superhuman power, and now,
(17:19):
in the wake of Plastergate, that power was being scrutinized.
Was it possible that Antonio had used illegal hand wraps
in his two thousand and eight fight with Miguel Coto,
giving him an unfair and dangerous advantage. Miguel Coto's trainer,
Joe Santiago, certainly thought so. When asked by The La Times,
(17:41):
Joe said, quote, there's no doubt Antonio used illegal raps.
Look at Miguel's face after that fight. Miguel Coto's father,
Miguel Cotos Senior, was also convinced of Antonio's wrongdoing. There's
a picture after the two thousand and eight fight where
there appears to be a split in Antonio's Such a
split would have been unlikely to happen with just normal gauze,
(18:05):
and according to Miguel Coto Senior, that photo therefore provides
overwhelming evidence that his son's two thousand and eight opponent cheated.
The only people who can tell you for sure if
those inserts were in there is Antonio Margarito and his trainer.
But you have the picture now so people know, Miguel
Coto Senior said. Miguelkoto himself was also enraged, saying, playing
(18:30):
with the health of somebody else, of a human being,
playing with his health is attempting to kill because he
used plaster on his wraps. To me, that's really like
a criminal because he used a weapon in this sport.
You can only use your skills in your conditioning. If
you have another name to call Antonio besides criminal, please
(18:50):
tell me what kind of words I can use. Kermit Centron,
remembering his face off with Antonio Margarito in two thousand
and five, through similar shade this old world boxing news
that two days after the fight with Antonio, both of
my eyes were closed shut. No other fighter in my
fifty fight career could have done the same. Why why? Indeed,
(19:13):
since the fights were historical, no direct evidence could be
brought forward to prove that Antonio Margarito himself had loaded
or been aware of loading his wraps in previous matches.
But the credibility of Antonio's entire career was now at stake,
with many suspecting that he'd used illegal tactics throughout his
(19:34):
winning streak. Freddie Roach, who once viewed Antonio as an
up and coming talent on the boxing scene, now viewed
him with disgust, telling The New York Times that he'd
gone so far as to try to hide plaster in
one of his own fighters wraps to prove that it
would have been impossible for Antonio not to know about
the cheating. As soon as my fighter closed his hand,
(19:57):
he knew, Freddy Roach said he could feel the plaster.
While plaster Gate certainly turned the boxing world on its head,
Antonio Margherito wasn't the first boxer to be accused of
using illegal gloves. One of the most infamous cases occurred
in the nineteen eighties involving boxer Luis Resto and his
(20:18):
trainer Panama Lewis. During a fight against Billy Collins Junior
in nineteen eighty three, Luis's gloves were found to have
been tampered with. Much of the padding had been removed,
and his wraps had been soaked in plaster of Paris,
leaving his opponent, Billy Collins Junior, to absorb the full
force of his hardened punches with little protection. The brutal
(20:40):
fight left Billy Collins Junior with permanent injuries, ending his
promising career. Luis Resto and Panama Lewis were convicted of assault, conspiracy,
and criminal possession of a deadly weapon. Both men served
time in prison for their crime. Had Antonio Margharito dared
to follow in their criminal footsteps, even knowing the possible
(21:02):
repercussions were other fighters flying under the radar and playing
dirty two, the boxing community decided that more rigorous enforcement
needed to be implemented. Immediately, recognizing that dangerous boxing history
might well be repeating itself, Athletic commissions across the United
States introduced more stringent protocols for the inspection of hand
(21:25):
wraps and gloves on the heels of Antonio Margarito's exposure.
The new measures mandated that both the fighters hand wraps
and gloves be inspected not only by the commission's officials,
but also by a representative from the opposing fighters camp.
This dual inspection process was designed to ensure transparency and fairness,
(21:45):
making it much more difficult for any illegal tampering to
go unnoticed. Additionally, the California State Athletic Commission introduced tougher
penalties for fighters and trainers found guilty of using illegal
substances or engaging in other forms of misconduct. This included
longer suspensions, much higher fines, and, in some cases, as
(22:07):
they had done with Antonio Margarito, the revocation of licenses.
The goal was to create a stronger deterrent against cheating,
reinforcing the message that such behavior would not be tolerated
and would be met with severe consequences. While the changes
that have been introduced since the Antonio Margarito scandal have
undoubtedly improved oversight and accountability in boxing, plaster Gate remains
(22:32):
a cautionary tale about the need for constant vigilance. The
integrity of boxing depends on the strict enforcement of its
rules and the ethical behavior of all its participants. Okay,
so what happened to our dirty player in this scandalous sip.
(22:54):
Well After serving his one year suspension, Antonio made a
determined effort to revive his boxing career. His return to
the ring came on May eighth, twenty ten, when he
faced Roberto Garcia, who held the IBF Junior lightweight title
from nineteen ninety eight to nineteen ninety nine, in Agua Calientis, Mexico.
The match was widely anticipated as Antonio's chance to prove
(23:17):
that he was still a legitimate contender. In the moments
before the fight, Antonio addressed his suspension in an interview,
saying that the year had not altered his perspective. He
still saw no reason to apologize for the illegal hand
wraps discovered at the two thousand and nine fight against
Shane Moseley because he hadn't known his former trainer, Javier Capatillo,
(23:39):
was breaking any rules by using forbidden substances in the raps.
All these people that say things about me don't know me,
don't know my history, Antonio insisted, through a translator, The
way I box has always been clean. Nobody has a
clear idea what happened that night, and now I'm going
to show who I am. The Tijuana Tornado was back,
(24:02):
but perhaps downgraded to a tropical storm. While Antonio won
his comeback match against Roberto Garcia, the fight lacked the
dominance and ferocity that at once defined his career. The
scandal and time away from the sport had clearly taken
a toll. Still, Antonio pressed on towards the most high
profile fight of his attempted comeback the November thirteenth, twenty
(24:27):
ten WBC Super Welterweight Championship match against Mani Pacquiao at
AT and T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This fight was huge.
It generated sixty four million dollars in revenue and boasted
an attendance of forty one thousand, seven hundred and thirty
four spectators. There's no question I can beat Manipaqiao, a
(24:50):
puffed up Antonio told anchor Karen Bryant as he prepared
himself for one of boxing's biggest stages. But his grandiose
words did nothing to rattle Andy Pachiel, who delivered a
definitive win, taking the WBC's super Welterweight title and leaving
Antonio Margarito severely injured with a fractured orbital bone and
(25:11):
significant damage to his right eye. The match ended in
a unanimous decision, and many questioned whether Antonio should continue
his career given the extent of his injuries. Manny revealed
that he hadn't even brought his top game into the
ring against Antonio, saying he held back during the final
(25:32):
round of the fight because quote boxing is not for
killing unquote, but Even in the face of resounding defeat,
Antonio Margarito, whom promoter Bob Arrom had once described as
having no quit in him, did not give up. He
was determined to regain his place in the sport, so
in twenty eleven, Antonio faced Miguel Coto in a highly
(25:55):
anticipated rematch. This fight was particularly significant because of the
suspicions that it clouded these two fighters first encounter in
two thousand and eight. It was also particularly brutal. Miguel
Coto delivered a commanding performance and the fight was stopped
in the tenth round due to severe damage to Antonio's eye.
(26:16):
The match effectively marked the end of Antonio's attempts to
return to the top of the boxing world, had he
only ever risen to the top because of his loaded
gloves or worth. These humiliating comeback losses attributable to stepping
away four year during suspension and losing his edge. By
twenty twelve, Antonio Margarito had largely stepped away from boxing,
(26:39):
and after briefly attempting to resuscitate his career in Mexico
in twenty sixteen, he officially retired from the sport. In
twenty seventeen. Today, Antonio Margarito is married to professional model
Lorraina Vidalas, is a father of two children and lives
in Los Angeles. While some fans remember him for his
many accomplishments, his legacy is forever marred by the Plastergate
(27:02):
scandal that defined the latter part of his career. That's
it for today's Tale on Tap. Join me your host
in Brave Marista, Jay Harris next week for another episode
of Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is
(27:24):
a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions and
Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panela,
Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written
and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and
Jennifer Clay.
Welcome back to playing dirty sports scandals. Step into the
juice bar, have a seat, and pop the lid on
your favorite insulated tumbler. I'm your host and Maurista Extraordinary
Jay Harris. Today, I've got a tail on tap that
really packs a punch. Because it's about the boxing sensation,
Antonio Margarito, You're going to need all your energy to
(00:28):
keep up with Antonio, so drink up and let's go.
Antonio Margarita was born on March eighteenth, nineteen seventy eight,
in Torrance, California, but when he was two years old,
his family moved to Tijuana, Mexico. It was a move
(00:49):
that would shape young Antonio profoundly. Now, modern day Tijuana
had a reputation for violence, and with its sky high
crime rating of eighty two point six nine, largely attributable
to cartel activities, that's probably not too far off the mark.
Back in the nineteen eighties, Tijuana was less bloody, but
still an incredibly tough environment at which to grow up.
(01:12):
To feel confident, Antonio and his brother started boxing at
a local gym, and by age eight, Antonio was seriously training.
Boxing quickly morphed from an escape and survival mechanism into
a calling for Antonio, who turned professional in nineteen ninety
four at just fifteen years old. In Mexico, fifteen is
(01:33):
the minimum age for boxers to go pro versus eighteen
in the US. It's a big decision that comes with
some big and brutal swings. Antonio's early, unrelenting professional career
provided him with a strong foundation for future success in
the ring. He didn't win every match, but he honed
his skills against fearsome competition and built a reputation as
(01:57):
a fighter who could take a punch and keep relentlessly.
By his early twenties, Antonio was making real waves in
the boxing world, both in Mexico and in the US,
and had become known for his iron chin and aggressive style.
Freddie Roach, who was regarded as one of the best
boxing coaches of all time, having trained Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Coto,
(02:20):
Julio Sis, Archavez Junior, and George Saint Pierre, among many
other champions, described young Antonio Margarito as tough as they come.
He just keeps coming forward and he's got a great chin.
He breaks you down over time. As Antonio climbed the
rank says a young fighter, he proved Freddy Roach's words
(02:42):
to be true, establishing himself as one of the most
durable and dangerous welterweights. For you who don't know, welterweight
is a weight division having a maximum limit of one
hundred and forty seven pounds, So Antonio Margarito wasn't hulky,
just hardened. His breakthrough came in two thousand and two
when he won the World Boxing Organization or WBO welterweight
(03:05):
title by defeating Antonio Diaz. My proudest moment is when
I won my first world title, Antonio Margarito later told
the ring through his co manager Sergio Diz Junior. It
was certainly a milestone victory and it ushered in the
beginning of a dominant reign for Antonio Margarito, who would
(03:25):
go on to successfully defend his title seven times, solidifying
his reputation as a feared contender and gaining him the
nickname El Tornado de Tijuana or the Tijuana Tornado. Promoter
Bob Aram explained what it was like to see Antonio
in the ring, saying, Antonio Margarito is a warrior. He's
(03:46):
the kind of fighter that fans loved because he leaves
everything in the ring. There's no quit in him. It
was true, there was no quit in Antonio, and throughout
most of the two thousands, it seemed there was no
stopping him either. In two thousand and five, he destroyed
Kermit Centron, a rising star with a perfect record in
(04:07):
the ring, winning by technical knockout or TKO in the
fifth round. From there, he enjoyed crushing victories over Joshua
Claudie and Paul Williams, reinforcing his dominant status as top welterweight.
But it was on July twenty six, two thousand and eight,
when Antonio Margarito beat the previously undefeated Miguel Coto at
the MGM Grand that he was elevated to a boxing legend.
(04:31):
Antonio absorbed Miguel's best shots and kept going, eventually wearing
down his famous opponent and securing a TKO victory in
the eleventh round. Dave Larzelier of Sporting News wrote that
it quote was unquestionably the fight of the year, and
Kenny Bayless, the referee for the bout, called it the
best fight I've ever done. Antonio became the Ring magazine's
(04:55):
number one ranked boxer in the welterweight division. He was
on top of the boxing world, enjoying respect, admiration, and
plenty of money. The Tijuana Tornado stars seemed to be
ever rising, but his success was about to fall under
a cloud. I'm just going to wash this glass out
(05:15):
and refill it with clean water before the dirt starts flying. Okay, now,
I'm ready. The year two thousand and nine started strong
with the boxing world buzzing with excitement for the January
twenty fourth fight between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley, who
was in the International Boxing Hall of Fame and who
(05:36):
was considered by the ring in both two thousand and
two thousand and one to have been the best active
boxer pound for pound. Shane was formidable competition for Antonio
and everyone anticipated an incredible match. The two fighters would
be facing off at what was then called the Staples
Center in Los Angeles to the largest crowd the venue
(05:57):
had ever hosted twenty thousand, eight hundred twenty Adrenaline fueled
fans packed the stands, eager to see that two greats
duke it out. But as Antonio and Shane prepared for
the bout, tension filled the locker rooms, and not for
the usual reasons. Shane Moseley's trainer, naze Richardson, was overseeing
(06:18):
the pre fight hand wrapping. This is a standard procedure
before any major fight and usually goes off without a hitch,
but Nazin Richardson quickly became alarmed. As he observed Antonio's
hands being wrapped. Something caught his eye that seemed far
from right. He would later recall the moment saying, I
noticed something in the hand wraps that didn't look normal.
(06:42):
When I touched it, it felt hard, like a cast.
Of course, any trainer worth their salt wouldn't allow their
fighter anywhere nearer ring to get pummeled by cast like fists.
Nazem demanded that the raps be removed from Antonio's hands
and be inspected more closely. Upon doing so, he discovered
a substance embedded within the gauze that felt highly unusual
(07:07):
and far more rigid than the standard materials used in
hand wraps. It felt like plaster of Paris, Nazim explained.
When I touched it, I said, no, this ain't right.
Nazim alerted the officials, who then conducted a thorough on
site investigation. Their findings were horrifying. Antonio Margarito's hand wraps
(07:30):
were confirmed to contain a plaster like substance that could
harden further as it dried and turned the well toweight
champion's fists into potentially deadly weapons. The gravity of the
situation was immense. For you to fully appreciate the significance
of Na Sin Richardson's foul play finding, you need to
understand just how dangerous the sport of boxing is. Even
(07:54):
when fighters do play by the rules, Boxing is brutal.
Beyond the spectacle of punches thrown and dodged their lives,
the ever present, ever real risk of injuries, many of
which can have lifelong consequences. The repeated blows to the
head that boxers endure can lead to traumatic brain injuries
(08:14):
and chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a degenerative brain condition.
Ct can lead to symptoms like memory loss, confusion, aggression,
and eventually severe dementia. The dangers of traumatic brain injuries
and CTE are not just theoretical. They've been experienced by
(08:36):
some of the greatest names in boxing. Muhammad Ali, who
was widely considered to be the greatest of all time
was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in nineteen eighty four, a
condition linked to the repeated head trauma he suffered during
his career. Ali's painful decline was a stark reminder of
the price even the top boxers can pay for their
(08:56):
time in the ring. Another tragic case is that of
Jerry Quarry, a popular heavyweight in the nineteen sixties and
nineteen seventies. Jerry developed dementia pugilistica, a form of CTE,
and by his mid fifties he was unable to perform
(09:17):
daily tasks. According to The New York Times, when Jerry
Quarry was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
in October nineteen ninety five, he was so disabled that
he could not sign his name for autograph seekers. Jerry
eventually died at the age of fifty three, his brain
ravaged by years of punishment in the ring. More recently,
(09:40):
the story of Meldrick Taylor, who won the nineteen eighty
four Olympic gold medal in the featherweight boxing competition, has
made waves, detailing the long term effects of repeated head trauma. Meldrick,
known for his incredible speed and skill suffered from slurred speech,
memory loss, and other symptoms consists with CTE as he
(10:01):
aged a stark contrast to the vibrant athlete he once was,
and when Meldrick was arrested on June fourth, twenty nineteen,
after threatening a man at gunpoint and then engaging in
a ninety minute stand up with police, his irrational and
dangerous actions were also attributed by many to CTE. Given
(10:22):
these examples, it's clear that the risk of brain damage
is already high in boxing under normal circumstances, and that
if such an injury is sustained, it has the capacity
to destroy the fighter's life and the lives of those
around them. It's devastating now understanding that, you can appreciate
(10:42):
why Shane Moseley's trainer, Nazem Richardson, was so horrified at
the discovery of Antonio Margarito's plaster wraps. Under normal circumstances,
the gloves and hand wraps that fighters use are designed
to protect both the fighter's hands and their opponents head
cushioning the impact and spreading the force of the blow
(11:04):
to lessen its impact. Just imagine if that cushion was
removed and if instead of soft padding, the opponent's gloves
hid something hard, something that would almost certainly turn their
punch into a lethal weapon. Plaster of Paris, when wet,
(11:24):
can be molded and shaped. Once it dries, it hardens
into a solid mass. If Nazim hadn't caught its use,
and if Antonio's wraps had been allowed to harden under
his gloves, it would have been like having his fists
encased in concrete slabs. Every punch he threw at Shane
Mosley would have inflicted far more damage than usual, with
(11:46):
a much higher risk of causing severe injury or even death. Now,
Antonio Margarito had always been known as a brutal fighter,
but the idea that he might have intentionally tried to
weaponize his fists was chilling. It wasn't just about gaining
an unfair advantage in the ring. It was about putting
another man's life in jeopardy. As Nazine Richardson explained, if
(12:10):
that stuff had gone unnoticed, we could have been looking
at a tragedy. The seriousness of the potential violation couldn't
be overstated, and the incident was instantaneously scandalous. This wasn't
just cheating. It was reckless endangerment at the highest level.
Officials acted swiftly removing Antonio's hand wraps and then rewrapping
(12:33):
his hands under careful supervision. The fight would go ahead,
but the damage to Antonio Margarito's reputation was done. Shane Moseley,
who was aware of what had happened in the locker room,
entered the ring at Staples Center determined to prove a point.
He was myopically focused on his performance, unlike Antonio, who
(12:56):
seemed uncharacteristically distracted. Shane dominated Antonio throughout the match, and
in the ninth round, he unleashed a barrage of punches
that overwhelmed the Tijuana Tornado, leading the referee to stop
the fight and declared Shane Moseley the winner by technical knockout.
(13:17):
The loss was a major blow to Antonio Margarito's career,
and immediately following the fight, the California State Athletic Commission
launched an investigation into his hand wraps. Plastergate wasn't just
going to disappear. In meeting with the Commission, Antonio Margarito's trainer,
Javier Capetillo, attempted to shield his fighter from the fallout,
(13:38):
explaining that he'd accidentally put the wrong inserts into the
hand wraps and that he just reached for the wrong
pads in his equipment bag. I committed a big mistake,
Javier Capatio told the panel and standing room only crowd.
I don't want this young man, Antonio Margarito, to have problems.
I'm here to cover any responsibility. I take full response ability.
(14:00):
I committed this innocent mistake, but the California State Athletic
Commission wasn't so sure that it had been an innocent mistake,
and on February tenth, two thousand and nine, after thorough
examination and a vote of seven to none, their organization
announced that trainer Javier Capitio's license was permanently revoked and
(14:23):
that Antonio Margarito's boxing license was revoked, banning him from
fighting in the United States for at least a year.
The conduct of both mister Margarito and mister Capeitia was
unacceptable and threatened the health and safety of another licensee.
Carrie Lopez, the director of the state's Department of Consumer Affairs,
(14:44):
which licensed its fighters, told the Associated Press today's action
shows that both the Department of Consumer Affairs and the
California State Athletics Commission take the issue of boxer's safety
very seriously and will move quickly when a licensee's actions
threaten the safety of others. The Commission's decision split opinion
(15:07):
in the boxing world, with some believing that the ban
on Antonio, who claimed not to have been aware of
the plaster in his wraps, was unfair, while others felt
he should have been kicked out of the sport for good.
Promoter Bob Aerram told ESPN that the commission's ruling was
the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced and that it's
not going to hold up. The commission determined that Antonio
(15:30):
knew nothing and did nothing wrong, but that he is
head of his team, so he is responsible for the trainer,
and therefore it is appropriate to revoke his license. How
can you revoke somebody's license when they didn't do anything
wrong or attempt to do anything wrong. Javier Capatillo admitted
that he made an inadvertent mistake and said Antonio knew
(15:52):
nothing about it. Antonio Margarito is a nice guy and
deserves better than this. But legendary coach Freddie Roach took
the opposite opinion of Bob Aaron, saying, the Commission gave
Antonio one year suspension, but deep down, you know, I'm
the kind of person who thinks that if you do
something like that, you should be suspended for life. I
(16:12):
thought the sentence was light. Regardless of conflicted opinions on
the Commission's ruling, one thing was for sure in the
boxing community, Antonio Margarito had gone from a champion to
a pariah overnight. Many fighters stepped up to express their
doubts about previous matches, questioning the legitimacy of his past victories.
(16:35):
Among the boxers demanding a look at Antonio's historic wins
was Miguel Coto, who had been undefeated before his contentious
two thousand and eight fight with the Tijuana Tornado, questioning
the match that he was most proud of for its legitimacy.
Must have been a blow to Antonio's ego that win
at the MGM grand had been the pinnacle of his career,
(16:57):
but Miguel Coto insisted that the match added up for
him then and that it certainly didn't now. His defeat
had been so physically devastating, with his face battered and
swollen from the relentless punishment delivered by Antonio. At the time,
many had marveled at Antonio Margarito's seemingly superhuman power, and now,
(17:19):
in the wake of Plastergate, that power was being scrutinized.
Was it possible that Antonio had used illegal hand wraps
in his two thousand and eight fight with Miguel Coto,
giving him an unfair and dangerous advantage. Miguel Coto's trainer,
Joe Santiago, certainly thought so. When asked by The La Times,
(17:41):
Joe said, quote, there's no doubt Antonio used illegal raps.
Look at Miguel's face after that fight. Miguel Coto's father,
Miguel Cotos Senior, was also convinced of Antonio's wrongdoing. There's
a picture after the two thousand and eight fight where
there appears to be a split in Antonio's Such a
split would have been unlikely to happen with just normal gauze,
(18:05):
and according to Miguel Coto Senior, that photo therefore provides
overwhelming evidence that his son's two thousand and eight opponent cheated.
The only people who can tell you for sure if
those inserts were in there is Antonio Margarito and his trainer.
But you have the picture now so people know, Miguel
Coto Senior said. Miguelkoto himself was also enraged, saying, playing
(18:30):
with the health of somebody else, of a human being,
playing with his health is attempting to kill because he
used plaster on his wraps. To me, that's really like
a criminal because he used a weapon in this sport.
You can only use your skills in your conditioning. If
you have another name to call Antonio besides criminal, please
(18:50):
tell me what kind of words I can use. Kermit Centron,
remembering his face off with Antonio Margarito in two thousand
and five, through similar shade this old world boxing news
that two days after the fight with Antonio, both of
my eyes were closed shut. No other fighter in my
fifty fight career could have done the same. Why why? Indeed,
(19:13):
since the fights were historical, no direct evidence could be
brought forward to prove that Antonio Margarito himself had loaded
or been aware of loading his wraps in previous matches.
But the credibility of Antonio's entire career was now at stake,
with many suspecting that he'd used illegal tactics throughout his
(19:34):
winning streak. Freddie Roach, who once viewed Antonio as an
up and coming talent on the boxing scene, now viewed
him with disgust, telling The New York Times that he'd
gone so far as to try to hide plaster in
one of his own fighters wraps to prove that it
would have been impossible for Antonio not to know about
the cheating. As soon as my fighter closed his hand,
(19:57):
he knew, Freddy Roach said he could feel the plaster.
While plaster Gate certainly turned the boxing world on its head,
Antonio Margherito wasn't the first boxer to be accused of
using illegal gloves. One of the most infamous cases occurred
in the nineteen eighties involving boxer Luis Resto and his
(20:18):
trainer Panama Lewis. During a fight against Billy Collins Junior
in nineteen eighty three, Luis's gloves were found to have
been tampered with. Much of the padding had been removed,
and his wraps had been soaked in plaster of Paris,
leaving his opponent, Billy Collins Junior, to absorb the full
force of his hardened punches with little protection. The brutal
(20:40):
fight left Billy Collins Junior with permanent injuries, ending his
promising career. Luis Resto and Panama Lewis were convicted of assault, conspiracy,
and criminal possession of a deadly weapon. Both men served
time in prison for their crime. Had Antonio Margharito dared
to follow in their criminal footsteps, even knowing the possible
(21:02):
repercussions were other fighters flying under the radar and playing
dirty two, the boxing community decided that more rigorous enforcement
needed to be implemented. Immediately, recognizing that dangerous boxing history
might well be repeating itself, Athletic commissions across the United
States introduced more stringent protocols for the inspection of hand
(21:25):
wraps and gloves on the heels of Antonio Margarito's exposure.
The new measures mandated that both the fighters hand wraps
and gloves be inspected not only by the commission's officials,
but also by a representative from the opposing fighters camp.
This dual inspection process was designed to ensure transparency and fairness,
(21:45):
making it much more difficult for any illegal tampering to
go unnoticed. Additionally, the California State Athletic Commission introduced tougher
penalties for fighters and trainers found guilty of using illegal
substances or engaging in other forms of misconduct. This included
longer suspensions, much higher fines, and, in some cases, as
(22:07):
they had done with Antonio Margarito, the revocation of licenses.
The goal was to create a stronger deterrent against cheating,
reinforcing the message that such behavior would not be tolerated
and would be met with severe consequences. While the changes
that have been introduced since the Antonio Margarito scandal have
undoubtedly improved oversight and accountability in boxing, plaster Gate remains
(22:32):
a cautionary tale about the need for constant vigilance. The
integrity of boxing depends on the strict enforcement of its
rules and the ethical behavior of all its participants. Okay,
so what happened to our dirty player in this scandalous sip.
(22:54):
Well After serving his one year suspension, Antonio made a
determined effort to revive his boxing career. His return to
the ring came on May eighth, twenty ten, when he
faced Roberto Garcia, who held the IBF Junior lightweight title
from nineteen ninety eight to nineteen ninety nine, in Agua Calientis, Mexico.
The match was widely anticipated as Antonio's chance to prove
(23:17):
that he was still a legitimate contender. In the moments
before the fight, Antonio addressed his suspension in an interview,
saying that the year had not altered his perspective. He
still saw no reason to apologize for the illegal hand
wraps discovered at the two thousand and nine fight against
Shane Moseley because he hadn't known his former trainer, Javier Capatillo,
(23:39):
was breaking any rules by using forbidden substances in the raps.
All these people that say things about me don't know me,
don't know my history, Antonio insisted, through a translator, The
way I box has always been clean. Nobody has a
clear idea what happened that night, and now I'm going
to show who I am. The Tijuana Tornado was back,
(24:02):
but perhaps downgraded to a tropical storm. While Antonio won
his comeback match against Roberto Garcia, the fight lacked the
dominance and ferocity that at once defined his career. The
scandal and time away from the sport had clearly taken
a toll. Still, Antonio pressed on towards the most high
profile fight of his attempted comeback the November thirteenth, twenty
(24:27):
ten WBC Super Welterweight Championship match against Mani Pacquiao at
AT and T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This fight was huge.
It generated sixty four million dollars in revenue and boasted
an attendance of forty one thousand, seven hundred and thirty
four spectators. There's no question I can beat Manipaqiao, a
(24:50):
puffed up Antonio told anchor Karen Bryant as he prepared
himself for one of boxing's biggest stages. But his grandiose
words did nothing to rattle Andy Pachiel, who delivered a
definitive win, taking the WBC's super Welterweight title and leaving
Antonio Margarito severely injured with a fractured orbital bone and
(25:11):
significant damage to his right eye. The match ended in
a unanimous decision, and many questioned whether Antonio should continue
his career given the extent of his injuries. Manny revealed
that he hadn't even brought his top game into the
ring against Antonio, saying he held back during the final
(25:32):
round of the fight because quote boxing is not for
killing unquote, but Even in the face of resounding defeat,
Antonio Margarito, whom promoter Bob Arrom had once described as
having no quit in him, did not give up. He
was determined to regain his place in the sport, so
in twenty eleven, Antonio faced Miguel Coto in a highly
(25:55):
anticipated rematch. This fight was particularly significant because of the
suspicions that it clouded these two fighters first encounter in
two thousand and eight. It was also particularly brutal. Miguel
Coto delivered a commanding performance and the fight was stopped
in the tenth round due to severe damage to Antonio's eye.
(26:16):
The match effectively marked the end of Antonio's attempts to
return to the top of the boxing world, had he
only ever risen to the top because of his loaded
gloves or worth. These humiliating comeback losses attributable to stepping
away four year during suspension and losing his edge. By
twenty twelve, Antonio Margarito had largely stepped away from boxing,
(26:39):
and after briefly attempting to resuscitate his career in Mexico
in twenty sixteen, he officially retired from the sport. In
twenty seventeen. Today, Antonio Margarito is married to professional model
Lorraina Vidalas, is a father of two children and lives
in Los Angeles. While some fans remember him for his
many accomplishments, his legacy is forever marred by the Plastergate
(27:02):
scandal that defined the latter part of his career. That's
it for today's Tale on Tap. Join me your host
in Brave Marista, Jay Harris next week for another episode
of Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is
(27:24):
a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions and
Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panela,
Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written
and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and
Jennifer Clay.
Hosts And Creators
Todd "Fritzy" Fritz
Dan Patrick
Patrick "Seton" O'Connor
Paul Pabst
Marvin Prince
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