Boxer Antonio Margarito received bad news from the California State Athletic Commission when he petitioned to reinstate his license to box in the state. It wasn’t just the 5-1 no vote against him but the language used by the CSAC was a smack-down of righteousness and anger.

That suspension is the result of trainer Javier Capetillo placing plaster-like substances within the boxer’s hand wraps prior to a bout in Los Angeles against Shane Mosley. Margarito still lost in a ninth round TKO.

The boxer might have tripped the wire on the ultimate sin in the sport of boxing. Many fans and media members believe he should never be licensed again. Yet, there are those who think his suspension of more than a year is sufficient. They wonder how long is enough and what else Margarito has to do to get back in the Commission’s good graces.

Flashing back to 1983, there was a similar incident when trainer Panama Lewis removed padding from a boxer’s gloves, causing excessive cuts to the opponent’s face. Lewis and his fighter were actually convicted of criminal assault with a weapon (the hands) and conspiracy in that incident.

Back to this case, Capetillo was cut loose, no matter how hard it was for Margarito. They had been together for years and from what the boxer said in front of the Commission, he believes that in conjunction with an apology that it ever happened should demonstrate how sorry he is. An admission of knowledge about Capetillo’s actions has not been forthcoming and doesn’t appear to be on the horizon.

Therein seems to lie the largest problem for the CSAC and critics of Margarito. Credibility is strained by that statement and even if it’s true, and there is a possibility it is, he is being asked to “man up” and take the bullet on behalf of his camp.

Is that fair, ask his supporters? Why isn’t doing the time along with a purging of his close adviser and a promise to be a good boy sufficient to get this train rolling down the tracks once again?

Compare this lifetime ban with other major American sports.

The only modern era player in Major League Baseball who was banned for life is Pete Rose. The ultimate sin in baseball is said to be gambling on games. If illegal hand wraps are the equivalent of gambling on baseball games then the CSAC should just say it and get on with life.

Even drug use, whether recreational or performance enhancing, normally carries a finite term of months or years then a player gets back on the field.

The same is true in football with one proviso. Commissioner Roger Goodell reserves the right to set his own time frame for off the field problems with the law. Like a criminal probation, if an infraction occurs during probation, further time is added to the punishment.

That is what could help in the Margarito situation. The CSAC mentioned that the boxer sparred in Oxnard, California during his time away. That is a rules violation about which Margarito claimed ignorance. Nonetheless, if the Commission wants to extract another pound of flesh for that, then say it and set out the time to be served.

In the meantime, Margarito and his promoter Bob Arum are searching for a place to stage the bout with Pacquiao scheduled for November 13th.

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Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

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