Around the Net: CSAC Denies Antonio Margarito Edition

By a vote of 5 to 1, Antonio Margarito attempt at being licensed by the California State Athletic Commission was denied yesterday.

With reports that Margarito has been virtually assured of a license to fight in Texas, most believe the decision will not force the Mexican junior-middleweight to cancel his November 13 date with Manny Pacquiao.  Perhaps that's really the case, but perhaps not.  We'll find out very soon, but for now let's take a look around the net at the reaction to the CSAC ruling....

Bad Left Hook - California denies license for Antonio Margarito

It was an overwhelming loss for Margarito and his legal team. Their defense was to once again throw former trainer Javier Capetillo under the bus, claiming Margarito did not know of the insert in his knuckle pads last January before a fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles.

"He took his punishment for being the captain of the ship when someone on the ship did something wrong. Did something very bad," said Margarito's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli.

But the plea of ignorance just didn't fly with the CSAC. Only commission Chairman Frierson voted for Margarito's reinstatement, even while expressing his own doubts about Margarito's defense.

The Queensbury Rules - California Denying Antonio Margarito A License Is A Victory For Principle (However Temporary)

Texas is the preferred location for Margarito's fight with Manny Pacquiao, wherein Margarito will make more money than he ever has. Promoter Bob Arum said he expects Texas to provide a license, and last week came reports that Margarito's team had been "assured" that he would receive a license. Maybe Arum's wrong, and maybe the unnamed source who said Margarito was "assured" of receiving a license is unreliable. But all signs point to the likelihood that, no matter what California did, Texas was going to be on board for the fight.

So there was probably no justice done Wednesday, in reality. But what California's commission did is, at minimum, a victory for principle. And that's worth something.

The Boxing Tribune - Margarito’s Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Margarito’s contempt for the revocation of his license was at the crux of the initial CSAC hearing and it was also the deciding factor in yesterday’s decision.During the 18-months following the CSAC’s ruling, Margarito has all but given the commission the finger.

He violated the spirit of the revocation by fighting in Mexico (and let’s not even mention that he openly mocked the hand wrap scandal during that event by repeatedly holding his wrapped fists up and mugging to the camera.)

Margarito and his promoter, Bob Arum, would then go on to sign for a fight with Manny Pacquiao with no concern for the CSAC ruling. They would even try to back-door a reinstatement by going to Nevada for a permit rather than deal directly with the California commission.

Bad Left Hook - Off to Texas for Margarito and Arum

The sobering reality of this for celebrating fans who are happy to see the California State Athletic Commission firmly deny Margarito's application for a boxing license is that the fight with Manny Pacquiao will still happen. One way or another, it's still going to happen.

The Sweet Science - Antonio Margarito License Denied By CSAC

The issue at hand was not sincerity but rehabilitation in the words of the supervising Deputy Attorney General Karen Chappelle. She felt that Margarito’s failure to adhere to boxing rules such as rule 392 that forbids sparring with non-licensed people showed he had not changed his ways and proved he was guilty in the first place.

Nobody knows that rule and it’s doubtful that any of the Commission members know it either, especially considering four of the members are new. But Chappelle and the Commission cited that ignorance of the rule was not an excuse.

BoxingScene - Pacquiao's Adviser Confident Margarito Will Get Licensed

Koncz said his understanding was that it was not a problem because Top Rank and its lawyers "expected that but they will still be able to get him licensed in Texas. " Asked about inter-commission respect for decisions Koncz pointed out that Margarito (38-6, 27KOs) "is not under suspension anymore. Margarito was only under one year suspension and served his time. They just don’t want to re-license him."

Koncz claimed the Nevada State Athletic Commission had asked Margarito’s lawyers to seek a license in California as a "pre-requisite and a courtesy and to go back to the place he got suspended first and see what happens there " before Nevada acts on Margarito’s application for a license to fight in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ESPN - Margarito denied license to fight in California

Although states typically uphold rulings in other states on licensing issues, that is not always the case. Mike Tyson, for example, was denied a license in Nevada in 2002 before he fought Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight title. After the denial, Tyson was licensed in Tennessee and the fight took place.