Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito will go before the California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday (August 18) to request the reinstatement of his boxing license.
Margarito was suspended for a minimum of one year in February 2009 after hardened, plaster-like wraps were observed in his gloves preceding his championship bout with Shane Mosley.
Last month, Margartio attempted to get reinstated by the Las Vegas commission. He was denied on the grounds that he should receive reinstatement from the original organization that suspended him.
Top Rank is scrambling to obtain a license for Margarito in hopes of staging his November fight with Manny Pacquiao at a U.S. location. Arum’s first pick is Dallas Stadium, where Manny Pacquiao fought Joshua Clottey in March and drew over 50,000 fans. The next U.S. option would be Las Vegas’ MGM Grand followed internationally by Abu Dhai.
Margarito’s team was able to secure their California State Athletic Commission hearing after agreeing to drop a lawsuit against them. The case argued that the suspension, now in its 17th month, has been excessive.
Antonia Margarito has maintained that he was unaware of the the illegal hand wraps, claiming his former trainer Javier Capetillo was responsible. Capetillo took sole blame for the incident at the initial suspension hearing in last year.
The entire hearing can be watched HERE at 12:55PM ET this Wednesday (August 18) on Top Rank’s official website.
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