Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
Mexican to fight in New York on December 3rd
Former world champion Antonio Margarito will challenge
Miguel Cotto for the WBA light-middleweight title at Madison Square Garden as
planned on December 3rd after the New York State Athletic Commision
granted him a license.
The 33 year-old was forced to undergo stringent eye tests
after initially being denied a license last week and after travelling from his
base in Mexico to be thoroughly checked by doctors, is now clear to take his
place on the HBO card next month.
At a teleconference today, champion Cotto, 31, had
stipulated that the fight will have to go ahead in New York or he would be
forced to draft in a new opponent only to be told later that the fight will happen as
planned.
Margarito picked up the injury after a one-sided
twelve-rounder with current welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao that has kept
him out of boxing for the past year and ‘Tony’ will now get the chance to face
Cotto for a second time.
The first time the two fighters met in 2008, Margarito came out on top with an eleventh round stoppage but the result turned out to be highly
controversial, not at the time, but after Margarito was found to have an
illegal substance in his handwraps before fighting Shane Mosley in his next fight.
The first bout’s result has been doubted ever since and
Cotto has been chomping at the bit to get the two-time welterweight title
holder back in the ring to prove that something was untoward in their earlier
meeting.
And finally the decision has been made after hours of deliberation.
And finally the decision has been made after hours of deliberation.
.