Antonio Margarito faces further cheating allegations after being accused of similar when competing in bouts against Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley.
The Mexican, who won world titles in two weight classes, served out a suspension in 2009 for a substance found in his gloves before the Mosley fight.
Margarito got forced to re-wrap his hands under trainer Javier Capetillo when eagle-eyed training royalty Naazim Richardson spotted something untoward.
Despite the controversy at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the event went ahead, with Margarito losing via ninth-round stoppage.
Antonio Margarito suspension
Months into his ban, a review of his previous contest against Miguel Cotto brought about further concerns over similar markings on his wraps.
Cotto was devastated by the findings and pursued a rematch with Margarito until December 2011, when he was able to punish “The Tijuana Tornado” for nine rounds.
In between his fights against Mosley and Cotto, Margarito also fought Manny Pacquiao and lost badly.
His only victory through the whole period was a unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in May 2010.
Now, fourteen years on, Kermit Cintron has spoken out against Margarito. Cintron, a former world champion who competed until 2018, fought Margarito twice.
The 2005 and 2008 encounters ended with Cintron losing via TKO in the mid-rounds.
However, the veteran Puerto Rican questions how he felt so battered and bruised after sharing the ring with Margarito in the initial meeting.
Kermit Cintron and Billy Collins Jr.
Cintron says swelling is similar to the tragic tale of Billy Collins getting worse over time and didn’t happen versus anyone else in his near half-century fights.
Everyone talks about the Panama Lewis and [Luis] Resto [case] and what they did to Billy Collins. But here I am a day after the Antonio Margarito fight,” pointed out Cintron.
“Two days later, both of my eyes were closed shut. No other fighter in my 50-fight career could have done the same. Why?”
Not only that, but Cintron also says he felt it again in the rematch three years later.
“That was the first fight. In the second fight, it was similar.
“After the fight, a reporter came into my dressing room. I quoted that I was feeling knuckles, that something wasn’t right.
“I’ve fought bigger punchers, but I’ve never felt anything like it. Margarito was the least of power, strength, and heavy-handed.”
Promoter Lou DiBella offered his council on Cintron’s musings. He said: “Cheaters cheat, and not just once.”
Panama Lewis and Luis Resto
The situation involving Lewis, Resto, and Collins is a terrifying one. Lewis and Resto got charged with removing padding from their gloves.
Later, Resto also revealed that soaking his wraps in plaster of Paris also contributed to a terrible beating for Collins.
Coach Lewis and Resto both served time in prison for their crimes. Collins died in a car crash [possible suicide] after failing to recover fully from the devastation.
So far, Cintron is only putting his potential wrong into the public domain for debate. There’s no evidence that Margarito did anything untoward in their two bouts.
Due to the passage of time, Cintron will never be able to prove it unless video footage from the events shows otherwise.
The Cotto case did, but there were many more eyes and cameras around for that battle at the MGM Grand.
