Boxing: Antonio Margarito in Good Shape, In Talks With Top Rank for Return Bout
Former world boxing champion Antonio Margarito, who is in good physical form, is ready to return after nearly four years of absence and will only need one vital clearance for Top Rank to be on board with him.
The "Tijuana Tornado," who announced in June his intention to come back is said to be in "tremendous shape," Boxing Scene reported, citing Robert Garcia, Margarito's coach.
"He's in better shape than he was before. We've seen him. He's on weight and if he wants to fight at 154, he's already on weight. This guy is always in shape, but it's not because he's ready to fight - even after his fights Margarito would train and continue running and eating healthy. He's in tremendous shape," Garcia said.
Margarito just showed how dedicated he is to be back in shape for the middleweight or junior middleweight division. In June, per a separate Boxing Scene report, the 37-year-old fighter informed that he was at 175 pounds but was willing to "get down to 154 pounds or stay at 160 pounds."
It must be his reported goal to go against the "elite" fighters of today's boxing like former opponent World Boxing Council middleweight champ Miguel Cotto and the young Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, that fueled him to train well and achieved his "fantastic" form.
Top Rank's Condition
Aside from picking Garcia as his trainer for his comeback, the California-born Mexican warrior's camp is also in talks with Top Rank to promote him, another Boxing Scene article noted.
Although Top Rank is excited to have him, the promotions company also needs a medical confirmation that Margarito's previous eye-related injury will not be a problem. The boxer's co-manager Sergio Diaz stated that Margarito will secure an eye clearance to meet this demand.
"They wont allow him to fight - at least for Top Rank - if his eye is not 100-percent. So we're going up to Utah to visit Dr. (Alan) Crandall, who's one of the best in opthomology and Top Rank wants a full check-up on that eye," Diaz shared.
In 2010, Margarito sustained an eye injury against the Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao which led him to hospital confinement and operation, ESPN noted. A year after, the same eye was seriously hit in his rematch with Cotto. Margarito's back-to-back losses, per BoxRec, against eight-division world champion "Pacman," via a unanimous decision and the Puerto Rican boxer, through a ninth round stoppage due to referee technical decision (RTD), forced him into retirement.
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