There are different reasons why fighters decide to comeback. It is a rarity that a fighter stays retired. Muhammad Ali came back although his were different circumstances since he was banned for a few years for refusing to fight in Vietnam. “Sugar” Ray Leonard returned to the ring after retiring due to an eye injury. Even Floyd Mayweather Jr retired for a couple of years before staring on his latest record breaking run. This week another fighter has announced that more than likely he will come back.
No, it is not Oscar De La Hoya.
It is none other than multi-time welterweight champion Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito. Margarito has not fought since his 2011 TKO stoppage loss at the hands of Miguel Cotto. The Puerto Rican was able to exact his revenge from a 2008 beat down that was suspected was executed by Margarito with loaded hand wraps. Born in LA county but grew up in Tijuana, the thirty-seven year old is a veteran of forty-seven fights. He began his career losing three of his first twelve fights and ended the first half of it losing three of his last five.
Margarito suffered a severe eye injury in his 2010 fight with Manny Pacquiao at Dallas’ Cowboy Stadium. Prior to the fight, Margarito was incredulous that a Filipino coming up from the lighter weight classes could compete with him, a natural true welterweight. Pacquiao proved he could not only compete but also hand out the beating of Margarito’s life. So much so that everybody wanted the fight stopped in the later rounds except for the brave Margarito and the referee. Because of the constant left hands flush to the face of Margarito, the Tijuana fighter suffered a broken orbital bone in his right eye. The injury needed surgery and recovery putting Margarito out for nearly a year. That coupled with his suspension after begin accused of loading his wraps in his Shane Mosley fight meant that in the last two years of his career Margarito fought only three times, losing twice.
After the loss to Cotto at super welterweight, there were talks of Margarito moving up to middleweight and challenging Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. After consulting with his team, doctors and family, Margarito decided to call it quits to prevent any more damage to his eye.
Margarito says that a catalyst for him to come back is that ever present itch any fighter that has reached his level says is so hard to get rid of. The fact that Cotto steamrolled through Daniel Geale recently also prompted the Tijuana tough guy to say if they can do it, why can’t I? Margarito mentioned that he is ninety-percent positive that he will be coming back, looking for a soft comeback fight before looking for something bigger. He has mentioned in the past that one he would like to face is none other than Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Question is, will he get him first or Cotto.
