But a year later in 2009, Margarito figured in a controversy when he was caught with illegal hand wraps before his title fight against Shane Mosley at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. Margarito lost his WBA welterweight title via ninth round TKO.
After a series of post-fight investigations, it was discovered that there was indeed a foreign substance like a plaster of Paris inserted in his gloves leading to the suspension of his license to engage in boxing in the State of California.
Further investigations showed that the red stains found on Margarito’s hand wraps in the Cotto fight was similar to the inserts found in the Mosley fight, raising suspicions that he used the same tactics in both fights and even with his previous fights. Margarito denied a hand in the controversial hand wraps saying he wasn’t aware of those inserts prior to his fights.
The illegal hand wraps controversy surrounding Margarito’s fights haunted Cotto whose camp entertained the idea that he lost to Margarito because of the illegal hand wraps as he was bleeding profusely before his eleventh round TKO.
This has led to a rematch in 2011 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. This time, Cotto won by way of TKO in the 10th round. It was such a sweet revenge for Cotto knowing that he fought Margarito without the reported illegal hand wraps.
Now Margarito called out Cotto for a trilogy as if to say he deserves a third fight because his eyes were not completely healed when he fought Cotto in a rematch as a result of the beating he got from Manny Pacquiao when they fought in 2010 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“That was my intention when I returned. I repeat, I want a third fight with Cotto. If he wants it, I’m ready to do it, but if he says no then I think after that fight in August I will be ready for any champion at 154 pounds, and if something good comes out at 160 – then why not,” said Margarito, who has won his last two fights since his loss to Cotto more than five years ago.
To shake off his ring rust brought about by his long period of inactivity, Margarito fought Jorge Paez, Jr. in March last year which he won via a unanimous decision. Last August, he won a split decision over Canelo Alvarez’s brother Ramon to bag the WBO–NABO light middleweight title. Read more:
While Margarito has struggled a bit in his last two comeback fights, a trilogy with Cotto later this year or early next year would still sell because it appears that Margarito’s eye problem has been fully addressed as he did not complain about his vision in his recent fights.
Cotto is set to face Japanese challenger Yoshihiro Kamegai for the vacant WBO light middleweight title on August 26 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
