All-star attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, makes the case that Antonio Margarito is innocent of all charges in the tainted handwraps scandal.
A conference call was held this afternoon in which boxing writers and reporters were able to speak with promoter Bob Arum and Attorney Daniel Petrocelli. Arum, of course, is the promoter of the disgraced Antonio Margarito while Petrocelli is his attorney.
As the boxing world is well aware, Margarito has been accused by the California State Athletic Commission of attempting to use tainted or doctored handwraps prior to his Jan. 2009 welterweight title bout versus Shane Mosley which was held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
The long and the short of the conversation was this: (1.) Antonio Margarito did absolutely nothing wrong (2.) There is absolutely no evidence to support the case that Margarito willfully engaged in any illegal act (3.) Javier Capetillo (Margarito's trainer) acted alone and without Margarito's knowledge or direction (4.) Capetillo is simply an "independent contractor" and was not an "employee" of Margarito (5.) Antonio Margarito is the "victim" in the entire affair.
Whether or not you choose to believe any of Petrocelli's above points, one thing is clear: Petrocelli is an excellent linguist, can present thoughts in a clear, concise and eloquent fashion - and he makes a great deal of sense when he speaks about the facts in this case.
Arum is steadfast in his belief that Margarito knew nothing of Javier Capetillo's plan to use doctored handwraps.
One other point is also clear - should the CSAC, any other state athletic comission or the Association of Boxing Commissions decide to give the "Tijuana Tornado" a hard time when it comes to granting him a boxing license - they will have a severe legal battle on their hands with Petrocelli and Arum, who pointed out that he is also an attorney.
Margarito, after having been on the sidelines since the technical knockout loss to Mosley 15 months ago, will return next month against Roberto Garcia in a bout in Mexico. As long as Margarito gets by that test, his next fight, according to Arum, will be contested somewhere in the United States.
Whether or not you believe Margarito is guilty or innocent - or was acting in conjunction with his trainer when the illegal handwraps were attempted to be used - you have to admit there is no evidence that he ever knew anything of the plot.
Petrocelli and Arum claim it was all Capetillo, that he was a lone nut and that he acted alone.
In this case, like Lee Harvey Oswald in the JFK assassination, Capetillo is the "patsy" that will take the fall.
April 2010
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