Dan Raphael's Report on Margo's Illegal Hand Wraps

If it hadn't been for the wraps how much of a career would he have had? It brings every fight he ever had into question. The person I feel most sorry for is Cintron. Where would he be now if he'd been hit with feather fisted arm punches we saw tonight rather than cement blocks? Cotto recieves redemption also.:fire

 

****ing right.

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/victor_conte/

Pretty common knowledge. He hasn't been "cleared" per se, but his story all along is that he didn't know it was anything illegal, and he filed a defamation lawsuit against Conte (which is still in court) when Conte said he told Mosley it was illegal.

 

I just find it hard to believe that only one man in the entire boxing world can discover illegal wraps. We may never know how Margarito's hands were wrapped against Cotto, but if tonight's allegations hold up, Cotto's team should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

 

Yes...that the wraps were not legal. To my limited knowledge, the plaster language was added by other sources.

 

What the commision took in a bag will have to be taken to a lab and verified exactly what it is......

If it turns out that it was nothing but wraps, tape and sweat, alot of you guys here are going to owe Margarito an apology.

I'm not about to condemn anyone until its been proven. Likes been said, we only have the HBO side of the story and have yet to hear what the Margarito camp has to say about it.

I live just a few miles from Staples center, and I'm up right now waiting for the spanish local news who cover boxing extensively.
No doubt they should have something to say on the matter. Hopefully Margarito himself of someone from his camp will have something to say.

If I hear anything, I'll bring it here to you all.


......but as of right now, the same guy who discovered this tonight did the same crap to Trinidad against Hopkins.....and nothing came out of that as far as the commision suspending or taking legal action on Trinidad.

 

Again, it may be naivety on my part but I believe Shane when he says he did not knowingly take an illegal substance. The guy has always been up front and is an attribute to the sport in and out of the ring.

 

Well they said it on the actual HBO telecast...plus they mentioned it in the press release after the federal grand jury testimony (they actually made him take the lie detector test)...and it was in Shane's lawyers answer to HBO about them wanting to talk about the steroid issue with them before the fight.

So I thought it was kinda common knowledge (especially after tonight).

But here ya go.

http://ringtalk.com/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=2244

PASSED LIE DETECTOR TEST & NOW ADMITS 'ROIDS

Although Mosley is now candid, this seeing Sports Illustrated “outed” him. Before that he was adamant that he hadn’t taken anything. Why just last week, his publicist Debbie Kaplan (Sept 2007) issued a blanket denial, stating that Shane had passed a Polygraph test, (after my story ran). So, while it is admirable to come clean as Shane has done here, remember this. He only did so because Sports Illustrated and some other news entities printed what I had three years ago. One would think that an apology to a certain writer is warranted here Shane. In addition, Shane should come totally clean about the entire BALCO experience.

And here...

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3040835

"I'm disappointed that this is coming out again, four years after I've been to the grand jury and gave my truthful testimony," Mosley said Friday in a statement issued by publicist Debbie Caplan. "I even took a lie detector test back then to let everyone know that I wasn't trying to be an unfair fighter."

Do you want a few more???

 

Lampley said it was a hard plastic, that is what he said the commission reported to him

 

Divak, they already confirmed what it was. A plaster type substance that hardens after getting wet.

This isnt a issue of if he cheated or not, its an issue of how many times it happened.

Its sad, as Margo has always been a fighter I respected immensely...and this casts an enormous shadow over his career.

The Trinidad issue was entirely different...as it was just too much tape and was also deemed against the rules...but nothing came of it because he rewrapped and lost the fight anyway. Again, it was illegal, but not nearly as bad or as frowned upon as this one tonight.

 

I wouldn't doubt if it's a knuckle guard or something to that effect.

http://www.ringside.com/DETAIL.ASPX?ID=24624


I also heard the "hard plastic" comment on HBO. This became "plaster like substance" within a matter of minutes...by tomorrow it will be a horseshoe or some ****.

No doubt there was something against regulation, but until an independent source states that it was something with the specific intent of increasing the damage Margarito's punches would inflict, I'm withholding judgment.

 

You're right, more should be able to detect it. Nazim is just one of those legends that you can't slip anything past. He and Hopkins make the perfect team, two geniuses. Nazim is the perfect trainer for a mature fighter.

 

Just heard in the LA spanish broadcast about the controversy about the handwraps......

Margarito was interviewed and said, the controversy that went on about the handwraps did not effect him in the least....and he's not worried in the least as he knows its just gauze that came out of his hands........

......they then interviewed Margarito's trainer who explained that that guys has pulled the same shenanigans before trying to get in the head of the fighter.......he went on to explain, "its nothing but gauze and sweat.....what happens is that when you apply the gauze on a sweaty hand, you iron it by stomping on it with the fighters own hand and fist.....its like ironing the gauze and compressing it as you do it.....since you have sweaty hands, the guaze is made to look and feel like its hardened......but its all hogwash, we're not worried in the least about it."


......thats what the Margarito camp had to say on the issue, and it anyone here saw it, you can see that neither Margarito or his head trainer looked worried about it.
In actuality, they did not look at all defensive about the issue being brought up, and explained it as calm and worry free as can be.


To tell you all my honest opinion on the matter. I believe the lab results will back up what the Margarito camp had to say on the matter.......and if so, it probably the last time that Bernard Hopkins trainer will be allowed to pull such trick in the future.

 

Dan Rafael, a sometime sensationalist, quoted a lawyer..you, know, that not so straight talking profession. That's where the "plaster type that hardens after getting wet" language got inserted into the discussion. HBO said "hard plastic". Both are obviously against the rules but they are NOTHING alike.