The New York State Athletic Commission will allow boxer Antonio Margarito to fight Miguel Cotto on Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden, end a drawn-out saga in which the NYSAC discarded Margarito's application for a license a few weeks ago, then took a good part of Tuesday afternoon deliberate whether to grant him a license.
Margarito had fly to New York on Monday to be examined by the commission's hand-picked eye specialist, Andrew Goldstein, at the request of the commission.
Margarito suffer serious eye injury, with a broken orbital bone, in his fight alongside Manny Pacquiao a year ago at Cowboys Stadium. He developed a cataract in his right eye and had it surgically detached, and an artificial lens surrounded. Generally, the NYSAC does not allow a person to fight in the state with the types of injuries Margarito incurred.
The three-person commission had discarded Margarito's application for a boxing license several weeks ago, but Top Rank, the advertiser for Cotto and Margarito, sought an appeal. Margarito had gotten permission to fight from his eye surgeon, Alan Crandall. But the charge wanted its doctor to check out Margarito. He flew in Monday and was examine by Goldstein.
Top Rank President Todd duBoef said, "I'm extremely happy about the result, and that the commission was able to see that when the top medical proof came in, that they were willing to consider it. That to me was unbelievable.
"But we had not anything to hide. That's what we are always saying. We've got nothing to hide, he's got nothing to hide and we wanted to be here, not to go on deaf ears.
"It's an unbelievable fight for boxing. This whole show in New York has all come jointly and to see this thing maybe fade away was what was so intimidating."
The commission was more than an hour behind for the meeting Tuesday and deliberates for several hours before making its decision.
The statement by Commissioner Edwin Torres, who was position in for Melvina Latham, the chairman who had laryngitis:
"Evidence has been introduced, counting by the applicant himself, detailing the rehabilitative steps taken to make sure that all the rules of the commission will be followed. After due thought of the evidence of treatment, the commission finds the issuance of a license to the applicant not to be contrary to the best interests of boxing. Further, following the methodical examination by Dr. Goldstein, and his indication that it is his opinion that the condition of Mr. Margarito's eye is such that he's fit to be in the ring, the commission rules that Mr. Margarito's petition for a license in New York is granted."
On a discussion call with journalists earlier Tuesday, Cotto, the WBA light middleweight champion, who has a large Puerto Rican following in the New York City area, drop a bomb when he said he would not fight if the bout was moved from New York.
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