Will we see Antonio Margarito in the ring again? (Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank)

By Vitali Shaposhnikov

It has been three and a half years since Antonio Margarito (38-8, 27 KO’s) has entered the ring as a fighter. On December 3 2011, he fought and lost his rematch with Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in New York. Since then, he has been hiding out, staying out of the spotlight of the press, and enjoying family life.

For Margarito, boxing came not only with the financial rewards of being a champion, but also with the embarrassment of trying to hide an illegal attempt at victory via his hand-wrapping debacle. Boxing is the kind of sport where cheating doesn’t just put your opponent at a risk of losing by points, but possibly permanent physical injury. Being a part of something like that will most likely result in banishment from the sport.

It seems as though boxing hasn’t left Margarito’s heart just yet. According to ESPN Deportes, Margarito is thinking about returning to the ring, and is willing to fight the elite.

“I need to talk to my family, I have an itch. I thought yes because my eye is one hundred percent, but I need to talk it over with my family first,” said Margarito.

Is boxing the itch, or is it a financial tingle? While it is known that many fighters simply miss the sport and the crowd effect that is comes with it, others make their way back for another payday.

“Obviously I’d like to go to the elite and I’ll fight anyone, Cotto, Canelo, whoever they say is the best,” continued Margarito. I must say that while it is a bit cocky of Margarito to expect a jump back into the top echelon, he would certainly make for an exciting bout against many top fighters out there.

Margarito, despite tarnishing his name in the past, would most likely be welcomed by many boxing fans. His style makes for an thrilling fight, and there would be plenty of options if he were to make this return come to fruition.

Vitali Shaposhnikov can be reached at vitalifightpress@gmail.com