According to Antolin Maldonado Rios of the Puerto Rican daily El Nuevo Dia, former two three time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito will not be newly crowned WBO champion Miguel Cotto’s next opponent on June 13th. Rios was informed by Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, the promoter for both fighters.
Arum believes that there isn’t enough time to promote the rematch between Cotto and Margarito even if Margarito’s suspension by the California State Athletic Comission gets revoked as it was apealed last week.
In turn, the three perspective opponents for the Caguas, Puerto Rico native would be IBF champ Joshua Clottey, the WBC champ Andre Berto or former champion Kermit Cintron. Arum does not have a preference between the three.
“That is in the hands of Cotto,” was Arum’s response.
The president of the WBO Francisco Valcarcel believes that Margarito and his legal team will succeed in his appeal of the suspension and that the clash between the Tijuana native and Cotto will be the perfect fight for the now traditional fight card held in New York’s Madison Square Garden on the eve of the annual Puerto Rican parade.
“I think that Top Rank will do everything in can to have the suspension revoked by the California comission.  If they do revoke the suspension of Margarito and he is willing, that would be the most atractive fight. If Margarito does not succeed, then I lean toward Clottey since he is a Top Rank fighter and it will be easiest fight to make,” Valcarcel said from his offices in Puerto Rico.
But Arum expressed the opposite cleary stating that Margarito will not be Cotto’s opponent on June 13th.
“As far as Antonio Margarito, his lawyer faced the California court trying to get the suspension revoked, but that is going to take time and i don’t want to slow down Miguel’s plans. If the lawyer succeeds and Miguel wins in June, then in October or November we will se the rematch,” Arum said.
“There is no time for Cotto to fight Margarito in June,” he insisted.