As many expected, Antonio Margarito had his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for at least one year, which is nice talk for an indefinite suspension. Trainer Javier Capetillo's license has also been revoked.

The news comes as no shock to most, who saw little wiggle room for Margarito and Capetillo to defend themselves after the hand wraps controversy on January 24, prior to Margarito's one-sided loss to Shane Mosley.

The CSAC's decision stunned and infuriated Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who attended the hearing in Sacramento. Arum, Capetillo and Margarito all insisted the boxer had no knowledge of the illegal nature of the wraps.

"It's an absolute outrage," Arum told The Associated Press. "It's something that I never thought would happen in the United States, where somebody who is totally and completely innocent, has no knowledge what happened, and didn't do anything wrong, gets his license taken away because his trainer allegedly did something wrong. Everybody is blown away. It's absolutely crazy."

Arum's strong defense of Margarito is admirable, but like the athletes who say they didn't know what they were putting into their body after a failed drug test, it's tough to believe that Margarito or any fighter at this level is not aware of what's going on with the hand wraps.

This declaration of ignorance defense has gotten far too rampant in sports, and it insults the intelligence of the fans. Do you know why people are going to call Margarito a liar and a fraud from now on? Because unless this is some extremely rare case, he's lying.

Arum also says he'll be looking into booking Margarito to fight in Mexico. One of the things that I think is going to be an issue is whether or not I can "comfortably" watch Margarito fight from this point forward. I'd essentially be paying PPV money to watch a guy who tried to load up his gloves and injure another fighter. I think it'd be more than just me feeling that way, too.

I also sort of have an ethical problem with Arum booking a guy who tried to cheat in a country like Mexico, where regulations have a tendency to be loose. What stops him from doing it again? In Mexico, Margarito is not going to be held to the same standards. It's a simple fact, and is not generalizing at all. Mexico (and Japan) allow Oscar Larios to continue fighting despite a legitimate medical suspension in the United States.

One more thing: It sort of disgusts me that the Margarito defense that Arum is supporting was the gutless move to throw Capetillo under the bus. In order to save a money fighter's career, they tried to sacrifice the trainer and convince the CSAC and the public that Capetillo tried to wrap Margarito's hands with loaded gloves without Margarito's knowledge. I don't think anyone other than fierce Margarito apologists will buy this idea, and those participating in the attempt to save Margarito and destroy Capetillo should be rather ashamed, including Capetillo.

This decision brings Margarito's entire career into question, the same as any controversy does to any athlete, but this is absolutely different than steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. This is a direct attempt to alter something dangerous enough as it is, to change the outcome and reality of a fight.

Outside of appeals and possible criminal charges from the embarrassed CSAC, this is pretty much over and done with, and the outcome is the worst possible for Margarito and Capetillo. Margarito's entire career has this black cloud hanging over it now, and it'll never go away.

The CSAC hearing with Antonio Margarito and Javier Capetillo has begun, and the California state attorney general said that the fighter should receive "the harshest penalty possible," which would be a license revocation for at least one year.

UPDATE from the L.A. Times:

Inspector Che Guevara testified in three years and 150 hand wraps he had never seen such a pad.

"It was sweat-soaked, thinner and harder in certain areas, not hard as a rock, but firm and hard," Guevara said, adding it had a stain "like old blood" on it. "It was not flexible. It was very firm."

The harder pad was first discovered, Guevara said, by Mosley's trainer Nazim Richardson, who oversaw the wrapping. Margarito's taped right hand was then unwrapped, where another harder insert was found. State commmissioners felt the insert in a plastic bag Tuesday.

The other insert is in the hands of the state attorney general's office. The "foreign substance" on the insert has yet to be identified, and won't be known until mid-March, a state official told the California State Athletic Commission at its disciplinary hearing for Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo.

UPDATE:

Dan Rafael is on ESPNews right now talking about the hearing. "The way they were going to portray it is that Margarito had no idea what was happening..."

Rafael says, "They're basically just taking Capetillo and throwing him under the bus."

He also says that the commission itself will have to explain why they didn't catch it before Naazim Richardson did, and that the hearing may go longer than just today. I think that's likely.

It is currently just shy of 11am where I am, and just shy of 8am in California, where later today the California State Athletic Commission will bring Antonio Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo forward for a hearing and ruling on the ongoing hand wraps saga from January 24.

It's a big day for boxing, and obviously for Margarito and Capetillo. We all hope for the best, and I have to admit I'm horribly anxious to just get this thing decided. No more speculation. Let's hear what the deal is.

If Margarito is found guilty, his license will likely be indefinitely suspended in California, which every other U.S. commission would honor. He would also almost certainly appeal, which is probably why Top Rank and Margarito have famed attorney Daniel Petrocelli on board today.

Capetillo would likely never work a fight in the States ever again.

If he's innocent -- fingers crossed, for a multitude of reasons -- then we put this behind us and Margarito likely goes on to fight a rematch with Miguel Cotto in June.

We'll be here with news as it comes, and we'll have our thoughts, good or bad, as soon as anything is out.

When Antonio Margarito goes before the California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday with his trainer Javier Capetillo, Top Rank chief Bob Arum and right-hand man Todd duBoef won't be the only two in his corner.

Daniel Petrocelli, who represented Fred Goldman in his successful wrongful death suit against O.J. Simpson and also represented convicted Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling, will be Margarito's lawyer.

Said Arum, "We're not fooling around. Petrocelli's the best." He also noted that they have full confidence that Margarito did not "knowingly cheat," and that the foreign substance was not plaster of Paris or anything like it.

If Margarito and Capetillo are found guilty of that, though, both face long-term and potentially lifetime bans from the sport. A lot rides on the outcome of the investigation, the biggest of which is Margarito's reputation, the least of which at this point is a June rematch with Miguel Cotto, which is a guaranteed money-maker for Top Rank.

We will be here on Tuesday with as up-to-the-minute news as is possible on Margarito's hearing. I'm hoping ESPNews will be there so we can watch it live, because right now, this is the biggest issue in boxing.

The new Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio had Freddie Roach on recently, and part of the famed trainer's segment discussed the ongoing wraps controversy swirling around Antonio Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo. The bit was played during a studio segment on Friday Night Fights.

The veteran trainer and former pro fighter recalled an incident prior to the first fight between his charge, Manny Pacquiao, and Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 where a similar instance occured. There was also talk about Barrera's wraps prior to the second fight between the two in 2007.

Roach went on to cite the infamous Collins-Resto case and said that if the California State Athletic Commission comes back with a "guilty" charge against Margarito and/or Capetillo, that both men should be banned from boxing for life, and maybe even more than that. Luis Resto and trainer Panama Lewis each served two and a half years in prison after the jury came back from the Collins bludgeoning case.

This is nothing we haven't talked about already, but does serve sort of as a reminder that even though this is a couple weeks old and the boxing world keeps spinning with big fights happening and more to come, this is far from over. The official hearing is scheduled for February 10, with Capetillo and Margarito both present.

For anyone that thinks people that are concerned are maybe getting a bit too crazy about the Margarito wraps controversy, tell Billy Collins Sr. about it. I know I said the other day that we "didn't have to" get into this again, but maybe we do. Maybe it's best to bring up the horrible, tragic story of this infamous fight.

Just under 25 years ago, his son, Billy Jr. (pictured right), died near Antioch, Tennessee, when he drove his car off of a cliff. The unbeaten prospect hadn't fought in nine months, because he couldn't fight anymore. Nine months earlier at Madison Square Garden, Collins had been beaten so severely that the injuries suffered in the fight ruined his eyesight and halted what had been a promising career.

That night in New York -- June 16, 1983 -- Collins was to face Luis Resto, a light-punching, six-year pro of little note. Resto came into the fight with a 20-8-2 record, with eight knockouts. Collins was -- and still is -- 14-0 with 11 KOs.

Resto so thoroughly battered Collins that it still strikes me as almost inhuman that Collins survived the fight without being knocked out. If you really want to see the fight, which is hard to watch, it is available online. Perhaps to truly understand the weight of the issue in the ongoing case, it has to be seen.

After the fight, Collins' dad, Billy Sr., went to shake Resto's hand, and immediately noticed something wrong. He held on to Resto's glove, as Resto tried to shake Collins' grip loose.

"All the padding's out of the goddamn glove!" the senior Collins shouted.

The New York State Athletic Commission seized the gloves, took them in for evidence, and soon enough, the verdict came back: Luis Resto and Panama Lewis were found guilty of tampering with the gloves, removing padding from each hand.

On July 1, Panama Lewis had his license revoked in the state of New York, and he never had an official role in another American fight. Resto was suspended for a year, and he never fought again.

In 1986, both Resto and Lewis were put on trial, and both were convicted of assault, conspiracy, and criminal possession of a weapon. Each man did two and a half years in prison.

Lewis to this day maintains that he didn't do anything, and that he's been banned unjustly for all these years. Resto, meanwhile, has lived rent-free in a basement of a boxing gym in New York, and after 15 years of efforts to get his license back in the state so that he could work corners, he was allowed to do so.

The former pug, now 48 years old, revealed in 2007 that not only had Lewis removed padding (and that he was aware of it), but the trainer had also soaked Resto's handwraps in plaster. The effect was, essentially, what Billy Collins Jr. reported during the fight: it was like he was being hit with bricks. The hand wraps had never even been investigated.

Resto went to the home of Collins' widow to apologize to her, saying he had been burdened by guilt for 25 years. He also admitted the full story of what had happened, including the plaster treatment of the wraps. He visited Collins' grave and said, "I'm sorry for what I did to you."

He also said it wasn't the first time that Lewis had tampered with his gloves.

Speaking with Wallace Matthews of Newsday, Billy Collins Sr. gave a rare interview yesterday. In it, he said the following:

"Shane Mosley was a lot luckier than my son was. At least they found out before the fight. Before he got hit with anything."

"They say time heals all wounds. That's a big old lie."

About the Cotto-Margarito fight:

"I knew Margarito was doing something. Cotto was beat up worse than my son was. He was cut up all to pieces. You can't do that kind of damage with a glove."

Here's the real point when discussing this fight in comparison. It's true that right now we don't know for sure -- only the guys investigating at the CSAC, Margarito, and Capetillo know for sure.

But if it comes back as bad as we can fear, Margarito will likely be finished. Capetillo will likely be finished. And it might be years -- decades, even -- before we ever know the full story, if we ever really do.

Again, I hate this story. I wish we could all just move on and talk about what else is going on in the sport, and praise Shane Mosley for his win, and keep moving forward. But this is going to cloud the entire sport until February 10, when the CSAC holds its hearing.

Antonio Margarito spoke with El Nuevo Dia (hat tip to BoxingScene.com) and said, "It hurts me, because this is pure gossip. I have earned my fights."

Margarito is not "guilty" of anything yet, but this is more than gossip. There are substantiated reports, have been since before the fight against Mosley started, and there is an ongoing CSAC investigation with a scheduled hearing for which Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo must appear.

But I'm a firm believer that there are two sides to the story, and I wanted to at least point out that Margarito is talking a little bit and hasn't gone into hiding or anything of that nature.

For the record, and I probably haven't been clear about this, I hope it comes back that it was a misunderstanding, the investigation clears Margarito for wrongdoing, and we can all put this behind us. The court of public opinion will never let Margarito forget this, probably. There are a lot of people that won't ever let it go, even if Antonio is totally cleared. You can't un-ring the bell. It's just how it goes. It sucks, but it's reality.

But I can promise that if Margarito is cleared, you'll never see me question him about this incident again. Period. And I want him to be cleared, because (1) the sport doesn't need this, and (2) I like Margarito a lot as a fighter. The latter part is selfishness on my behalf, and I don't care. I've enjoyed watching Margarito fight over his career and I don't want his name disgraced.

Still, it would be foolish to not admit that right now, it doesn't look too good.

I hate this story. I really do.

Antonio Margarito and his trainer Javier Capteillo have been temporarily suspended by the California State Athletic Commission while the investigation continues in regard to the handwraps controversy from last Saturday.

From Dan Rafael:

"The temporary suspension will remain in effect until CSAC has fully investigated the circumstances surrounding events at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2009," commission chairman Tim Noonan said in a statement. "A foreign substance was found by California State Athletic Commission staff in the hand wraps of Antonio Margarito before his bout against Shane Mosley at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The substance found in Margarito's hand wraps is currently being analyzed by the California Department of Justice. An investigation as to whether either licensee violated CSAC rules is ongoing."

Noonan said Margarito and Capetillo have been asked to appear at an initial hearing on Feb. 10.

It's also worth noting that attorney Pat English, who represents Joshua Clottey and Main Events Promotions (Kermit Cintron's former promoter), has sent a letter to the CSAC asking them to come forward with any test results so that past wins of Margarito's might be questioned or examined. Margarito twice knocked out Cintron, and beat Clottey by decision in December 2006.

Lance Pugmire also touched on the Margarito handwrap situation, with the following:

Margarito has more to worry about than how to rebound from the Mosley loss. Before the bout, his original hand wraps were removed and Mosley's attorney said "flecks of a substance" that appeared to be like plaster of Paris were found on pads wrapped atop his fist. His hands were re-wrapped, and the contents of the original wraps and the "flecks" were secured in a box.

The California State Athletic Commission will begin "investigating" the contents of Margarito's hand wraps Monday in Sacramento, commission official William Douglas said Sunday.

That should mean we'll hear more sometime this week, maybe next week. I am genuinely dreading what comes out of the investigation of the wraps, and if it's bad news, Margarito's career is in real jeopardy.

Usually I wouldn't devote an entire post to talking about the actual broadcast from HBO or any other network, but there was some important stuff last night on the revamped World Championship Boxing presentation that we didn't see on the Boxing After Dark show from the week before. And there is also a quote that probably deserves to be addressed.

Let's start with the quote, from Larry Merchant: "Oscar de la Hoya is in nearby Anaheim where his company got a 5 million dollar fee from a t-shirt maker, so that he can be personally involved in the promotion of a mixed martial arts show. It would take that much to get me to go to one of those things."

I like Larry Merchant, but he and Lampley have got to get over their infantile vendetta against MMA. Look, we get it, you don't like it. Can't these guys take the road that ESPN writer Dan Rafael takes? Rafael has repeatedly stated that he has watched MMA, he understands the appeal, but it's just not for him. That's fine. Lampley and Merchant seem to think this childish sniping is going to change the fact that mixed martial arts has a massive lead in key demographics like 18-34 year old males and, you know, pretty much everyone else besides Latinos and African-Americans and old people that like combat sports still and haven't given up on boxing while grumbling that they don't make 'em like Marciano no more, conflabbit.

I also think it's worth taking issue with the validity of Merchant's suggestion that Oscar was paid $5 million to appear at the Affliction show. According to Bloody Elbow's Michael Rome, the entire Affliction payroll for the performers last night was around $4.6 million, if Fedor's unverified bonus is the $1.3 million that is being reported. Maybe a bit more than $4.6 million.

Are you telling me that in this economy, with a company that is struggling financially and had horrible results selling tickets in Anaheim last night, that Oscar de la Hoya got $5 million at the lowest point of his career since he became a superstar to just sit there? That's more than the entire fighter payroll of that show.

I get the feeling Larry may have been slightly misinformed. No doubt Affliction paid Oscar to appear, but $5 million? Come on.

Also, I have to take some offense as a fan of both sports to Merchant's snide remark and Lampley's shared chuckling because the two would, I will guarantee, use the word "barbaric" or "dangerous" when talking about why they don't like mixed martial arts. I don't care who likes what sport, and I don't really care why they do or don't. It makes no difference in my life. But we're watching a fight on HBO where Antonio Margarito tried to come to the ring, reportedly, with a "plaster-like substance" on his wraps, and MMA is barbaric?

Glass houses, guys.

Apart from that, though, HBO has done a phenomenal job with their remodeling effort for World Championship Boxing. New animated graphics have finally gotten the program out of feeling like it's stuck in 1996, there was a great pre-fight feature on Shane Mosley and the BALCO scandal, and when Lampley was given the wraps story, he did what he does best: he reported dutifully and honestly on the spot. Lampley also called the fight beautifully, as he always does.

Bigger than that, too, there were short video features on both fighters just before they walked to the ring, sort of like what UFC does before their fights. Little sit-down interviews, soundbyte stuff, things that engage the viewing audience.

Those changes made a world of difference for the broadcast, I thought, and all kudos to the HBO production team for an all-around great job with the broadcast last night. The new look and feel was long overdue, and they're off to a great start.