Antonio Margarito Not Retiring, But Won't Fight in 2011

Antonio Margarito told ESPN Deportes radio that he won't be retiring, but that he also won't be fighting in 2011, as doctors have advised the Mexican star to take the year off and let his orbital bone properly heal.

Margarito also says that he doesn't have a detached retina, and isn't sure where that news came from.

The prospect of taking a full year off due to a bad injury (detached retina or not) is hardly ideal for Margarito, who at 33 is getting no younger. The beating he took from Manny Pacquiao in November 2010 was pretty bad, and even if he hadn't been put on the shelf long-term by the fight, he'd likely have never been the same again. Add in the fact that Margarito hasn't won a significant fight since July 2008, and we're not talking about a great future for Margarito as far as being a top fighter.

But upon any potential return, he should be able to land at least one more significant fight thanks to both his popularity and his infamy, which may not go hand-in-hand but are both marketable, like it or not. Margarito had been slated to rematch Miguel Cotto on September 17, and if they both want it next year, I doubt it even matters what happens with either of them in the meantime. That rematch will always have weight.

(HT: Brickhaus and Leo Solis)