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Antonio Margarito: Violent Redemption
MON November 12, BUSTER PARIS - Another vicious upper cut sends his head snapping back, and his body decides that’s the best direction to head in – away – away from this … a moment, a single moment is needed to gather himself, and that moment is denied as a wall of will casts a shadow on him, and the pain starts again, the punches brutally land and before the sound wave of another cruel ‘THUD’ hits anyone’s ears it’s the 2nd knock down - of the first round.
November 10th, 2007 at the Mecca of Boxing - Madison Square Garden (New York, NY) Antonio "Tijuana Tornado" Margarito (W 35 - KO 25 & L 5) faced off against "14-KT" Golden Johnson (W 25 - KO 18, L 8 & D 3) in a fight for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title, but more so, for Antonio, it was a shot at redemption from his last outing and loss (7.14.2007) against Paul “The Punisher” Williams.
There is a lot to be said about the Williams fight, what it meant to Margarito’s career, his record, his future and his standing in this amazing Welterweight division (147 lbs). For now, let’s just say that Antonio made some bad decisions, had a bad fight, and absolutely needed to make a statement against Johnson.
Margarito told HBO’s Jim Lampley that he didn’t start fast enough in that fight, and HBO’s Max Kellerman made the following clear:
“…and that means that he’s in fact gonna start even faster, or start faster then one of the most exciting fighters in the world is about to get even more exciting. He’s not in against a cupcake tonight…”
As for the fight itself – remember in the Wizard Oz, when Dorothy’s house is swept up by the tornado? – well, enter the Tijuana Tornado…
Round One: Violent Redemption – Ding:
The feeling out process lasted about 20 seconds; at around the 2:40 mark Margarito was done with it, and began slamming away with controlled, fast, hard and accurate lefts and rights. Johnson was on the retreat, taking shot after shot, and trying to get something together, but never had room to breathe, and at about 2:14 Antonio let fly two beautifully bad intentioned uppercuts and then immediately launched a flawless straight right hand that sent Golden crumpling to the canvas for knockdown #1.
Slowly and unsurely up by the count of 8, Johnson stepped forward, the last time he would do so, as Margarito was on top of him, pounding away at his body and head. The uppercuts were crashing through Golden’s gloves, like angry vandals through the gates of somewhere they absolutely didn’t belong. The uppercuts, and left hooks decided for Golden that he would need to try and get away from Antonio. The punches were non-stop, brutal, and overwhelming. Johnson just needed a moment, a single moment to gather himself and seek direction, or at least find the eye of the tornado, but it never came. He didn’t take a knee (1:40), it wasn’t his choice, it was a combination of his body responding to the beating and his will succumbing to that of Margorito’s will – knockdown #2.
Antonio’s overhand right introduces itself to Golden, and has a run at crunching Johnson’s skull. Golden tries to hold on, but you can’t hold a tornado, and the pummeling continues. Johnson winds up on the ropes and Margarito pounds a couple of left hooks to his ribs, then at around 26 seconds to go, Antonio throws it, a violent left uppercut that closes the show. Golden wobbles down, and Referee Wayne Kelly stops the fight.
Redemption is usually thought of in religious terms - and is a concept referring to forgiveness or absolution for past sins and protection from eternal damnation.
In boxing there is no forgiveness, but there is absolution - redemption is not bestowed on a fighter, it is taken by that fighter.
November 10th, 2007, a statement needed to be made, and Antonio Margarito made it loud and clear. He needed redemption, and he took it violently.
That’s boxing.
Buster Paris can be reached at: bparis@talkingboxing.com - and always enjoys receiving your thoughts, comments and questions
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