Floyd Mayweather is glad he didn't fight Antonio Margarito. The retired boxing champion, who won world titles in five weight classes, recently shared his thoughts on the matter during an interview on the 'It is what it is' podcast.
Mayweather, who retired with a perfect 50-0 record, is known as "TBE" (The Best Ever) in boxing circles. He picked up world titles from super-featherweight all the way up to super-welterweight, beating big names like Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Jose Luis Castillo along the way.
But there's one fighter Mayweather is happy he didn't face: Antonio Margarito. The Mexican boxer was caught up in a big scandal back in 2009. Before his fight with Shane Mosley, officials found a plaster-like substance on illegal pads inside Margarito's hand wraps. This discovery cast doubt on Margarito's previous wins, especially his 2008 victory over Miguel Cotto, where he handed Cotto his first loss by stoppage.
Mayweather explained his feelings about not fighting Margarito on the podcast:
"Everything happens for a reason. You're not gonna be able to fight everybody, so they're gonna always have something to say about a certain opponent. Floyd didn't fight him, Floyd didn't fight this guy. I fought all the guys put in front of me. With the Antonio Margarito fight, I'm actually glad that it didn't happen. My career is very important to me. Anything can happen in the sport of boxing. Antonio Margarito, he's a cheater when it's said and done. You see what happened to Miguel Cotto when he fought him the first time. That could've easily been me."
Mayweather's words show he's relieved he didn't end up in the ring with Margarito. He values his career and health, and he sees Margarito as a cheater who could have put him in danger.
It's worth noting that Cotto got his revenge on Margarito in a rematch in December 2011, after the cheating scandal came to light.
Mayweather wrapped up his professional career in 2017, ending with a perfect record and a reputation as one of boxing's all-time greats. His comments about Margarito show that even the best in the sport have fights they're glad they didn't take.
