Antonio Margarito Montiel was born on March 18, 1978 in Torrance, California. Margarito is a American boxer of Mexican descent. He is also a former International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization Welterweight champion. Margarito's reputation was tarnished by an incident in which his corner is alleged to have tampered with his hand wraps prior to his bout with Shane Mosley, which were found by the CSAC to contain sulfur and calcium which, when combined with oxygen, forms "Plaster of Paris". He also now manages IBF Lightweight Champion Miguel Vazquez. Margarito resides in Tijuana, Mexico.

Margarito compiled a record of 18-3 in his relatively brief amateur career, indicating that he turned pro quickly because he needed the money. On July 21, 2001, he got his first world title try against southpaw Daniel Santos for the WBO world Welterweight crown, at Bayamón, Puerto Rico's Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum. On March 16, 2002, Margarito crowned himself world champion, beating Diaz by knockout in round ten. He defended that crown with a decision in twelve over Danny Perez and a knockout in two over former WBA world champion Andrew Lewis.On April 23, 2005, Margarito retained his WBO world Welterweight title against another Puerto Rican, undefeated world class puncher Kermit Cintron, dropping him four times on his way to a fifth round knockout. This was regarded as one of his best wins. On April 12, 2008, Margarito engaged in a rematch with Cintron, who had won the IBF welterweight title belt following his loss to Margarito in 2005. In the early rounds, Cintron struck Margarito with several flush power shots to the head, but Margarito remained unhurt and continued to execute a game plan of continuously moving forward and pressuring Cintron. In the sixth round, Margarito landed a liver shot to Cintron's midsection, knocking him out and taking the IBF title. As the referee counted Cintron out, HBO cameras captured Margarito, from a neutral corner, gesturing upward with his arms and urging Cintron to get up so that the two men could continue fighting for a longer period of time. Following his successful rematch with Cintron, the IBF ordered him to fight a mandatory defense against the organization's number-one contender, Joshua Clottey, whom Margarito had previously defeated in 2006. Rather than agreeing to a rematch with Clottey, Margarito vacated the IBF title and agreed to a fight with undefeated WBA titlist Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. The Cotto-Margarito match took place on July 26, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Controversy erupted before the fight when Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, observed that Margarito had a pasty white substance in his handwraps prior to the fight. One doctor described this material as plaster hidden in the wrapped hands of Margarito, leading to accusations that Margarito may have been trying to cheat. At Richardson's insistence, California State Inspector Dean Lohuis called for Margarito's hands to be rewrapped. According to Judd Burstein, the attorney for Mosley, Margarito had wet pads in the wrapping. Mosley's doctor, Robert Olvera, likened the material to the type of plaster used to make casts. Burstein said he seized the pad removed from the wrapping and another pad found in Margarito's dressing room. Both were placed in a sealed box that was given to Lohuis for further study.

Antonio Margarito Montiel is one of good fighter but some says he should play clean and fair in his fight. ANtonio Margarito is schedule for a fight to the number 1 pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on November 13, 2010 at either in Las Vegas or at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight/WBC Light Middleweight title. Source: wikipedia.org