State inspectors testified that they confiscated two gauze pads that were "firm" and "smeared with a substance" before Margarito made the first defense of his welterweight title against Mosley on Jan. 24 at Staples Center. Mosley won by a ninth-round technical knockout.

The pads, shown in photos to be caked with a white grout-like substance still under analysis by a state lab, were inserted covertly under the knuckle pads atop Margarito's fists, a fact that his trainer, Javier Capetillo, admitted could have injured Mosley.

The suspension will be upheld by other state commissions all over the country, which means that the next time you see Margarito in a ring it will most likely be under Mexican jurisdiction. However Margarito will still have to re-apply for a license a year from now, and skirting the ruling by fighting in Mexico might not sit well in Sacramento. Somehow I don't see that possibility stopping Margarito's promoter Bob Arum from cashing in on a payday, possibly in Margarito's hometown of Tijuana where the local hero can seemingly do no wrong.

The main question left unanswered is whether this was an isolated incident, and you can bet that Miguel Cotto's support team will be looking for answers. At one point during yesterday's testimony California's Deputy Attorney General Karen Chappelle attempted to claim that Margarito had similarly loaded gloves that went undetected last year when Margarito knocked out the seemingly indestructible Cotto in Las Vegas. Her claims were immediately dismissed, seeing as how that fight took place outside of the commission's purview. For now Cotto remains quiet, but if Chappelle has any tangible evidence he'd probably be interested in seeing it.

For much more on the Margarito suspension check out the coverage over at No Mas and The Queensberry Rules.

Antonio Margarito's License Is Revoked For A Year [LA Times]

PHOTO: ESPN

Mosley, a 3-1 underdog entering the welterweight title fight, was well on his way to a possible shutout win when he caught Margarito in the 8th round with a brutal combination that floored the champ. Margarito's corner unwisely allowed their fighter to come out for the ninth round, despite the fact that he was clearly hurt. Mosley didn't take long to end things in the ninth round marking just the first time the Tijuana Tornado has ever been stopped.

While the fight itself went off without controversy, the same could not be said of the pre-fight preparations. Mosley's new trainer Naazim Richardson was in Margarito's locker room to witness the champ's hands being taped when he alerted officials to the presence of an illegal plaster-like substance within the wraps. The case was resolved well in advance of last night's fight, however it certainly raises questions as to what Margarito may have gotten away with in the past, say last year against Cotto for example. As a boxing fan I want to believe that this was an isolated incident, but it's hard to do so when the infraction was so blatant.

Mosley has to be thrilled with his choice to fire his trainer/father in favor of Richardson, and not just because of the trainer's keen eye. Richardson, the veteran who has made his name in the corner of fellow Golden Boy employee Bernard Hopkins, will earn a ton of credit for once again preparing an older fighter for an upset over a clear-cut favorite. It's the best Sugar has looked since the last time he won in Staples Center, a win over Oscar de la Hoya that was later marred by admissions of blood doping.

Last night's win puts Mosley in the drivers seat of the welterweight division, the deepest and most talented division in boxing today. Undefeated Andre Berto, my own personal mancrush, is still about a year away from a title fight with a guy like Mosley after gutting out an impressive win over Luis Collazo last week. Meanwhile fighters like Manny Pacquiao, Paul Williams, and the "retired" Floyd Mayweather are always lurking on the periphery of the division.

Gamboa, the Cuban defector and former gold medalist, displayed an incredibly rare combination of speed and power in both of his hands that led him to a second round knockout, albeit one with a quick count. Critics will point to the moment when Gamboa suffered the third knockdown of his career as a big question mark going forward, and I can't say it's unfair. If Gamboa is going to be the next pound-for-pound great he's going to have to settle down and fight a hell of a lot smarter. Otherwise he'll likely become one of the greatest action fighters of his generation, which wouldn't exactly suck.

Angulo continued to tear his way through the light middleweight division, this time battering veteran Andrey Tsurkan for ten rounds before the fight was finally called. The HBO broadcast team of Lampley, Kellerman, and Lewis were all calling for the fight to be stopped beginning in the eighth round, and I couldn't have agreed more. Angulo was winning in shutout fashion and his opponent was taking entirely too much punishment for his own good. At times like that the ref, the doctor, the corner, or the commission needs to step in between the two fighters. Eventually the corner did wave a white towel, and referee Tony Krebs stepped in to stop the fight, but not before taking a well deserved right hand from Angulo.

Martinez has flown under the radar a bit since his TKO loss to Antonio Margarito eight years ago, and last night he announced his return to prominence. The 33 year-old Argentine flashed a bit of brilliance in his eight-round TKO victory over the game Alex Bunema. There's speculation that Martinez might face off with Vernon Forrest for for the WBC belt, but Martinez could find himself in line for a rematch with Tony down the road. Or perhaps the champ might be interested in a match against Angulo, his former sparring partner. I say screw that. Let's watch Angulo and Martinez fight for the right to take on Margarito at 154 sometime next year.

"Now I know why [trainer] Freddie [Roach] said Oscar can't pull the trigger. He really can't pull the trigger. Now he's getting brave with a 135-pound fighter and is trying to convince everyone that is a tough fight. He's getting brave with a great fighter, but a fighter who fights at 135-pounds. He wants to show the world that he can pull the trigger against a 135-pounder! What a man! What a hero! What a businessman! Go ahead Oscar, show the world you can still pull that trigger," Margarito said.

Granted, it may not be the most sophisticated method of matchmaking, but if you're a Mexican fighter who desperately wants a fight date with the overly image conscious Mexican-American your best bet is to question his manhood. Hey, at least he didn't bring up the infamous fishnet pictures like his manager, Sergio Diaz. Come on Sergio, didn't you hear those pictures were "fake"?

It still appears that Oscar is more likely to sign the perfectly safe fight with Sergio Mora while Margarito is left to fight Joshua Clottey for far less money. Of course if the new welterweight champ keeps talking, Oscar will need a better response than he's been giving. Remember Oscar, you're not Paul Williams' promoter, you're still an actual boxer.

• This won't help DC's boxing reputation. The other news in the world of boxing comes from last night's episode of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights in Washington DC, which featured Anthony "The Messenger" Thompson's return to the ring. The former light middleweight prospect took on Ishmail Arvin in his first action in over a year since losing a split decision to the undefeated Yuri Foreman at Madison Square Garden. Thompson looked pretty solid considering his time off, and he was having his way with the over-matched Arvin before a clash of heads created a nasty cut over Thompson's left eye in the third round. He continued to batter Arvin, but eventually the fight was correctly stopped before further damage was inflicted on the rather grotesque injury.

The problem was that the referee never saw the headbutt. Instead Malik Waleed ruled the cut the result of a punch, so instead of going to the cards - which would presumably give Thompson the much needed win - the fight was ruled a TKO victory for Arvin. At one point the referee was even watching the replay on the ringside monitors courtesy of ESPN's confounded broadcasting team of Joe Tessitore and Shannon Briggs. Then Jason Turner, the head of the DC Boxing Commission, got in the ring and he took a closer look at the replay before somebody remembered that there is no instant replay in boxing. Because the referee ruled the cut as the result of punch they ruled it a TKO, but perhaps the better decision would have been to rule the fight a no contest after all of that post-fight consternation.

Margarito Swings Back at De La Hoya, Answers Williams via Bad Left Hook

Margarito Lobbies Venemously For De La Hoya, While Oscar Turns To Mora

Cotto looked every bit the pound-for-pound elite he'd been pegged as throughout the first half of the fight only to see Margarito walk through every rock solid punch like the T1000 on PCP. Cotto's hand speed and swift lateral movement allowed him to pick-off and counter his challenger's punches, even when on the retreat. Margarito was repeatedly punished by Cotto's vaunted left hook, although far too many of those were directed at the head.

Cotto has been known as one of the premier body punchers in the sport, primarily due to that ruthless snapping hook, yet he never committed to attacking Margarito's long torso. Had he done so he might have slowed down Margarito's unrelenting attack. That is, if Margarito can be slowed down at this point.

Instead it was Cotto who began to wither in the latter stages of the fight, likely due in equal part to Margarito's constant flurries and the energy Cotto expended with all of his movement early in the fight. Once the fighters entered the championship rounds it became clear that Cotto was simply trying to hold on for the fight's final nine minutes. Of course a guy like Margarito wasn't about to let that happen. Instead he went after the heavy favorite with furious swarms of punches thrown from a variety of angles. Eventually Cotto was reduced to a beaten fighter, taking multiple knees before his corner waved the towel.

Antonio Margarito is the new champion, and quite possibly the toughest motherfucker roaming the Earth. Vazquez-Marquez was my previous pick for FOY, but after watching Margarito overcoming Cotto's superbly technique, speed, and power to score a knockout makes this all but unbeatable.

So what happens from here in the most exciting division in boxing? I say Margarito should take a rematch with Cotto. Oscar de la Hoya is too smart to take on such a dangerous fight without the huge guaranteed payday that would have come with a Cotto fight. Bob Arum would have settled for a match against the winner of the upcoming Zab Judah-Joshua Clottey fight, but now who knows if that will happen.

Paul Williams is the other major player in the division, and he famously won a decision over Margarito. Considering their history, and the fact that Williams holds a piece of the welterweight title it would make sense to see the two get back in the ring. And then there's my boy Andre Berto. The young, charismatic fighter is undefeated and a match between he and the winner of the Judah-Clottey fight would be a spectacle.

Oh, and be sure to check out Large's live coverage over at The Sporting Blog. I'm just diving in now, and it's pretty great.