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.

The knockout was the 38th of Mosley's incredible career, and the win was his 45th against five losses to three men. No one can be sure what the future holds for the 37 year-old hall of fame lock, but by knocking out Mayorga instead of winning what would have been a split decision (inexplicable) he makes himself an easy sell for Golden Boy Promotions.

Andre Berto passed the most important test of his career with a dominating performance in a unanimous decision over the unflappable Steve Forbes. The slick veteran withstood Berto's barrage of speed and power without being knocked out, or even knocked down for the first time in his career.

In other news, Berto may or may not have seen a ghost.

It was probably just Larry Merchant.

Now I don't mean to downplay the true main event, it's just that getting excited about a Mayorga fight pretty tough these days. However, as Large points out over at The Sporting Blog the fight could have serious consequences for Mr. Mosley, and the entire landscape of the stacked welterweight division.

Talk has been rampant about a possible Antonio Margarito/Shane Mosley fight for early 2009 which means that Sugar Shane’s bout with Mayorga is suddenly loaded with consequences. Mosley is an excellent opponent for Margarito, a high-profile ex-pound-for-pound champ who still has some mustard on the fastball, as he showed in his donnybrook with Miguel Cotto last November. A Mosley/Margarito bout likely would do respectable PPV numbers and also be a hell of a fight to boot. Presuming that Margarito emerged with the W, it would continue his upwards trajectory into crossover stardom.

Well at least that gives us something to be excited about, even if it's not a sure thing as of yet. If anyone out there needed another reason to root against that clown Mayorga, this is it. A lot of fighters have been floated as possibilities to take on the downright scary Margarito, but a clash of styles against Sugar would be immensely entertaining.

Round by Round: Weekly Boxing Notes