AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito has been approved to fight in Texas, clearing the way for his proposed bout against Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation received a license application from Margarito on Monday and decided Thursday to grant the request.
He’s expected to face Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight title on Nov. 13.
Margarito hasn’t fought in the United States since January 2009, when a plaster-like substance was found in his handwraps before a fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles. Margarito’s license was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision upheld by most other states.
Margarito recently was denied a license in California and had an application tabled in Nevada.
