Notorious trainer in Segura's camp

MANILA, Philippines - Javier Capetillo, banned from working corners in the US for applying plaster of paris on Antonio Margarito’s handwraps before a fight two years ago, is arriving here with Mexican challenger Giovanni Segura who battles WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig on Dec. 11.

Capetillo’s license was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission after he was found guilty of loading Margarito’s bandages for his fight against Sugar Shane Mosley in Los Angeles in 2009. A Department of Justice senior criminologist determined that Capetillo laced the wraps with calcium and sulphur, elements that form plaster of paris when exposed to oxygen. Margarito, who suffered the shame of replacing the tainted wraps, wound up losing to Mosley by knockout. Capetillo was suspended for a year and hasn’t applied to renew his license, meaning he is still unable to work the corner of any fighter in the US.

Solar Entertainment chief executive officer Peter Chanliong confirmed the other day that Capetillo will be in Segura’s traveling party. Also flying in for the bout is WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Boxing legends Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Marco Antonio Barrera will be at ringside to cover the fight as analysts for TV Azteca.

Segura, 29, said he employs Capetillo as a strategic and conditioning trainer. “Javier just trains me for the fights,” said Segura. “He’s a tough trainer who takes you to the top and gets you in the very best shape. He takes you to the limits and never takes anything lightly. He’s always pushing you to do more and more and more.”

Capetillo took the rap for loading Margarito’s wraps. “I just screwed up,” he said, quoted by Kevin Davis. “I was under a lot of pressure because I knew we shouldn’t have taken the fight. I knew Tony (Margarito) was in trouble and I knew that I had put him in that position.  I admitted I made a mistake. Tony had to chop 20 pounds before he left Mexico to begin his camp for Mosley then he dropped another 30 in camp. He kept dropping weight and dropping weight until he had nothing. I started panicking the week of the fight. It was too late to pull out. Maybe, I was feeling the pressure of the fight and not paying attention to what I was doing when I reached into my bag and grabbed the training gauze.”

Capetillo will not likely wrap his hands for the Viloria fight. But whether Capetillo does it or not, Segura’s wraps will be closely scrutinized by examiners from the Games and Amusements Board and WBO representatives in the dressing room before the bout.

Segura’s real trainer is Lucilo Nolasco, retired bantamweight who campaigned in the ‘80s. Nolasco has been Segura’s trainer since his early days and was only briefly sidelined when the late Manuel (Chato) Robles took over. Richard Mota, owner of La Azteca Boxing Club of Bell, California, is Segura’s manager. Mota’s father Arturo usually wraps his hands.

Don Stradley, writing in The Ring Magazine, said “Segura works on the premise that if he keeps throwing punches, some will land…this swarming, all-action style has worked well for him – he can take even the best boxers out of their game plan as all they can do is stand their ground and try fruitlessly to fight back…at times, he seems too hungry for a knockout and he gets his chin checked regularly but the full-blast formula has yielded fantastic results.”

Segura’s record is 28-1-1, with 24 KOs, including 11 in the first round. His seventh round stoppage of Puerto Rico’s Ivan Calderon was picked as The Ring’s Fight of the Year for 2010.