Antonio Margarito not finished yet, eyeing June showdown with Chavez Jr.

Nothing seemed to go right for former champion Antonio Margarito on the night of December 3rd, 2011.

Facing off with Miguel Cotto for the second time inside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Margarito was unable to get on track against his bitter rival and fell behind on the scorecards early before seeing the fight stopped seconds into the tenth round because of massive swelling around his surgically-repaired right eye.

View slideshow: Inside Nonito Donaire's media workout in Las Vegas

Margarito had defeated Cotto by way of a dramatic 11th round TKO in July of 2008 but while that win was his finest as a professional, it has also served as his last significant victory.

After the Cotto fight Margarito was punished by Shane Mosley in a brutal loss, suspended by the California State Athletic commission for having plaster-coated inserts in his hand wraps prior to that fight, and then returned in November of 2010 in a major fight with Manny Pacquiao that saw him absorb a tremendous punishment while suffering a broken orbital bone that left his career in question.

Soon to be 34 years old and having gone 1-3 in his last four fights while again seeing his right eye damaged the last time out, the next move from Margarito was uncertain but he recently opened up and showed interest in a fight with WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Chavez defends his title this coming Saturday night against Marco Antonio Rubio on HBO’s airwaves in San Antonio, Texas and Margarito would love to be the follow-up option.

“The plans are, that if Chavez beats Marco Antonio Rubio, then the two of us would meet in June,” Margarito said in a BoxingScene.com piece by Miguel Rivera. “I don’t want that fight because his dad was my idol, but boxing is a business and I’m here to fight. Of course I would accept the fight against Chavez because I think he is at the top level. I have the physical dimensions to go up to middleweight and I can win and then face Miguel Cotto again or Sergio Martinez.”

As far as any concern of his right eye, Margarito pointed out that yet another surgery went smoothly and he looks to be wasting no time getting back into the groove of things.

“I recovered well from the operation on my eye and I can continue in boxing. I hope the fight against Chavez is finalized, so I can start light training," stated Margarito.

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Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com andwww.Twitter.com/CRHarmony