Boxer Antonio Margarito struggling to recover from eye injury

Antonio Margarito, the former world welterweight boxing champion beaten by Manny Pacquiao in November, is struggling to recover from a right eye injury suffered in that bout and will undergo an extensive examination next week that probably will determine whether his career can resume.

Margarito (38-7, 27 knockouts) was struck in the eye by a left uppercut from Pacquiao in the fourth round of his unanimous-decision loss to the Filipino star Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Margarito’s promoter, Bob Arum, earlier this year sought to schedule a summer date for Margarito to have a rematch against world super-welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, then pushed it back to September.

Word came Thursday that Margarito will now visit the University of Utah’s prestigious John A. Moran Eye Center next week.

“The eye is still giving him trouble; it has not completely healed,” Arum said.

Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia, said he is “worried” about his fighter, who was ensnared in scandal in 2009 after plaster-coated inserts were pulled from inside his hand wraps before his loss to Shane Mosley at Staples Center. The California State Athletic Commission revoked Margarito’s license.

“It’s hard to think that he’ll have to maybe quit like this when there’s still million-dollar paydays out there for him,” Garcia said. “I always tell these guys to invest their money when they get it, because that next big fight might never come. This is a big hit. He’s a close friend.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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