On Saturday evening, boxing fans got treated to the first episode of the Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito 24/7 series. The 24 7 Cotto vs. Margarito series is slated for two episodes, as opposed to the usual four, and by the time the first episode aired the fight was just two weeks out. Check out a full recap of Cotto-Margarito 24-7 episode 1 right here.
—> Watch the can’t miss Cotto vs. Margarito Face Off Video here
As the episode begins, we hear some narration about how even though boxing is violent, there are rules and standards in place that everyone is supposed to abide by to keep things fair. With the notorious Margarito hand wrapping scandal, the Cotto vs. Margarito 2 fight is a story about what happens when that foundation of fairness is questioned, and taken away.
These guys have no love loss between them, and in fact, they openly despise one another. It’s a heated rivalry and both guys have a lot at stake, and it has all the makes of a can’t miss encounter for those reasons.
With that nice hype job intro for Cotto vs. Margarito 24/7 episode 1, we get into the show itself. We’re with Team Cotto, and he says he’s a better fighter today than when he was a few years ago. His passion for the sport has come back, and meanwhile he’s still surrounded by his team including relatives and longtime friends, but the difference for this camp is with his trainer.
He’s on his 3rd trainer in four fights after parting with Emanuel Steward, a move that sparked some concern amongst some media and fans. Cotto is working the mitts on the beach in a picturesque scene, and as we see him running sprints on the beach, he narrates about being happy, and about the importance of this fight for him in setting the story straight about the first fight.
—> Will Cotto vs. Margarito II even happen? Will it happen in NYC or somewhere else? Read up on the ongoing saga here
Now we’re in Mexico with team Margarito, and he has his new training camp location up in the mountains at 10,000 feet. For him and trainer Robert Garcia, it’s a haven and an ideal place for him to train and focus. He says the altitude is helping him, he can fully concentrate, and he’s ready to give it to Cotto once again.
We flash back to the Margarito vs. Mosley fight, and listen to Larry Merchant discussing for the first time the hand wrapping issue. Then we see highlights of Mosley laying the beat down on Margarito, and the aftermath which resulted. Margarito talks about how much it hurt but moving on at this point.
We see Javier Capetillo, and he still trains fighters, although he can’t work their corners anywhere in the United States. He says he got to the dressing room late, but he just grabbed some wraps which were there and put them on, and there was no intent.
He admitted guilt because it was a stupid mistake and he should have known better and not been careless, but he claims he never meant to do anything. Of course, Margarito has never expressed remorse or admitted culpability either.
Cotto talks about how immediately after watching Mosley-Margarito, the wheels got turning and they knew something was amiss for their fight against the Tijuana Tornado. Cotto and his team recall the night, and they say nobody was in Margarito’s dressing room to watch the hand wraps. Margarito’s camp says that somebody was there. Both sides are vehement in their stance here.
Next on 24-7 Cotto-Margarito we see highlights of their bloody, brutal first encounter. Cotto entered as the favorite, and came out strong, using his jab and movement to control the fight. But after a few rounds the tides began to turn, and by the middle of the fight, Margarito was in complete control. Cotto was gassed from the attack and the pressure, Margarito kept on coming on strong and dishing out punishment, and eventually Margarito scored the 11th round TKO.
Then Cotto brings up a photo showing a picture of Margarito’s wraps following the first fight, and the wraps appear to have some kind of major crack and breakage across the knuckles. That, to Cotto, is a clear sign of Margarito cheating during their encounter.
Wraps should never break or crack like that, and they are supposed to be gauze and nothing else. When Margarito sees the photo, he just says that Cotto likes to cry a lot and make excuses, and his former trainer Capetillo says that well with throwing all of those uppercuts wraps could break. Hmmm…
Cotto then compares where the red spots from the dye of the gloves, supposedly, were on Margarito’s wraps for their fight, and where they were on his tainted wraps in the Mosley fight. He says that it’s the exact same wraps both times.
Ultimately, for Cotto, this is about more than just boxing and winning fights. He says Margarito played with his health, and his family. Margarito says he never cheated, and wonders what Cotto is afraid of, and says he’ll beat him again this time and then what?
Back to the actual training here in 24 7 Cotto Margarito episode 1, and we’re in Mexico at Margarito’s camp. Margarito has been off for quite some time following his loss to Manny Pacquiao, and he had to have two eye surgeries to correct his vision. Of course, the commission in New York isn’t convinced of that fact yet, and as of this very moment, Margarito is still not licensed to fight in the state.
In Margarito’s training camp is Brandon Rios, and we see him talking shit, goofing around and just being crazy. Margarito calls him a big kid and says he removes stress with all the clowning he does. But apparently he’s not the only one on that camp with a few screws loose. But everyone is one big happy family of sorts. After training, they all have a big dinner together and joke around some more, and they’re all in it together.
Now we’re in Florida at Cotto’s camp, and things are different than they used to be, and it’s Cotto’s mother that has a kind of supervisory role. Of course, Cotto’s father died last year and that created a big absence in their lives, and for Cotto, with his training and fighting as well.
But they all just miss him as a person and a friend, and he’s always on their minds. Besides his training clothes having a 54/10 logo – Cotto’s dad was born in 1954 and died in 2010 – Cotto also has a tattoo on his left shoulder of his dad’s face and that same 54/10 insignia.
The only way to resolve the issues between Cotto and Margarito? By meeting once again and settling it in the ring where nothing else matters, period. And with that, and some more trash talking from both sides and training montages, the first episode of Cotto-Margarito 24 7 episode 1 comes to an end.
Thanks for checking out our full recap of Cotto vs. Margarito 24/7 episode 1 and be sure to continue checking in with ProBoxing-Fans.com for continued updates on the rematch between these two fierce rivals, just two weeks away.
