On Saturday evening, episode 2 of Cotto vs. Margarito 24-7 debuted on HBO. It was the second installment of the series previewing the upcoming rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, which will be coming our way on Saturday, December 3rd from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Check out our full recap of what went down in Cotto-Margarito 24 7 episode 2 right here.
As usual, first we take a look at what happened in the last episode of Cotto vs. Margarito 24/7. We see the intense talk between the two guys and how Cotto feels Margarito is a cheater and a criminal, and Margarito feels Cotto just complains and whines. We hear about Margarito’s eye issues and take a look at both training camps, and also see how Cotto is doing after the loss of his father.
Now, it’s time for episode 2 of Cotto Margarito 24/7. The action gets going with talk of Margarito’s NYSAC boxing license controversy. We get taken into one of the hearings that was held about his license, where the commission rules that Margarito needs a new eye exam by a doctor of their choosing, in New York.
Things were pretty hairy there for a while, but of course Margarito ended up getting the license and the fight is good to go now. In the meantime though, we head to Mexico with Margarito and his team heading to a day of training in the mountains. Margarito says that he’s focusing on the fight and the license thing isn’t an issue, and if he can’t fight in New York, some other state will give him a license.
Then we flash back to his fight against Manny Pacquiao where Margarito got his eye injury. His right eye was grotesquely swollen, but Margarito didn’t want to stop fighting. Trainer Robert Garcia says that Margarito deserved to be able to keep on trying and fight until the end. After the fight, he had two surgeries, the first to repair the bone, and the second to remove a cataract and also insert a new lens.
He’s ready to go though and he’s working hard in training. We see footage of him sparring and hear his partners talking about his condition and how he’s doing. Garcia even tells them to throw extra left hooks to test that right eye vision.
To Team Cotto we move, and he says that Margarito’s license isn’t a distraction for him either. He talks about how Margarito played with his health by using those illegal hand wraps, and he’s ready for vengeance. Cotto’s trainer is pouring over data to try to optimize his training plan and use their time and energy in the best way possible.
We hear about how Cotto parted with Emanuel Steward, and some of Diaz’s distinct and unique training methods. He spent nearly two decades in charge of Cuba’s amateur boxing program, but he defected a few years ago, as he wanted to work with professional fighters.
Even with all of his great experience in the sport, he doesn’t have that much experience working with pros as a result. When he defected though, he left behind his family, and it’s something he has to deal with. He has to train his brain to endure and overcome, and he knows that one day he’ll be with his family, even if he doesn’t know when. In the meantime, boxing is his family.
Back to Mexico now in episode 2 of Cotto-Margarito 24-7, and Margarito is doing a lot of fitness drills designed to maximize his conditioning specifically for boxing, building speed and agility and explosive strength. It’s a Sunday afternoon, and instead of resting, he’s beginning a 30-hour journey to New York and back for his examination. They are resigned to having to do it, and Garcia knows it will be tiring so they’ll need to adjust some things in camp. Margarito didn’t want to do it but knew he had to. Their private plane arrives in New York at midnight, and they get to their hotel at 1 am.
Margarito sleeps for 4 hours, then drives to Long Island for an examination with a doctor of Top Rank’s choosing. Their doctor says he’s suitable to fight and his injuries have been well repaired, and he should have a license to fight.
Then it’s lunch and then it’s to the NYSAC exam, which takes two hours. Margarito won’t get the results until the next day but he knows everything should be fine. He heads straight back to the airport after that, and flies back to Mexico and training camp.
We’re in Orlando at Cotto’s house now in Cotto vs. Margarito 24/7 episode 2, and he’s taking a break by playing his daily game of dominoes. He’s playing with his grandfather, mother and best friend, and Cotto and his grandfather are kicking some ass in dominoes. That kind of break and downtime he needs to be able to stay at peace and remain focused. Then his wife and kids get into town, and it’s the first time he’s seen them for five weeks. His wife talks about it being hard to be separated.
They have been together for 13 years, and she’s been to almost all of his fights. She was there when he fought Margarito, and we see some slow images of Cotto being beaten up, bleeding all over the place, and her and her kids in the crowd watching in horror and crying. She also talks about the hand wraps, and how infuriating it is knowing the extra risk he put her husband through by cheating, and that a person like that isn’t worth anything.
Now it’s time for the final NYSAC meeting and ruling on Margarito’s license. They finally get the ruling that Margarito will have his license, and we see some crazy relief from the Top Rank guys who now will be able to put on their show and move on with their lives after all of this drama.
As the second episode of Cotto-Margarito 24 7 comes to an end, we go into a favorite pastime of the series, the training montage with music and narration. We see each of the two guys going to work, talking about the fight, hearing about what’s at stake between them when they meet again and so forth. It’s an intense little closing to the episode and does its job of hyping up the fight, now less than a week away.
Margarito says “Fuck Cotto” and it will hurt this time like he is actually using plaster. Cotto says he’ll take advantage of Margarito’s life like he took advantage of his. This will be a good one folks!
Thanks for checking out our Cotto-Margarito 24/7 episode 2 recap, and on fight night, don’t forget to come back to ProBoxing-Fans.com for live Cotto vs. Margarito results.
