Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito Preview – The Rematch
On December 3, 2011, Miguel Cotto and Antonio “Tony” Margarito will meet at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in a rematch that is causing quite a buzz in the boxing world. Why? It was three years ago on July 26, 2008, when the heir apparent to Felix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, WBA welterweight champion and an undefeated fighter, was convincingly destroyed by Antonio Margarito.
Antonio Margarito was the former WBO welterweight champion who was in search of a defining victory. He had been avoided for years by fighters such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Zab Judah, to name a few. Many dismissed Margarito’s accomplishments to that point.
He entered professional boxing at the young age of 15 without having any amateur experience, won two world titles, but was still viewed by boxing critics as an overachieving club fighter. Margarito would silence his critics, at least on the night of July 26, 2008, and show why he should be considered in the elite, if not as the best in the welterweight division, by adding a third world title to his resume.
All that would change prior to his bout against Shane Mosley. Margarito’s trainer was caught trying to insert plaster into his hand wraps. What made matters worse after was that Margarito was thoroughly outclassed by Shane Mosley and lost his WBA welterweight championship. Never in this boxing writer’s memory has a fighter’s boxing resume come under such scrutiny as Margarito’s after having been caught apparently trying to cheat. Not Mosley’s when he admitted to using steroids (two victories over De La Hoya), Fernando Vargas testing positive for steroids (when he lost to De La Hoya), and Felix Trinidad’s own hand wrap controversy (notable victories over Vargas, Whitaker, and De La Hoya) before he lost in the same fashion as Margarito.
Interestingly enough, it was the same trainer, Nazim Richardson who was in both Mosley’s corner when he defeated Margarito and in Hopkins’ corner when he defeated Trinidad. No, Trinidad wasn’t inserting plaster into his handwraps, but the Hopkins camp objected because after Trinidad’s hands were wrapped he would customarily dunk them in ice water. As the hand wrap dried it would become as hard as a cast.
—-> On fight night, come back and check out our live Cotto-Margarito II results!
Almost everyone in the boxing world is convinced that Margarito used “loaded gloves” to defeat Miguel Cotto on July 26, 2008. Every notable fighter who has lost to Margarito, with the exception of Sergio Martinez, believe Margarito used “loaded gloves” against them. Kermit Cintron blames all his subsequent underachieving losses to other fighters to Margarito. In reference to his rematch with Margarito, “No one’s ever hit me like that before”.
Since that fateful night (July 26, 2008), both Cotto’s and Margarito’s careers have went in different directions. Cotto has gone 4-1 and has added two more world championships to his trophy case. His lone loss was a beating to Manny Pacquiao. Cotto is the current WBA junior middleweight champion. Margarito was suspended after his loss to Mosley for one year and has gone 1-1. He too received a beating at the hands of Pacquiao.
What will be the keys to victory for both fighters be in the rematch?
Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) has convinced most writers and fans Margarito is inferior to him. The only reason Margarito beat him is because of “loaded gloves” and his conditioning failed him when the two fought previously. With the largely pro-Puerto Rican fans supporting him Cotto will attempt to put on a boxing clinic using his superior boxing skills, speed, and footwork. He will try to re-injure Margarito’s surgically repaired eye and hope that Margarito’s corner stops the fight before the referee stops the fight.
Antonio “Tony” Margarito (38-7, 26 KO’s) realizes what he is up against. Unlike the first fight when he fought in a neutral territory like Las Vegas, he will have to tune out the pro-Cotto crowd. Margarito must neutralize Cotto’s speed any legal way he can. The fight is at a catch weight of 153lbs. This weight will not make a difference. Tony will still have the advantage even if it were 154lbs. The Cotto camp requiring the fight be at a “catchweight” tells this boxing writer a lot about Cotto’s psychological state.
Cotto had also stated if the New York State Athletic commission had not sanctioned the bout for MSG, he would not fight Margarito anywhere else. Why? If he’s better than Margarito it shouldn’t matter where they fight. Right? Cotto is the WBA 154lbs champion. If he is indeed a better fighter then Margarito, why would he try to weaken Margarito physically through weight?
On fight night Tony will likely step into the ring at 165 lbs. He will have the strength and height advantage. Finally his motivation for this fight is to clear his name, removing any doubts about his first bout with Cotto and other notable victories.
This is a crossroads fight for both fighters. If Cotto wins then he will have successfully convinced boxing writers and fans that there was no way Margarito beat him fair and square. If Margarito wins he will show the boxing world that he can beat the best fighters in the world legally. On fight night it will be the two fighters and the referee in the ring.
In spite of Cotto’s seeming advantages in the rematch, including his partisan crowd backing him, Margarito will once again come out victorious. Look for a replay of the first fight. Cotto will box well and win the early rounds, but Margarito will use his height, weight, and psychology (hitting Cotto just as hard with inspected gloves) to stop him by the 10th rd.
