By Chris Williams: Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO’s) comes into this rematch with WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) in bad shape from a series of eye operations stemming from the bad beating that Margarito took in a 12 round decision loss to Manny Pacquiao last year. Margarito suffered a fractured right orbital bone and has had two surgeries to repair the damage from this fight.

Although it’s a rematch that’s sure to interest boxing fans of Cotto and Margarito, but lets be clear about this its’ not going to be anywhere close to being the Margarito that stopped Cotto in the 11th round three years ago in 2008. Margarito’s skills and power have badly eroded since then and to a certain extent so had Cotto.

Margarito has lost two out of his last three fights and not looked good since the Cotto win. The Cotto-Margarito II fight will be on pay per view, which is kind of sad because it’s a fight that almost certainly won’t live up to the standards of the first fight. Given how poorly Margarito has looked since that fight, this really should be on regular cable because unless they pack the undercard with extremely good fights, I can see a lot of disappointed boxing fans once this fight is over.

This fight reminds me of the 4th bout between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez where Vazquez came into the fight with bad eyes from his previous three wars with Marquez and ended up getting taken out in the 3rd round. I see the same thing happening with Margarito. He took too much damage to his right eye in the Pacquiao fight and really needs take it easy and not fight for a long, long time. Cotto is going to win this fight, but it doesn’t say much because of how beat up Margarito. I think the fight isn’t worth paying for. I see it as a fight that should be free of charge, preferably buried on an undercard with some younger talent.