Cotto – Margarito II : Will Cotto even the score?

By Boxing News - 09/23/2011 - Comments

Image: Cotto – Margarito II : Will Cotto even the score?By John F. McKenna (McJack): World Boxing Association (WBA) junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) will be seeking revenge when he takes on Antnonio Margartio (38-7, 27 KO’s) on December 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was just over three years ago that Antonio scored an 11th round TKO over Cotto handing him his 1st loss.

Cotto is under the belief that Margarito only won their 1st match up in July 2008 because he cheated by wearing “loaded gloves”. Miguel’s belief was strengthened when California boxing officials in January 2009 secured plaster hardened pads from Margarito’s gloves prior to his scheduled fight with Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

More disturbing was the fact that the hand wraps pulled off of Antonio appeared to be stained with blood in the same spot they were when photographed after Cotto’s loss to Margarito.

The pictures also showed that the gauze in the knuckle area was torn which Cotto also finds suspicious. Gauze normally would not tear inside a fighters gloves, Miguel maintains.

Cotto had once said that Margarito would never make another penny off of him, but he decided to give Antonio a shot at his WBA light middleweight title. The fight will be at a catchweight of 153 pounds.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum stated that Cotto will be paid 5 million dollars for the fight, in addition to receiving a higher percentage of the PPV revenue.

Margarito will receive 2.5 million dollars and a smaller share of the PPV revenue than Miguel.

Margarito was KO’d by Mosley in the 2009 fight after which he was suspended from boxing. Upon his return to the ring in November 2010 he was pummeled by WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.

An eye injury Margarito suffered in the Pacquiao fight threatened his career. After surgery for the injury however, Antonio was cleared to resume his boxing career.

Cotto will begin his training camp next week in Orlando, FL under Emanuel Stweard, while Margarito will train with Robert Garcia in the mountainous area above Mexico City.

Arum has reported that 65% of the tickets at Madison Square Garden were sold out in the first day. Cotto has won all six of his fights there and has a huge base of supporters who will come out in droves to watch him fight.

Cotto is focused on the fight with Margarito knowing that it will be a make or break fight for him. With legendary trainer Manny Steward at his side he is very confident of victory.



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