By Esteban Garduno: If former World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KO’s) was smart, he would press Top Rank to line up a rematch against Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KO’s) in Mexico as soon as possible. Cotto, 29, has unfinished business against Margarito due to the brutal beating that Cotto received at the hands of Margarito in July 2008. Cotto’s face was nearly torn off by the powerful punches from the high octane punches from Margarito in that fight, and if Cotto wants to get peace of mind from that bout, he should try to get Margarito back in the ring to see if he can avenge that defeat.

This is a much more meaningful fight for Cotto than his planned fight against WBA light middleweight champion Yuri Foreman on June 12th, at Madison Square Garden, in New York. If Cotto takes that fight, not only will he be getting a less popular opponent in the little known Foreman, but he’s also probably going to get beaten by him.

That would be Cotto’s third defeat in his last five fights if he gets beaten by Foreman. At that point, Cotto might as well start thinking about retirement, because that would be clear signals to me that it’s time that Cotto hang up his gloves. But if Cotto takes on Margarito, a tough fighter with good power, and still loses the fight, I don’t think it would hurt Cotto all that much with boxing fans.

Margarito is popular enough where a loss to him won’t diminish Cotto in the eyes of fans. But a loss to the light hitting, crafty Foreman probably will. Besides that, Foreman is a bad match up for Cotto. He’s a hit and run artist who likes to clinch a lot. Those types of fighters are almost impossible to look good against and are very hard to beat, because they have the ability to nullify offensive fighters like Cotto. It looks like Cotto wants to win another title, even if boxing fans ultimately see it as a paper one.

If Cotto takes on Margarito, there’s a good chance that Cotto win the fight and gain revenge and make more of a name for himself in doing. Fans can respect a fighter that tries to avenge their defeats against good fighters like Margarito. If nothing, else Cotto would still be showing a lot of balls by fighting Margarito even if he does get beat again by the talented Mexican.

And as far as Margarito not getting his license to fight in the United States goes, it won’t matter because the fight can take place in Mexico where the California Athletic Commissions’ ban on Margarito won’t apply.

I think it would be good for Cotto to step back in the ring with Margarito, the fighter who gave Cotto his first loss, and try to avenge his defeat against Margarito. It would be like an act of catharsis for Cotto, to get past a bad experience in his life by facing it again and showing that there is nothing to fear.