By Dan Ambrose: Former two time world champion Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KO’s) is working feverishly in training camp, melting off lard to get ready to take on WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KO’s) on March 12th at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayorga, who once had a slender, athletic physique, has put on a lot of weight in the past six years and hasn’t looked like the same fighter he once was back in the early 2000’s.

However, Mayorga is really taking serious his fight with Cotto, and is burning off lots of blubber in hopes of getting trim enough to pull off the victory, and then possibly get a big payday against Top Rank fighter Antonio Margarito during the summer. If Mayorga can destroy both Cotto and Margarito, Bob Arum may have no other choice but to trot out his prize #1 cash cow fighter Manny Pacquiao to right things somehow.

Most people don’t expect Mayorga to beat even Cotto, which is why Mayorga was selected for this fight rather than someone that can actually beat Cotto like Alfredo Angulo, Sergiy Dzinziruk, or Sergio Martinez. Mayorga could ruin things for Arum by taking out his number #2 fighter Cotto, and then taking on the recently beaten Margarito. Right now, Margarito may not have much left in the tank to beat anyone. He looked shot before his recent loss to Pacquiao, but the beating he took in that that fight couldn’t have helped things any.

I would favor Mayorga over Margarito right now even if Mayorga comes in fat for the fight. Margarito just looks too shot beat anyone halfway decent right now. Cotto might be too shot as well. We’re going to see on March 12th. If Mayorga comes in shape, I see him giving Cotto a terrible beating and taking his WBA title and messing things up for Arum.