5 Reasons Miguel Cotto will beat Antonio Margarito(article)

from espn:

It's a rule of thumb in boxing that personal feelings have no place in the ring, but it will be difficult to keep the bad blood outside the ropes when Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito clash again Saturday (9 p.m. ET) at New York City's Madison Square Garden in what could mark the end of a bitter rivalry.


The ongoing feud escalated recently as the fighters have traded insults and accusations, making this one of the most anticipated grudge matches in recent memory. But in this junior middleweight title bout, there will be much more than a belt at stake. And after their grueling 2008 matchup -- a TKO by Margarito that is still shrouded in doubt because of suspicions that he used illegal hand wraps -- both fighters are fully aware of each other's strengths and flaws. With new trainers in their corners and new strategies on their minds, both fighters figure to have fresh approaches for this long-awaited rematch, and it will be interesting to see how each uses his numerous resources.


Having looked better in his most recent outings, Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) remains the slight favorite to pull off a very significant victory for his career. And the win, if it happens, probably will be attributed to some combination of the following factors:


Hook 'til he drops

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Now you see it, now you don't. And then you feel it. That's what Cotto's opponents have experienced when tangling with his vaunted left hand. Cotto wraps his foe in a whirlwind of pitter-pat punches all over the head, he covers up, and just when he opens up to try to find Cotto again, that left hook says hello to the poor fellow's right ear. Cotto's hook is a superb weapon and his go-to punch when the time comes to put an opponent down. And you can bet he'll be looking forward to putting Margarito down. That hook will work overtime on Saturday, but the effects will be felt sooner rather than later.






Keep it hot

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Both fighters have been in wars during their careers, but it's clear that Cotto looked better and more active even in his losing efforts, throwing punches constantly and hardly breaking down. He will need to stay on his toes and maintain a steady stream of leather to Margarito's head and body throughout the fight. That was Manny Pacquiao's path to victory against Margarito, and it could be key for Cotto as well. If he slows down or takes a round to rest, Cotto probably will lose momentum and hand over control of the fight (and perhaps the outcome itself) to his foe.






A tank of gas is a terrible thing to waste

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Knockouts have come often (and early) enough for Cotto to neglect the pacing of his efforts in a more economical manner. But against a beast like Margarito, with his undying energy and dangerous, unrelenting punching power, losing steam isn't an option. There's little doubt that Cotto will be supremely fit for this fight, being fully aware of the importance of the result to his legacy. But if he throws caution to the wind and pushes himself at a tough pace, he could find himself in trouble as early as the sixth or seventh round.






Hold the grudge

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Make no mistake: These fighters hate each other. Truly. And beneath that nervous smirk of his, Cotto is brewing the worst of the bad feelings between the two of them -- enough that it should make Margarito fear for his safety if Cotto launches an uncontrolled onslaught even if he is visibly hurt. Cotto won't hold back even if Margarito looks completely out of his senses, and this will make this fight a very difficult match to control for the referee, who probably will find himself in the middle of more than one clinch in which both fighters are still punching each other. If Cotto finds a way to channel his enmity more productively, he will have a significant advantage against Margarito.






Watch the body -- your body

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Although it's true that Margarito suffered a terrible pummeling at the hands of Pacquiao in his previous fight, the Filipino champ is the first to admit the bout wasn't just a glorified target practice. Margarito hurt Pacquiao with both hands throughout the fight, and the main target was Pacquiao's torso. Cotto will be very tempted to focus on Margarito's partially broken eye socket, but if that means neglecting his own body defense, he likely will suffer for it in the long run. Margarito's accuracy with his punches has diminished enough to allow Cotto more leeway there than he had in the past, but Margarito's body attack remains dangerous enough that Cotto needs to be cognizant of keeping up his defenses in

 

who do you have pitythefool?

 

haha im with you. I just think we will see a great version of Cotto here tomorrow night. I got him winning a wide UD or a KO. Ill say knockout cause thats what im hoping for (even if margarito is hard as hell to hurt).

 

haha I agree. I think he will come out strong and keep that pace.