Just curious to see what the Classic section thinks of this match-up, and who they think will win. Personally, I'm picking Cotto to score a late-rounds TKO due to facial damage/accumlation of punishment, based upon his superior skill-set and sense of timing. Should be a fun fight, though
Cotto should prove his class over Margarito. I'm thinking the same way you are, late rounds stoppage due to accumulation of punishment. Cotto's simply far too good technically for Margarito.
Cotto TKO11 Margarito is going to get the ass kicking he should have gotten last June had he picked to fight Cotto instead of Williams.
Cotto should win...I would guess 8-4 but would not be surprised to see him end it late either...i wouldn't be shocked to see Margarito win, but if both bring their A game, Cotto's should be a little better..IMHO
I see a pretty violent opening, maybe not all the way opened up but not a milllion miles away. Cotto will dominate, either with switch hitting or more likely by way of the left hook, doubling up, using it to shepard Margarito a little bit. Cotto will become a bit discouraged though and around the same time a behind-on-the-cards Marg puts his foot down looking to close the gap, and wins some of the middle rounds with the aggression. Cotto turns to boxing and closes out the fight ahead 116-112, nearly gets the stoppage in the 11th or 12th as a wild Margarito tries to press for a KO but, assuming the ref doesn't pull him on a cut, Margarito drops a decision. My 116-112 prediction is independant of knockdowns, a couple could change everything. I don't expect more than one without a KO though.
Wow. I sure feel like an idiot. Technical skills ain't all there is to it in boxing. I guess we all need to learn this.
.......I have never been more wrong about a fighter than I was about Margarito. The guy is good, and insanely tough. I misjudged him. He simply broke Cotto.
I had two picks. One was Cotto ouboxing him and the other was margarito wearing Cotto down. I guess I was right on both accounts. Eventually though, I went with Cotto to win, but I'm in no way dissapointed. That fight, or even the whole event, was sensational. Margarito is such a tough fighter to beat. He has the greatest workrate of any welterweight ever, possibly an undentable chin, a relentlessly aggressive style and power. How do you counter all that? I think he'd beat Williams if they fight again. I can see him tearing through the division if he fights like he did tonight. Cotto is the best welterweight boxer out there and it just wasn't enough. I'm glad Margarito won in the end. I prefer him to Cotto in almost every way. Before the fight, I wanted Cotto to win and I'm not sure why. I was nervous rather than excited as he started taken punishment in the middle rounds. Maybe it's because I wanted a dominant champion to help the division recover from Mayweather's exit, I don't know. However, as soon as Margo had Cotto hurt in the 11th, I was ecstatic. Great main event, fantastic undercard....just a really good night for the sport. (The clip at the end of Cotto's wife and child crying was heartbreaking)
