Cotto used a brilliant strategic gameplan but should Margarito have been licensed?

Hats off to Cotto, let's not take anything away from him he put in a superb performance, he did things I didn't think he was quite capable of. He changed up his gameplan from the first fight perfectly to neutralise Margarito. So what did he do differently, well instead of backing up in straight lines and going to the ropes where Marg could hammer him he used lateral movement so he was much harder for Margarito to find. When Margarito did close the gap and force his way inside he stopped Margarito uppercuting him by doing several things. He closed the gap further and clinched, he threw hooks from angles, he sat on his punches more to stop Margarito pushing him back and stop him. Another thing he did was use the occasional headbutt coming off the ropes to take away Margarito's rythm. Brilliant strategy, well done to him and his trainer, they put in a master class.

Now looking at Margarito's eye, it looks obvious that he never should have been sanctioned to fight. The same eye closd up quickly in the same spot, I think the commission risked Margarito's eyesight to make money

IN closing I thought we'd have an answer to 'Would Margarito have beaten Cotto without the wraps'? Well I don't have an answer to that because, Cotto was a far smarter boxer tonight. We did see Margarito still was able to hurt him and back him up

 

Not meaning to take anything from Cotto, I think he'd win a shutout if there wasn't the prior eye damage, he boxed perfectly. But I do think that was an injury Margarito was carrying.