After initially watching the fight on tv through the top rank feed, I was convinced this was a fantastic fight. Epic. It had constant action, a clash of styles, and drama at the very end. But I then watched the HBO feed on the internet and I began thinking to myself maybe I overrated this fight on first viewing. The excitement must have gotten to me. Not so. The replay on Setanta Sports was shown today at 12pm, and of course I watched every moment of it again. I couldn't believe how brutal it was. Margarito taking all of these full blooded shots, and then you watch Margarito dig in these sharp uppercuts that would go through the middle of his guard. The commentators were often convinced they didn't land, but you could tell they did with the way Cotto's head would snap back slightly. I said before the fight this is going to be important because the uppercut is Marg's best shot, and a shot Cotto is vunerable too. Whilst in awe of just how relentless the action was (if you look at most of the rounds, there's very rarely a break). You're either cringing at the right hand that just hit Margarito, or your getting anxious because Cotto hasn't done much movement off those ropes ever since Margarito landed that uppercut. But then Cotto would come out with a blistering combination and move again. Of course, almost unbelievably, Margarito would jog back to Cotto and do the same thing, over and over again. Your thinking that Cotto is going to pull out the decision, but then you start noticing just how busted up Cotto's face is. When he gets up from the knee, he looks like a train hit him, and it was due to all these subtle inside shots Margarito was landing. If you look at stills of the fight, Cotto resembles the elephant man. He looks beaten up, battered, but he was winning on my card. I had him dominating in the first six rounds. I think besides the constant action that we saw, the reason this fight is so great is because the fight has many different layers. You think you what's happening and then it changes suddenly. Your watching the unstoppable Cotto getting brutalised and you can't believe it. I hope people don't underestimate just how great of a fight this is, I've rewatched it 3 times...it is my fight of the year. A real shocker.
I agree. I can't remember when a fight last affected me like this. To see one fighter impose his will upon another in that way was both awesome and disturbing. Two magnificent warriors, it's the Arguello-Pryor of our age.
indeed. watching the fight it looked like margarito was'nt getting clean work done, but during the replay's after each round you'd see his glancing punches snap cotto's head. the uppercut, which was the punch cotto was most vulnerable to, just started finding their mark as the fight progressed. those 3 uppercuts that margarito threw that hurt cotto in the 7th turned the fight.
hmm yep someone commented on the forum maybe cotto's nose may have been broken this leading to him breathing quite heavily from his mouth which would of left him more prone to being TKO/KO
Well said, selfkill. Every time MC pummelled AM, AM would just do his little jig and come in for more. If I was MC, I would have looked into the crowd and yelled...'SOMEBODY HELP ME!'...such was the relentless attack of AM.
