Reading between the lines with Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito..........

Miguel Cotto is a man of very few emotions, at least on the surface, so it was no surprise that the Puerto Rican star's demeanor was strikingly subdued just moments after his viscous 12th round TKO over Ricardo Mayorga this past weekend in Las Vegas. Cotto successfully defended his WBA junior middleweight crown as he controlled the contest against the former welterweight champion with sharp, precise punching and a systematic attack inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena, finishing matters with a picturesque left hook.

Speaking at the post fight press conference, Cotto was surrounded by his wife and kids as well as his Top Rank family, who have been with him throughout his run as a professional. Promoter Bob Arum told the assembled media that the next move would be for Cotto to pursue a July rematch with Antonio Margarito, the first man to hand him a defeat as a professional.

The history between the two men is both brutal and controversial. In July of 2008 Margarito would fall behind to Cotto early but found a way to make his aggression pay dividends as he took control over the second half of the fight. The 'Tijuana Tornado' would drop Cotto twice late in the contest in registering an 11th round TKO in what still stands as his biggest night as a pro.

But one fight later Margarito was caught with tampered hand wraps prior to his savage loss to Shane Mosley, fueling speculation that he had been operating illegally in his prior contests as well. He was suspended for a year by the California Athletic Commission and his win with Cotto suddenly had some question marks hovering around it.

Margarito would approach the podium to congratulate his former foe and while they did shake hands, Cotto wanted no part of it, instead glaring at him briefly with a menacing look before staring away. Margarito would go on to say 'That's what I am here for' in regards to a potential rematch and it seems inevitable and almost fitting in a weird way that these two are going to meet again.

There has been no war of words between the men and Margarito even reached out recently and commended Cotto for his performance. In a recent ***********.com piece by Jhonny Gonzalez, Margarito admitted that he saw a different fighter inside of the ring compared to the man he broke down two and a half years ago.

"Well, I did see something new. I watched him and he was a lot more technical. He was more technical and he was more calm when he was boxing. He looked good and was slipping and blocking more punches. Miguel Cotto has always been a good fighter and he showed why," Margarito said to Jose Sanchez.

Asked for his take on things, Cotto hasn't even addressed a potential rematch with the man who so brutally halted him and shattered his status as an unbeaten superstar in the game. Cotto went on to call a rematch 'speculation' and noted that everything is up to Arum from here on out.

Right now the two men are talking casually and with respect but you can tell there is some animosity brewing. This is actually a huge fight for both of them, the type of fight that would leave the loser without a whole lot of options if they are tied to a rough defeat.

For Margarito this is a chance to silence his doubters who have implied that he must have had loaded wraps when he fought Cotto. It's a chance to show he can win the fight when everything is on the up and up. For Cotto this is a chance at redemption, a chance for him to show that his loss to Margarito was a fluke as well as just how much he has improved under new trainer Emanuel Steward.

This is the type of fight that is going to have some scoffing but come July everyone will be watching

 

That was a good read.

 

Cheers for the article, im really looking forward to this potential rematch. WAR COTTO!

 

Would love this to happen, but Head says Marg, heart Cotto !

 

Miguel Cotto is afraid of Antonio Margarito.

The fact of the matter is Antonio Margarito has did his time, and NOW he is Back. Antonio Margarito is a fighter and Gladiator you cannot question that, he proved in his last fight against Manny Pac. That he is a the same man, inside of the ring he has always been.

Muhammad Ali once said..

"Fighters know when fighters are in shape"

Well I'm saying..

"Fighters know when fighters can fight"

And Miguel Cotto deep down knows, Antonio Margarito can fight. And comes to fight, anywhere and anytime. In my opinion, Miguel Cotto deep down is afraid of Antonio Margarito, not because of the Hand Wrap issue.

Simply because, Miguel Cotto seen something he had never seen before inside of the ring. "When he faced Antonio Margarito"...

He saw a man, he saw something primal. That would strike fear into the normal everyday man, he saw a man that truly enjoys and loves the fight. Most fighters when they are in wars, lose that game look upon there face. Antonio Margarito keeps that look on his face, and just keeps on coming............

Miguel Cotto hit Antonio Margarito with EVERYTHING. And Antonio Margarito, never lost that look in his eye's. I've seen Lions with this look in their eye's, I've seen a Lion being slowly killed by two other lions. It was very sad to watch, but even when the lion being killed could not stand up. It would still lash out in anger, it would still be fighting for its own life.....no matter how futile the effort.

This scares Miguel Cotto, when he is alone he is afraid. Not of the hand wrap issue, he's afraid of Antonio Margarito.

 

Cotto is just as much of a Warrior as Marg!! are you forgetiing his fight with Pac?

 

You watch animal planet as well huh?

 

I think this will be a brilliant fight people were calling this irrelevant not too long ago as both of their stars have somewhat faded but I think this is a great career defining fight for both.

Margarito feels the need to clear his name that he can beat him legitimately and that it wasn't his dodgy handwraps that did the damage. Cotto on the other hand wants to avenge the loss that has left him not quite the same fighter ever since.

Personally I hate Margarito for what he did if he was wearing dodgy wraps that night nobody can say for sure. Nobody can deny that siince that beating Cotto has not been the same.

Cotto will so badly want to take revenge but wraps or not we know that Margarito can take Cotto's shots and keep coming has the fight done something psychologically to Cotto? I dont know I think this a really hard fight for both but I feel the edge is with Margarito having already beaten Cotto one way or the other.

 

Miguel Cotto started just to survive in the later rounds, Antonio Margarito never once stopped beleaving that he could win. He never ran away from Manny Pac and conseeded defeat "Like Miguel Cotto", he just kept on coming.........and he took more punishment than Miguel Cotto..........

Antonio Margarito is different, he was still laughing and calling on Shane Mosley when Mosley was launching Tomak Hawk Missiles which where hitting the target on Antonio Margarito.

"He was still smiling, and calling him on"

Understand and accept that Antonio Margarito is not normal. In my opinion he's got something that Miguel Cotto has not got, he has the primal side to his personality.

This scares Miguel Cotto, he is afraid.

And he will lose the rematch.

He will prob beat Cotto even worse than the first time.

Alittle to much was made of the wraps, nobody even knows 100?% what happened.

 

good post.........

and i agree with it:thumbsup

 

I believe Cotto can do it. I think he created his own downfall at times during that bout with way to much movement.

This wasn't the Cotto of old he was backing up all the time and at times he looked masterful and lot of people forget that. The commentary on Saturday sounded amazed when he dipped and rolled and slid away from shots/pressure. Harp our minds back to that fateful night in MGM Grand a few years back and i remember halfway through people talking about how brilliant Cotto was boxing and the belief that Cotto was next up for Floyd. Then slowly but surely it all fell apart.

Using movement is great but when you move and move for no reason and move up to ropes you trap yourself. He has some bonuses coming into this bout.

-Steward who will provide a gameplan. It's not impossible to beat Margarito that's for sure.

-Margarito's career since that night has been a nightmare. Mosley beatdown followed by year long ban and then a come back before another yet more brutal beatdown with injuries that may resurface in bouts in future.

In saying all of that Cotto isn't squeaky clean. He suffered at the hands of Pacquiao but at same time he took pride from that display and has mentioned that. Mentally he seems to accept better man won.

This is a fantastic battle with enthralling back story. I don't like what Margarito did and tbh don't want him getting a payday...but i want Miguel to get redemption.

 

On March 18, 1978 Nasa satellites where monitoring a Tornado, with a Wind speed of 300mph and the mass of Tornado was stretching more than Two miles.

The satellites picked up a unidentified object in the eye of the storm.........the unidentified object was a baby Antonio Margirto.

"That was the day Antonio Margarito was born"

Antonio Margarito is neither good or bad, he's just a natural occurrence of nature.

And now he is Back..!!!

 

quality:good:good

 

:nut

 

Cotto deserves redemption if the stories bout the hand wraps are true, which i think they are, but margarito's brave showing against pacquiao has won me back abit. i just think based on both their performances Margarito will beat Cotto down again, 154 will favour him aswell.