By Peter Wells: In a weekend full of intriguing rematches its undeniable that Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito is the biggest of the lot. The controversy of the last fight won't be settled after this fight but it will defiantly die down a bit.
The first fight I remember very well, and not for all the same reasons as everyone else. After watching the build up to Ricky Hatton-Floyd Mayweather, I had suddenly fallen for boxing. I then brought my first Boxing Monthly magazine and there was a preview of Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito. I watched all the build up on HBO and was shocked when I saw that Margarito had won the next day. It's hard to imagine that that was over 3 years ago now.
I was even more shocked when I watched Mosley-Margarito on Setanta Sports and saw Toni annihilated the way he was. But it all came clear later when it was announced that Antonio Margarito was caught with illegal padding in his hand wraps. It left him and trainer Javier Capetillo banned for a year in America, but the reminder will last forever.
HBO 24/7 was solely built on the hand wrap scandal and whether or not Margarito used those hand wraps in their first fight. Watching the fight though shows it was more to do with Margarito's resilience and continual pressure that stopped Cotto, he was out on his feet at the end and all it needed was a few solid punches to finish him off. Illegal hand wraps or not I feel the conclusion of that fight would have been no different.
This fight though could be a lot different, Cotto seems to have moved on better, picking up the WBA Light Middleweight title. Both have lost to Manny Pacquiao since but Margarito's defeat which was over a year ago seems to have had more effect.
Still Antonio's all pressure style will cause Miguel problems all over again. Cotto can get a large lead by round 7 but then Margarito will come back, and at 153lbs his punches could be very effective. Cotto may hit the deck late on but if he survives could sneak a very tight decision.
The first fight I remember very well, and not for all the same reasons as everyone else. After watching the build up to Ricky Hatton-Floyd Mayweather, I had suddenly fallen for boxing. I then brought my first Boxing Monthly magazine and there was a preview of Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito. I watched all the build up on HBO and was shocked when I saw that Margarito had won the next day. It's hard to imagine that that was over 3 years ago now.
I was even more shocked when I watched Mosley-Margarito on Setanta Sports and saw Toni annihilated the way he was. But it all came clear later when it was announced that Antonio Margarito was caught with illegal padding in his hand wraps. It left him and trainer Javier Capetillo banned for a year in America, but the reminder will last forever.
HBO 24/7 was solely built on the hand wrap scandal and whether or not Margarito used those hand wraps in their first fight. Watching the fight though shows it was more to do with Margarito's resilience and continual pressure that stopped Cotto, he was out on his feet at the end and all it needed was a few solid punches to finish him off. Illegal hand wraps or not I feel the conclusion of that fight would have been no different.
This fight though could be a lot different, Cotto seems to have moved on better, picking up the WBA Light Middleweight title. Both have lost to Manny Pacquiao since but Margarito's defeat which was over a year ago seems to have had more effect.Still Antonio's all pressure style will cause Miguel problems all over again. Cotto can get a large lead by round 7 but then Margarito will come back, and at 153lbs his punches could be very effective. Cotto may hit the deck late on but if he survives could sneak a very tight decision.
