Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito

Saturday December 13
By Paul Grossinger

Miguel Cotto, one of boxing's best at welterweight, will fight former champion Antonio Margarito (38-7) for the WBA light middle weight title! This is a fight to get excited about. There is a lot of history here: in their last fight, Margarito punished Cotto and dealt him the first loss of his career. But, Margarito was at his career peak and may have used plaster of paris during the fight! Now, Cotto will be looking to take sweet revenge on his rival!

Miguel Cotto remains one of boxing's best fighters. His two losses have come to Margarito and all-time great Manny Pacquiao. The Margarito loss is questionable, at best, due to the cheating allegations that have followed him ever since. For his part, Margarito's return to boxing has been uneven: he was TKOd by Shane Mosley in 2009 and lost a one sided decision to Manny Pacquiao this year.

But anyone who believes Margarito is finished should think again. There is a lot of fight left in the Mexican champion. He also has his career riding on this fight: if he loses in embarrassing fashion then everyone will assume he cheated to beat Cotto the first time. His career as a prime time fighter will be finished. For Cotto, a win will erase some of the sting of his first defeat and secure his legacy because he will become, in effect, a one loss fighter over his career. Considering that one loss came to Manny Pacquiao, that would put him in rarified air.

During the fight, look for Margarito to attack aggressively. Margarito's greatest asset is his sheer toughness: he can absorb as much punishment as Cotto can dole out while attempting to land a finishing blow. However, Cotto is faster, slicker, more technically skilled fighter so the odds of Margarito landing that knockout are slim. Look for Cotto to start pounding Margarito in the later rounds and, unlike Manny Pacquiao, he is unlikely to let up even one second before the final bell!

Do you want a way to remember this historic fight? Get your fighter memorabilia

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