Cotto-Margarito 12-03-11

Oh, man, Margarito doesn’t want to touch gloves. Eeeeek! This is gonna be good!

Round 1: Cotto comes out of his corner ready to swing. Left by Cotto to Margarito’s stomach. Hard right by Cotto. Left hook to the body by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Margarito missing several punches. Tradeing jabs. Left to the body by Cotto. Fighters trade jabs. Combination by Cotto. Right by Margarito. Body shot by Cotto. Left to the body by Margarito. Hard left jab by Cotto. Hard right by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Combination by Cotto with a nasty left hook. Another combination by Cotto. Combination by Margarito. Cotto (10-9)

Round 2: Hard left hook by Cotto. Hard right by Margarito. Cotto answers with his own hard right. Combination by Cotto. Fighters trade jabs. Left hook by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Combination by Cotto. Hard left by Cotto. Another left hook by Cotto. Two left jabs by Cotto. Upper cut by Margarito. Fighters trade jabs at the bell. Cotto (20-18)

Round 3: Combinatino by Cotto. Left by Cotto. Fighters trade jabs. Left jab by Cotto. Right by Margarito. Right to the body by Cotto. Both fighters are punching. Right by Cotto to Margarito’s face. Right to Margarito’s body. Left hook by Cotto. Another left hook and then a right jab. Right to the body by Margarito. Cotto (30-27)

Round 4: Combination by Cotto. Right by Cotto to Margarito’s face. Left hook by Cotto. Right by Cotto. Right to the body by Cotto. Clinch with Margarito punching Cotto’s head. Left by Cotto. Right upper cut by Margarito. Combination by Cotto. Left Hook by Cotto. Small punches to Cotto’s head. Right by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Cotto (40-36)

Round 5: Cotto seems tired. Left, measuring jabs by Margarito. Left jab by Cotto. Right hook by Margarito. Combination by Margarito. Combination by Cotto. Combination by Margarito. Combination by Cotto. Left hook to the body by Cotto. Clinch with upper cuts by Margarito. Two lefts by Cotto. Left hook by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Fighters trade left jabs. Margarito (49-46)

Round 6: Cotto seems reenergized. Left jab by Cotto. Right by Cotto. Left jab and combination by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Clinch with Margarito punching. Two lefts with Cotto. Left uppercut by Cotto. Combination by Cotto. Left to the body by Cotto. Combo by Cotto.   Cotto (59-55)

Round 7: Left jab by Cotto. Left jab by Cotto. Clinch Margarito lands punches. Left by Cotto. Two lefts and a right by Margarito. Upper cut by Margarito. Hard right by Margarito. Combination to the head by Cotto. Left to the body by Margarito. Clinch. And some wrestling? Combination by Cotto, including after the bell. That’s not nice. Let’s not stoop that level. Cotto (69-64)

Round 8: Combo by Cotto. Left hook to the body by Cotto.  Margarito swinging wild. Clinch with Margarito getting a punch in. Time out due to Cotto’s tape becoming undone. Two lefts by Cotto. Right by Cotto. Left hook by Cotto. Combination to the body and head by Cotto. Combination to the head by Margarito. Uppercut and right by Margarito. Right by Margarito. Right then left by Cotto. Right by Cotto.  (79-73)

Round 9: Margarito almost doesn’t answer the bell because of his eye. Combination by Cotto. Left uppercut by Cotto. Left to the body by Cotto. Clinch. Margarito getting in some punches. Flurry of body shots by Cotto. Combination by Cotto. Two lefts by Cotto. Upper cut by Margarito. Left by Cotto. Left upper by Margarito. Right uppercut by Cotto. Two uppercuts by Margarito. Right by Cotto.  Cotto (89-82)

Round 10: The ringside doctor won’t let Margarito continue. Cotto wins by TKO

Cotto fought very well. He was precise, focused, and determined. His punches hit hard and the target was clearly Margarito’s rebuilt eye. Going to Margarito’s chin wouldn’t have been effective, so I understand the lack of uppercuts, but more shots to the body would’ve been nice.  If Cotto opens his own gym, he could teach a class on left hooks.

However:

Neither one wobbled. Neither one stumbled. Only Margarito’s eye was damaged. Cotto was tagged all over his face. Cotto went after Margarito with everything he had and Frankenstein kept lurching forward. Did this fight provide enough evidence to prove Margarito had loaded wraps in his first fight with Cotto? Not in a court of law, but definitely in the court of public opinion and for fight fans.

I don’t think that Cotto will go down in Puerto Rican boxing history as great of a fighter as Trinidad. The Cotto-Margarito saga will go down as an interesting and dramatic turn in a sport known for its drama.

Cotto, the only fighter other than Pacquiao that can legitimately say the name Mayweather, earned a lot of respect from me for not mentioning Mayweather for a future matchup.   

In the post fight interview, Cotto says about Margarito, “He means nothing to me.” I think that’s the general consensus for anyone involved in boxing, including fans. A guy known for taking punishment can no longer take punishment. It doesn’t seem like he can be knocked out and, because of his eye, all of his fights will likely be stopped by a ringside doctor. That doesn’t make him a viable opponent and that doesn’t leave him a lot of options. I hope he’s had a great money manager, because it’s time to retire.

Oh, but the glory that was!  Their first fight renewed my hope in boxing.  They were two well-known fighters in a well-matched, explosive, entertaining fight. It took me back to my youth when boxers would really fight in an attempt to establish dominance. If you were king of the ring, you were a battle-tested king. When it was revealed that Margarito was using illegal wraps at the Moseley fight, it broke my heart. Boxing went back to being a shady, dirty-ass, fringe sport. I can and do still recall the greatness of the first fight, even though it makes me ache. I’m still waiting for a boxing savior, but I’m no longer hopeful.

Cotto-Margarito II Preview

24/7 Cotto-Margarito II

I’m so excited about this matchup!  When Cotto and Margarito first met, they were both undefeated, heavy-punching, stars. The winner would emerge as king of that division. (Mayweather was on hiatus and Manny hadn’t showed up to that division, yet.) It was a slugfest.  Both took major punishment, but every time Margarito threw a punch, it looked like Cotto was getting hit with an anvil.  Six months later, we find out a possible reason why Margarito’s punches were so devastating.  

Cotto took the loss hard and it manifested in a super early mid-life crisis. He started getting tattoos. He separated from his wife. This could be an argument for my hypothesis that every fighter should have a loss or two early in his career to help build resiliency. Or, just losing to Margarito sends one into a downward spiral.*  

Both now have losses to Pacquiao, who dismantled Margarito to such a degree that Margarito was almost denied (and probably should’ve been) denied a license by the New York Athletic Commission due to the lingering damage to one of his eyes. (Cotto said the fight is at the Garden or it doesn’t happen at all. Bob Arum probably had a few kneecaps broken to get Margarito his license.**) Margarito’s corner should’ve stopped the Pacquiao fight long before the final bell.

The 24/7 series covering Cotto’s and Margarito’s training camp could’ve been way longer. This would’ve been a great multi-episode 24/7. Margarito’s eye issues.  Some analysis from Margarito and his camp of what happened in the ring with Pacquiao.  Some more background on Cotto’s new trainer and how he adjusted to his new trainer’s style in comparison to his other trainers.

I do like Cotto’s new trainer, Diaz. Cuban athletes have an amazing work ethic. There are few distractions in Cuba. You have nothing to do, but be dedicated. Maybe I just have a soft spot for people who have to leave behind everything they know and everyone they love due to an oppressive government.

Cotto’s best friend needs to put the tweezers DOWN. That is not a good look for a big man.

I find the interviews with the wives and mothers the most interesting – for all fighters and trainers. They seem resigned at best and fearful at worst. I can’t imagine being married to someone who was so involved in boxing. It’s all day, every day, and such a dangerous sport.

Margarito’s drills at the track look like so much fun, but, man, his trainer has AGED since the Pacquiao fight. I do feel bad for Margarito having to make the unscheduled trip to New York. Every day is crucial this close to a fight, but he has to go the extra mile for all requests due to, well, you know.

This is a big fight career-wise and psychologically for both fighters. Cotto to avenge the previous loss and regain his confidence. Margarito to redeem his reputation as a hard-hitting fight, WITHOUT plaster on his hands and to quiet those that scream out he’s a criminal. This fight will, hopefully, bring closure to both fighters as well as fight fans.  So, it comes down to one thing: What’s stronger? Revenge? Or redemption?

*See: Kermit Cintron

**Not even allegedly. It’s a joke. I kid. Bob Arum is a paragon of ethics.