My unbiased take on the Cotto-Margarito aftermath

[Exciterx30]

I posted this on another thread but it got lost between the usual "You are a ******", "You suck", etc fights between some posters. I want to post here so I can get a few opinions. I chose Cotto to win, but I knew it was going to be a tough fight and indeed it was.

These "would have" and other conspiracy theories don't add anything to what happened. The facts are that Cotto was dominating the fight and way ahead on all scorecards and rightfully so. Margarito had 9 full rounds and was not able to be really effective. What is the basis to say that he would do in 3 minutes what he was not even close to doing in 27?

I think Margarito, as usual, showed a lot of courage and desire and I was admiring that, but that disappeared after all the excuses he's mentioned and the way he refuses to give any credit to Cotto. I know they hate each other but it would be a very honorable thing to take your loss like a man and go back to the drawing board with your head up high. It gets even worse when some of his fans just deny the facts and act as if Margarito just needed 30 seconds of the 10th round to put Cotto to sleep out of nowhere when it was clear that Margarito had vision problems, was getting tired also, and seemed much weaker than in 2008. Otherwise, how was Cotto able to push him to the ropes on several occasions? Honestly, who expected to see Margarito against the ropes in a fight with Cotto? I know I did not expect it.

Cotto had a very good fight plan and it worked. It's time to turn the page and stop dwelling on what might have been.

[ModernTalking]

I'm glad that Cotto got the win but if Margarito eye didn't get injured, Cotto would have been domed. I was crossing my fingers hoping for the ref or doctors to stop it.

[Exciterx30]

Without the eye issue, I think Cotto would have earned a solid decision win. I think it was the gameplan that won this fight for Cotto, not Margarito's damaged eye.

Had Cotto executed a carbon copy of the first fight, I have to say that Margarito might have won again.

[ModernTalking]

This look like the same fight to me just with the eye injury to Margarito. Cotto was doing his thing pounding on Margarito but Margarito just come forward. If no eye injury, I think Margarito would have got to Cotto some where in the late round.

[Exciterx30]

Maybe Margarito could have won, maybe not, but I don't think the fight was an exact copy of the first one. This time, Cotto clinched, stood his ground on several occasions, did not lay on the ropes frequently, and pushed Margarito to the ropes. That's what I saw that differed from what happened in 2008.

[Eladio-Mor]

This look like the same fight to me just with the eye injury to Margarito. Cotto was doing his thing pounding on Margarito but Margarito just come forward. If no eye injury, I think Margarito would have got to Cotto some where in the late round.

What would lead you to belive that fight was turning ??? The fact Margo could land anything solid and did layout the ground work to the body. He couldn't slow down cotto at all. Cotto land at will and won the fight on the inside and on the outside. People keep thinking about the frist fight to much

[TintaBoricua]

Without the eye issue, I think Cotto would have earned a solid decision win. I think it was the gameplan that won this fight for Cotto, not Margarito's damaged eye.

Had Cotto executed a carbon copy of the first fight, I have to say that Margarito might have won again.

Cotto was tired solely from the movement in the second fight. The reason why he was done in the first was because, besides the movement, he wasted his power early and many times traded with Margarito.

People talk about the eye, but to be honest, Cotto was doing marvelous even in the first two rounds when Margarito's still hadn't swollen. I thought Cotto was tiring in the middle rounds but got a second wind at the beginning of the eighth. Margarito was stubbornly pressuring Cotto, but what good is pressure if it isn't effective? His punches weren't landing and Cotto was snapping his head back whenever he landed.

At the time of the stoppage, Cotto was ahead 89-82 on ALL the scorecards. Cotto could've straight up ran without throwing so much as 4-6 punches, lost the next three rounds 10-8 (from inactivity), and he STILL would've won the fight 113-112. I also don't think he was going to get taken out as some believe. Factors such as the eye becoming worse, 20,000 fans in attendance, motive for revenge, his late father...all of these were going to play a role on his psychological support and he would've made it to the final bell. Would it have been slightly tougher? Yes, but I don't see how Margarito would've beaten him.

[Exciterx30]

Cotto was tired solely from the movement in the second fight. The reason why he was done in the first was because, besides the movement, he wasted his power early and many times traded with Margarito.

People talk about the eye, but to be honest, Cotto was doing marvelous even in the first two rounds when Margarito's still hadn't swollen. I thought Cotto was tiring in the middle rounds but got a second wind at the beginning of the eighth. Margarito was stubbornly pressuring Cotto, but what good is pressure if it isn't effective? His punches weren't landing and Cotto was snapping his head back whenever he landed.

At the time of the stoppage, Cotto was ahead 89-82 on ALL the scorecards. Cotto could've straight up ran without throwing so much as 4-6 punches, lost the next three rounds 10-8 (from inactivity), and he STILL would've won the fight 113-112. I also don't think he was going to get taken out as some believe. Factors such as the eye becoming worse, 20,000 fans in attendance, motive for revenge, his late father...all of these were going to play a role on his psychological support and he would've made it to the final bell. Would it have been slightly tougher? Yes, but I don't see how Margarito would've beaten him.

Tinta, qué hay, varón?

Well, I suppose you are agreeing with my initial post. Don't get me wrong and think that I thought Margarito would win. I said that he might have had a chance if Cotto wasted too much energy resulting in having to lay on the ropes for extended periods of time. Had Cotto done that, this fight might have turned very tough. The facts are that Coto did some adjustments and dominated. That's all there is to it and this page should be turned already.

[Sage84]

It wasnt the same fight, there were a lot of subtle differences in the way Cotto fought. He knew to stay off the ropes, he managed his energy better and he clinched when he needed to.

He thought about things a little more, he knew Marg could stand up to his power so he took his time and didnt seem to panic like he did in the first fight. He picked the right times to stand toe to toe, and got the better of it most of the time he did. Plus, his combos were a thing of beauty, if any up and coming boxers need a lesson on how to throw combinations (especially on the back foot) then they only need to watch that fight.

[Casual_Fan]

I'm glad that Cotto got the win but if Margarito eye didn't get injured, Cotto would have been domed. I was crossing my fingers hoping for the ref or doctors to stop it.

Honestly, I don't think so.

Pedro told El Nuevo Día that he had to rough-talk Cotto in the third because he was getting too confident, and wanted to go and trade with Margo.

He also said that they had two game plans. One that went from mid-to long distance, and one who went from mid-to short distance.

Around round 9, as you could clearly see, Cotto was in the process of going to the rougher, mid-to-short distance fight. He also was pushing Margo around the ring pretty easily, overpowering him.

IMHO, Margo was going down. Still, it's all talk, since Cotto won by TKO.