Cotto Will Defeat Margarito Easier Than Expected
Earlier in the year when this fight was originally signed, my assumption was that it would easily challenge the rematches between and for fight of the year honors. However, as the battle for welterweight supremacy quickly approaches, I increasingly see Miguel Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs) as a strong favorite to win this fight. But it does not stop there. I even think he’s going to knock Antonio Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs) out.
Before you call me crazy, hear me out first. It all comes down to competition. More importantly, how each man has fared against that competition to-date.
Cotto gets the "competitive" edge in my book. He owns dominant wins over "then undefeated" contenders like the fleet-footed Paul Malignaggi (21-0), the power-punching Ricardo Torres (28-0), and the slick-boxing Carlos Quintana (28-0). These wins were followed by defining victories against a couple of "A-list" fighters - "Super" Zab Judah and "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Margarito’s resume is nothing to toss into the trash heap, but it simply does not match Cotto’s. Sure, he’s handed powerful Kermit "the Killer" Cintron his only two losses, and he made Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis see seven heads when they fought several years ago. However, I consider those two guys to be "B-list" fighters. When Margarito has stepped up in class, he has had very mixed results.
He lost decisions (albeit close ones) to current welterweight and super welterweight titlists Paul "the Punisher" Williams and Daniel Santos, respectively. But, I can live with those losses.
The one fight that stands out to me is the Joshua Clottey fight. Although Margarito won, that fight gives me a glimpse of how he will be troubled greatly by Cotto. Like Cotto, Clottey is a well-schooled boxer-puncher, with unusual physical strength at this weight. He has a tighter defense than Cotto, but he is not as dynamic of an offensive fighter. Even so, he was able to land power shots at will against Margarito before suffering an apparent hand injury in the middle of the fight.
Margarito showed a lot of mental fortitude in weathering the early Clottey onslaught, but will not be as lucky when he meets Miguel Cotto in two weeks. If Clottey had Margarito swimming in deep water, look for Cotto to catch him with hooks and reel him in. As a matter of fact, expect the hooks to come from the left. After that, it will be over.
Before you call me crazy, hear me out first. It all comes down to competition. More importantly, how each man has fared against that competition to-date.
Cotto gets the "competitive" edge in my book. He owns dominant wins over "then undefeated" contenders like the fleet-footed Paul Malignaggi (21-0), the power-punching Ricardo Torres (28-0), and the slick-boxing Carlos Quintana (28-0). These wins were followed by defining victories against a couple of "A-list" fighters - "Super" Zab Judah and "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Margarito’s resume is nothing to toss into the trash heap, but it simply does not match Cotto’s. Sure, he’s handed powerful Kermit "the Killer" Cintron his only two losses, and he made Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis see seven heads when they fought several years ago. However, I consider those two guys to be "B-list" fighters. When Margarito has stepped up in class, he has had very mixed results.
He lost decisions (albeit close ones) to current welterweight and super welterweight titlists Paul "the Punisher" Williams and Daniel Santos, respectively. But, I can live with those losses.
The one fight that stands out to me is the Joshua Clottey fight. Although Margarito won, that fight gives me a glimpse of how he will be troubled greatly by Cotto. Like Cotto, Clottey is a well-schooled boxer-puncher, with unusual physical strength at this weight. He has a tighter defense than Cotto, but he is not as dynamic of an offensive fighter. Even so, he was able to land power shots at will against Margarito before suffering an apparent hand injury in the middle of the fight.
Margarito showed a lot of mental fortitude in weathering the early Clottey onslaught, but will not be as lucky when he meets Miguel Cotto in two weeks. If Clottey had Margarito swimming in deep water, look for Cotto to catch him with hooks and reel him in. As a matter of fact, expect the hooks to come from the left. After that, it will be over.
Miguel Cotto TKO 10 Antonio Margarito
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