Cotto-Margarito this July for the REAL Welterweight Championship

Continuing a Great Tradition: Miguel Cotto versus Antonio Margarito

12.07.08 - By Michael Klimes: The heavyweight division is currently experiencing one of its seasonal depressions. It always does after the heavyweight champion of the previous generation retires. Lennox Lewis’s absence has left a void. If I was a doctor and the heavyweight division was my patient, my diagnosis would be that it is clinically obese with far too much mediocrity to resuscitate its asphyxiation. There are two sides to every experience and tradition is no different. Current boxing fans and heavyweights are suffering from the inescapable shadow of tradition haunting them. Following the standard of greatness someone has set before you is a daunting task as you try and carve out your own reputation in history. It is intimidating since you are not fighting your opponent in the ring but their reputation and image, which is enshrined in the collective memory of fans. Thus far, no heavyweight has emerged to purge Lewis’s presence from our collective memories: He was the most recent great of the division we have seen and is therefore the immediate standard others will be measured by.

However, tradition does not render us completely hopeless. If we go through history behind Lewis, we will then see that there was a void between him and Mike Tyson. There were also slumps after Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano. A more positive aspect of tradition among the heavyweights is that the history is rich enough to instruct us that a saviour will eventually restore glory to the capital of boxing. At the moment, it’s more of a ghetto than imperial Rome but then it takes time to build an empire. Fortunately the little men have risen to the occasion and are shouldering the burden. The welterweights have again demonstrated themselves to be a bastion of strength and those two important boxing nations of Puerto Rico and Mexico are supplying the gladiators in Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. Again, we encounter another meaningful tradition: The long rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican boxers. The classic shoot ups between Salvador Sanchez and Wilfredo Gomez or Wilfredo Gomez and Lupe Pintor in the early eighties were clashes of historical significance. We can only pray that Margarito and Cotto will live up to the expectations being forced onto them.

In theory, their championship match has the potential to level or even exceed that excellent fight between Oscar de la Hoya and Sugar Shane Mosley in 2000. I was silly in thinking that a Cotto versus Mayweather fight would be the definitive welterweight bout of this generation. Mayweather’s defensive cuteness would probably spoil the desire to see close exchanges on the inside. He has successfully dismantled pressure fighters with a class that one envies. His skill against Ricky Hatton, Jesus Chavez, Philip N’Dou, Diego Corrales and even José Luis Castillo are beyond doubt. What could Cotto do that would different and even then, would it be exciting? Many do not find Mayweather’s safety first style of fighting exhilarating. Margarito and Cotto should generate explosiveness while Mayweather seems to induce comas. Larry Merchant looked older after the fight with Carlos Baldomir when he attempted to dissect Mayweather’s performance with his dry wit.

It is exceptionally hard to pick a winner out of the contest between Cotto and Margarito as both are meeting in their primes or close to them. Cotto has the aura as he is undefeated in thirty two bouts and has been improving ominously in his successive fights, especially recently. Cotto has evolved into the complete package and his rapid rise to superstardom commenced with the victory over Zab Judah in June 2007. Cotto was presented with tough questions: How would he deal with Judah’s dangerous hand speed, power and experience? Cotto answered these questions stupendously as he employed vigorous body shots and admirable resilience to stop Judah in the eleventh round. In his next fight against Sugar Shane Mosley, Cotto was again facing a worthy opponent. He utilised an excellent jab to neutralise Mosley’s aggression and even displayed the ability to fight off the ropes and he did it well. Of course Cotto was not James Toney but he revealed another dimension to his fighting. In his last fight with Alfonso Gomez, Cotto was his efficient self, dispatching the gallant but doomed adversary in five brutal rounds. Cotto has now found his style, a punishing jab to set up hurtful body attacks.

His chin is not bullet proof but he always manages to bounce back. Cotto also likes to fight at a steady pace. He is a very patient hunter like Joe Louis and applies steady pressure. He increases his pace of fighting but only when it suits his interests. Cotto is also economical with his punching, not quite as much as Arthur Abraham, as he will look to seize the initiative and make opportunities. Cotto will not simply wait for the other boxer to show him a chance with a mistake. Cotto is not tall for a welterweight; he is 5’ 7’’ and has a reach of 67’’ but he compensates for this with his stockiness, strong frame and skill. Similarly, another facet of Cotto which is daunting for anybody who squares off against him and that is his confidence. He exudes a silent assertiveness just like Clint Eastwood or George Foreman. When he plays Dirty Harry or a protagonist in any Western, Eastwood imbues his characters with a body language which says, “Whatever you do, I’m going to get you. I don’t have to tell you this because you already know it.” Cotto is a man of few words and just processes any information whether good or bad and accepts it as part of the situation. There is no complaining or second thoughts, just an acknowledgement of the mission. His silence is discomforting. Cotto is turning into a great fighter, he is no there yet but he is very, very good.

Antonio Margarito is also a man of few words as well but appears less intrusive on his surroundings. He melts into the background more and that is perhaps reflective in his career as Margarito has had to work extra hard for attention. He is the quintessential blue collar fighter. Margarito does not command respect with his silence or body language but with the size of his body. He is 5' 11' and has a 73’’ reach. His size, style and conditioning will be problematic for Cotto. If there is an adjective that encapsulates Margarito it is grinding. He grinds his victims into powder with horrific body punching. Perhaps his body attack is as potent as Cotto’s. He is not economical with his punches and prefers to work at high speeds. Margarito does not take his time like Cotto.

Margarito enters the ring with forty one professional fights. He has won thirty six of those and lost five. On the surface, Margarito looks crude and clumsy, perhaps bearing some comparison to Rocky Marciano in that regard but when the skin is peeled away, he is a fighter of considerable ability. He has been a professional for fourteen years as opposed to seven for Miguel Cotto and although he does not have Cotto’s Olympic pedigree one cannot dismiss him.

Margarito has some significant names on his record like Daniel Santos, Joshua Clottey, Kermit Cintron (twice) and Paul Williams. All of these fighters have varying styles and Margarito has seen many different fighters. Furthermore he has taken down solid operators like Antonio Diaz in 2002. Diaz may not be a marquee name but consider his record. He has fought Sugar Shane Mosley, Ivan Robinson, Mickey Ward and Emmanuel Augustus. That is not bad opposition at all and just because one has not heard of Margarito’s opposition does not mean they should be forgotten. Do a little probing and one finds Margarito is a true world class welterweight and one of the finest of his generation. He is a two time world champion and until he was defeated by Paul Williams last summer had made numerous defences of his WBO belt. I counted nine on boxrec. In his last bout against Kermit Cintron, Margarito displayed disciplined ring generalship and a competent arsenal of accurate punches. Margarito is more polished than some pundits think. There was an element of grace to his ungraceful technique that night.

Clearly, both fighters have a very hard evening ahead of them. Margarito has to use his precious physical advantages. He needs to push Cotto into the phone booth but he will have to be patient which is not one of his virtues as he has an aggressive style. Cotto, for all of his power will be wary of Margarito’s size and must use a combination of defence and attack to overwhelm the bigger man. Going toe to toe at Margarito’s optimal distance will spell suicide for the Puerto Rican. Cotto can try and use Margarito’s arm reach against him by staying in the pocket, feinting and keeping Margarito off balance with fluid combination punching; alternating between the head and body. It is said Margarito is one dimensional, so Cotto must introduce his versatility into his strategy. Margarito is pretty flat footed and prefers to plant his feet so he can throw straight punches and maximise his power. Cotto could perhaps make his punches a little more roundhouse rather than straight and give Margarito a degree of awkwardness.

The deciding factor in this fight will be which fighter locates the best range. Margarito has the clear superiority in his arm reach but does he have the footwork to put Cotto in the tight spots and then does he have quickness to unload his debilitating body shots? The fundamental issue for Cotto is navigating his way behind his sterling jab that is his safety net and confusing Margarito with his skill. Cotto must make himself an elusive target. Previous fights Cotto can look to for advice to are Carlos Quintana’s defeat of Paul Williams and Mayweather’s defeat of Philip N’Dou. Mayweather’s fight against N’Dou was an exemplary masterpiece of staying in the pocket and using a larger fighter’s work rate, size and aggression against him. Quintana used lateral movement and well executed one two combinations to neutralise Williams. If Cotto can combine elements of Mayweather and Quintana, he should claim the victory but if he falls into a full on brawl, he does so at his peril.

As always, the fighters themselves will decide on July 26 how the cards will land. So may Margarito and Cotto go forward under those lights and represent two noble traditions. Firstly the calibre of welterweights to produce classic fights throughout history is not interrupted. Secondly, Mexico with Puerto Rico continues to churn out such noteworthy fighters. The welterweights and these nations are the final refuge for boxing. They are in a word the sport’s best hopes and, yes, perhaps the last ones.

If Miguel Cotto Beats Margarito Should He Be Rated As The Best In The World At Welterweight?

by James Slater: When first reading the above title to this article, many fight fans will possibly cry out, "Yes, of course!" But technically, the question is a valid one. Isn't Floyd Mayweather, the so called pound-for-pound king in all of boxing, the lineal welterweight champion of the world? He sure is, and therefore until "Pretty Boy" is beaten by a welterweight can Cotto, or anyone else for that matter, be called the best on the planet at 147 pounds instead of him?

Many fans are losing patience/interest with Mayweather. Picking fights with guys that are either below the welterweight limit or above it - see Hatton and De La Hoya - Floyd has done nothing at 147 pounds for quite some time now. Yet Mayweather is still the world champ at welterweight, as recognised by many influential sources - "The Bible of Boxing" for one. But Miguel Cotto, Floyd's number one threat at 147, has arguably been fighting, and is fighting, better men ( the game, but out of his depth Alfonso Gomez aside) at welterweight than Mayweather ever has.

Mayweather has only really beaten one top-notch welterweight in his entire career - Zab Judah. Cotto, conversely, has recently beaten Shane Mosley ( who had re-proven his own worth up at welter with a comprehensive win over Luis Collazo), current WBO 147 pound champ Carlos Quintana AND Judah. Not only that, but Cotto stopped Judah and gave him a severe beating, whereas Zab took Floyd the distance and gave him what just might have been a tougher fight than the one he gave "Junito." Further adding to Cotto's credentials at welterweight is the fact that next up for the Puerto Rican star is the teak-tough Antonio Margarito. Should he get past this fight, very possibly the hardest of his career, Cotto surely will have done enough to be considered the very best in the world at welterweight.

Floyd Mayweather may be unbeaten and he may have lineal championship status at 147 pounds, but due to his lack of top fights at the weight "Pretty Boy" is in danger of being surpassed in the minds of many fight fans as the number one operator in the division. Miguel Cotto is the fighter most likely to do it, if he hasn't already. And if Cotto defeats Margarito in July he will almost certainly have done enough.

Not only will the welterweight ratings of many people be undergoing a change if and when Cotto beats Margarito in the summer - it's also possible that these peoples' pound-for-pound ratings will be getting the same treatment.

In the final analysis, Miguel Cotto is choosing to fight the best fighters he can at welterweight - Floyd Mayweather is not.

Antonio Margarito/Miguel Cotto: The Clash Of Smash

Jim Amato: Every now and then a fight is made and you get an electric feeling of anticipation. You can envision the fight taking on so many different scenarios that you have trouble projecting a winner. There is almost one certainty. This fight should keep you glued to the edge of your seat. No Calzaghe - Hopkins let down here. These are two warriors staking claim, bragging rights if you will to being the best fighter today in the historic welterweight division. The winner of this fight will be mentioned in the same breath as the past greats who graced the division and rightfully so.

Miguel Cotto has carried on the great dominance of fellow countryman Felix Trinidad and this bout could be Miguel's defining moment. He has put himself in to superstar status with wins over Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. By defeating Margarito he can cement his legend and begin looking for new worlds to conquer. The fight everyone wants to see at some near future point is Cotto versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mr. Margarito may have some say in this matter. Although Cotto and Floyd would be a highly anticipated showdown, from a fan's perspective I believe Cotto - Margarito will be the much more entertaining contest.

Looking at the big picture Cotto is the more talented of the two. He can box a bit and he's one of the best body punchers I 've seen in years. Margarito is a swarming boxer that throws punches from all angles and he has a chin of granite. My question is, how well will Margarito survive the body assault of Cotto. ? This could be the key to the confrontation along with Cotto's under rated jab. If Cotto is unable to keep Margarito off of him, we may be looking at a real donnybrook. Cotto's uppercut could also be a valuable tool is discouraging the forward march of Margarito. Please do not count Margarito out. He is a solid puncher, a real banger and the Cotto chin could very well be Miguel 's Achilles heel.

By all rights of reason the edge has to be given to Cotto but Margarito will be dangerous until the end. All I know is that I can't wait for the bout to begin.

Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito Tickets Go On Sale This Thursday

The Battle is on! Welterweight superpowers MIGUEL COTTO and ANTONIO MARGARITO square-off in a compelling and eagerly-awaited world title fight to determine the division’s top dog and arguably boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. “The Battle!” / “La Batalla!” -- the pay-per-view extravaganza -- headlined by the Cotto vs. Margarito world welterweight championship, will take place Saturday, July 26, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Promoted by Top Rank, the fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT..

Tickets, priced at $700, $500, $400, $300, $200 and $100, go on sale This Thursday! May 22, at 10 a.m. PT. They can be purchased at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino.) Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or MGM Grand at (800) 929-1111. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com

This marks the first time Cotto has fought in Las Vegas since 2004 where he knocked out Randall Bailey in the sixth round, en route to successfully defending his WBO junior welterweight for the first time.

“I am thrilled to finally be fighting Antonio Margarito, in the biggest fight of my career, in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world,” said Cotto. “I am a fighting champion, which means not only staying active, but staying active against the best fighters man enough to stand up to me. Like Shane Mosley and Zab Judah before him, Antonio Margarito represents the biggest challenge of my career. And like Mosley and Judah, Margarito will leave the ring second best. I can’t wait to get to him.”

Margarito returns to Las Vegas for the first time in more than two years where he knocked out Manuel Gomez in the first round in defense of his WBO welterweight belt during his first title reign.

“I have wanted this fight against Cotto for so long," said Margarito. "I am going to make that ring a pressure cooker for him. I will be in one gear for our fight – forward. I will wear him down, break him down and knock him out. July 26 can’t come fast enough for me.”

Promoter Bob Arum believes this fight will be a big one and stated, “Cotto vs. Margarito is such a compelling fight because both champions bring so many powerful assets into it. They are both in their prime, at the top of their game, and they are fighting with so much at stake professionally and personally. Every fight they have fought has been a buildup to this exciting showdown and soon we will find out which one is the world’s best welterweight. This is more than just a world title fight. It’s a mandate.”

Mark Taffet of HBO PPV agreed saying, "Cotto-Margarito is a premier matchup between two of the best and toughest welterweights in the world today. It's the type of head-to-head, toe-to-toe championship battle that fight fans love.”

President of Sports & Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE, Richard Sturm, said, "We are thrilled to be working with Top Rank on this championship fight. I can’t think of a better way to heat up the summer than by watching the war between these two great champions at MGM GRAND in July."

Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, a two-division world champion, won the WBO junior welterweight championship in September 2004, knocking out undefeated contender Kelson Pinto for the vacant title. He successfully defended the belt six times during his two-year reign, before vacating it to challenge undefeated contender Carlos Quintana. He stopped him in the fifth round to capture the WBA welterweight crown in December 2006. Cotto has successfully defended it four times, going the distance only once.

Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs), from Tijuana, Mexico, is a two-time welterweight champion. He knocked out Antonio Diaz in the 10th round to capture the vacant WBO title in March 2002. He successfully defended it seven times during his five-year reign before losing it to Paul Williams in July 2007 via a close 12-round decision. He captured the IBF title in his most recent fight on April 12, knocking out defending champion Kermit Cintron in the sixth round.

The Cotto vs. Margarito pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Cotto vs. Margarito fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.