The reality is this. Antonio Margarito believes he will defeat Miguel Cotto Saturday night at Madison Square Garden and it can be done without drama or controversy. The tainted hand wraps that damaged the credibility of Margarito are an issue for Cotto and will be the ongoing subject this week.
And when one reviews the outcome of his first fight with Cotto in 2008, the evidence is clear that Margarito was the dominant fighter. But was he? One will never know, even if Margarito was nailed and suspended for a year because of a tainted plastic like substance on his wraps. Cotto had the battered face and Mararitio would leave the ring as a three-time welterweight champion.
The truth was told, though Margarito, as he says, was going with the plan. He comments that Cotto was a defeated fighter, that he was the better man that night in Las Vegas. But was he? That is the prevailing question that will always be asked when analyzing the first fight.
And the only way to answer the question is for Margarito to stop Cotto. The only legitimate reason to end the controversy is for either Cotto or Margarito to win a clean fight in the ring. Boxing fans from Puerto Rico and Mexico are looking for a resolution to the question as to who the better fighter is, Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito?
There are two sides to the equation. One, are the fans of Cotto. The Puerto Rican contingent will travel from the Island, and Cotto, successful eight times in New York City will once again have a strong following from the Big Apple. Margarito, still very popular will see the same from his country. Mexico boxing fans go to great lengths to see Margarito, who never lost popularity as he was implicated for fighting with illegal hand wraps.
This also continues an ever more popular boxing argument. Does Puerto Rico or Mexico produce the best fighter, and champions in the sport? Mexico boxing fans will never doubt their fighters. They say Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. is their hero, and that rising 21-year old super welterweight champion, Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez is another. That Mexico against Puerto Rico rivalry continued this past Saturday when Alvzrez successfully defended his title by stopping the veteran Kermit Cintron.
So, Margarito has plenty to prove in this next chapter with Cotto. It is not his popularity that needs to be redeemed in Mexico. It?s his overall image with boxing fans that is more than meets the eye. Or is it, more that meets Margarito?s damaged right eye that was subject to review last week. It was a mockery by the New York State Athletic Commission that forced Bob Arum and Top Rank on a last minute hunt to find another venue in order to save their fight card at the Garden.
One will never know the specifics as why the NYSAC pulled the last minute theatrics. Margarito was cleared and granted his license to fight in New York. But it has drama and, to his credit, Margarito showed composure and went with the plan. He took the private plane from Mexico to New York and took a one-day hiatus from his training camp.
In New York City Monday, at an open media workout, Margarito went about his business. He commented,? I am ready. The eye is fine. I am going to once again defeat Cotto.?
He was confident and there were no signs of protecting the right eye that required cataract surgery and repair of a broken orbital bone, after a loss to Manny Pacquiao last November. There is a renewed focus from Margarito, and it not only comes from the right eye. It is his desire to end a conversation that he is the tarnished fighter, and won a title using tainted wraps as a lethal weapon.
And to the defense of the NYSAC, they were being protective. However, there is that stigma, as they went along with approving the fight in September that Margarito is still a liability and they would be attacked for allowing Margarito to fight in their state.
It was more than meets the eye. Margarito and loaded wraps brings back memories of loaded gloves of plastic that implicated welterweight Luis Resto in his fight with Billy Collins Jr. at the Garden in June of 1983. The NYSAC was not looking to relive that moment with the reputation of having a main event fighter in the spotlight that had similarities to the Resto situation.
Though Margarito is silent about the issue with Cotto, the storyline for this fight are the wraps. Cotto has vowed vengeance and his wife says, ?Margarito wanted to kill my husband.? One look at the face of Cotto when he left the ring and it appeared there was some type of suspicion. He would not offer any credible evidence as to Margarito cheating but a month ago, he produced evidence of tainted wraps from a cell phone photo.
In the meantime, we never had doubt about Margarito. He always had commanding power and a lethal punch. The punches to Cotto appeared to be legitimate and the talk was the champion from Puerto Rico was a damaged fighter and on the decline. Cotto would rebound, and on his mind, get another opportunity to get revenge against Margarito.
Antonio Margarito, not surprisingly, has an edge. There is definite hatred that Cotto has for Margarito. Mexican and Puerto Rican boxing fans also have the intensity. In a few days the answers will come as there is more to meet the eye.
