Forget the fact that the fight has sold out Madison Square Garden in New York. And forget the fact that there is bad blood on both sides of the fence.
One way you can truly tell how much people in the sport are looking forward to Saturday?s night rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito is the simple fact that the event has seemed to completely overshadow an interesting and significant rematch between Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko.
<--- Slideshow: Inside Abner Mares-Joseph Agbeko II weigh-in plus bonus shots of Guillermo Rigondeaux, Don King, Rico Ramos and Oscar De La Hoya
Mares defeated Agbeko in a close, controversial bout on August 13th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. But while Mares put forth a spirited effort, his victory definitely wasn?t as glorious as he would have preferred. Advertisement
Mares was credited with two knockdowns in the fight, in rounds one and eleven, but both calls were suspect as the first knockdown showed that Agbeko actually slipped before heading to the canvas while the second clearly showcased him hitting Agbeko with a low blow.
The low blows were a notorious subplot to the first fight, as Mares repeatedly hit his Ghanaian foe below the belt, with referee Pat Russell failing to take notice.
Nearly four months later and both men are looking for a sense of redemption. Agbeko is out to show, at 31 years of age, that the loss against him was unjust and that his future is still promising while Mares aims to prove that his victory was no fluke.
And while Cotto and Margarito may be stealing the spotlight, Agbeko and Mares will surely produce some headlines of their own.
For images from the Abner Mares-Joseph Agbeko rematch, please visit the slideshow of the left or check out Inside the Agbeko-Mares II rematch
