I have been going back and forth about how I see this fight going. I like the fact that Miguel Cotto is keeping it very real. I know a lot of people felt he gave up a mental advantage when he said he wasn’t willing to die in the ring. He was like, “Man, that’s stupid. I got four kids. Who is going to take care of them?” I definitely whole-heartedly agree with that approach. It’s in New York, essentially his backyard. I think those fans are going to be fired up and spur him on. The thing is, can he fight backwards and can he be smart enough to where, when he gets himself in a jam, to grab and hold. Do what Shane Mosley did to him; throw your combinations and when he steps forward, grab him and hold him and let the ref break you guys up. I don’t know if Cotto is strong enough to stop Margarito at this stage. It didn’t look too effective at 147 and I don’t see his power being any different at 154. If he can keep it together mentally and his physical condition is up to par, and he can fight a smarter fight and maybe a safer fight, I think he can outpoint him and win a decision or maybe even target that eye to where the commission wants to step in.
Obviously that is a financial nightmare if Margarito fights a 12-round fight and goes blind in one eye after this fight. That’s just something that nobody wants to see. Well, maybe some people out there want to see that. When you look at his whole career, maybe some people think he deserves that. I personally don’t know the man and I wouldn’t want to see anyone affected like that after a fight, whether it be blindness or a severe injury. I don’t think he should be fighting anymore, but you know what? I’m not on the commission and I’m not the one that licenses him. He’s in there and he’s going to try to pull off the same game plan. He’s going to try and put a lot of pressure on Miguel Cotto. And I think in the early rounds, he will try to hit Miguel with some big shots to prove, “Hey, it wasn’t the wraps, it was me.” He’s going to try to make it a very physical fight and try to get into Miguel’s head a little bit as well. And if he is successful with that, then I can see him kind of wearing Miguel Cotto out again and if he can’t, he will lose.
