By Mike Cassell – 5/13/2008: While I sat ringside earlier this month, watching what amounted to a glorified sparring session between Oscar De La Hoya and Steve Forbes, it reminded me just how ridiculous boxing can get. This was boxing without the drama. It was absurdly obvious that Oscar De La Hoya is getting hit far more than ever before, by an opponent that wouldn’t last 3 rounds with the likes of Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito. It is even more apparent that he will yet again lose in another bore-fest against Mayweather Jr. this September. By about round 4, as the cameras stopped flashing and crowd became quiet, I began to daydream about a real fight, with real competition while checking my flight time on my blackberry.
I will not tell you that Antonio Margarito 36 -5 -1 (26 KO’s) is pound for pound the best in the world, because he is not. I will not tell you that he requires some ridiculous pedigree from his competition, because he doesn’t.. He is just a flat out, smack down puncher, who takes chances without making excuses. He is that boxing hard luck story that would make a great movie of the week. Margarito finally got his day in the sun against rugged Philly fighter Kermit Cintron to obtain his second world title, and instead of playing it safe and fighting a sleeper, he has accepted the challenge of arguably the biggest puncher in the welterweight division, Miguel Cotto. Now that’s drama. The 30 year old welterweight from Torrence California has been fighting very tough fighters for most of his seemingly translucent career. He suffered 3 losses during the first 2 years of his professional career. It looked as if he was destined to be a ham and egger, who would probably make a career sparring with better fighters. Something must have clicked in October of 1996, because he would not lose a fight again until he was stopped by Daniel Santos in 2004. Since then he has only lost one close decision to then rising star Paul Williams, who some were calling the next Tommy Hearns until he was beaten by Carlos Quintana earlier this year. Again, he faced a tough fighter like Williams, head on, with no regrets.
Margarito, like Cotto is that type of fighter who really believes he can beat anyone. He is as old school as it gets, quiet confident and determined. You get the feeling that he wants to win for a deeper reason that contains more content then bling. He really wants to know if he is the best, without playing it safe, and without lip service. I do not know Antonio Margarito, who’s alias is simply “Tony” very well at all, but whenever I have gotten the opportunity to ask him a boxing question, he gives a boxing answer, that is all business and directly to the point. He is either the greatest acting boxer on the planet, or incredibly sincere about the answers he gives. Whether we believe his bravado or not, the point is he believes it with every ounce of his existence. As he knocked out Kermit Cintron to win the IBF welterweight title on April 12th this year with a devastating liver punch, he was mocking Cintron, pleading with him to get up. That was not acting. You get the feeling he really believed he wanted a better showing from Cintron and that he wasn’t done yet. Top Rank, promoter of both Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito seem to go after a different type of fighter these days. Bob Arum has been putting together some beautiful sound bites about the difference between his guys and everybody else. When asked in 2006 if Cotto and Margarito would ever fight, his answer was simple taking a shot at De La Hoya and Mayweather. “Yes, of course, why not? These guys aren’t worried about dancing in the ring or how pretty there face is. They are fighters.”
Whether it was the rift between Top Rank and Golden boy, or just the dislike of Bob Arum, De La Hoya and Mayweather steered very clear from both Cotto and Margarito and decided to either fight each other or lesser competition. In the meantime Cotto and Margarito were building a fan base and selling tickets. The glare of their talent has become just too bright too ignore, and now De La Hoya is hinting at a possible Cotto meeting at the end of the year. In the meantime, boxing fans will be treated to what might possibly be fight of the year between Cotto and Margarito. This fight is going to send a message to the media, the fans and Golden Boy promotions. Both of these champions can no longer be ignored.
The Match up. July 26th 2008 Madison Square Garden
Here we have two very heavy hitters. Cotto is a relentless brawler who can bounce from southpaw to orthodox very easily. He is an opportunity grabber that smells blood and fear and attacks accordingly. If his opponent has speed, he will smother it at close range with short right hands counter and left hooks. If his opponent has power, he will go to the body with full force to weaken his opponent. Cotto leaves himself open, and it susceptible to left upper cuts, something Margarito does very well. Margarito is a banger too, who is very good at recognizing when he has the upper hand and almost always will finish the opposition when he has him hurt. The onus is on Margarito to show he can handle himself against a fighter with the skill of Cotto.
They both are stalkers who will come forward so be prepared for some devastating counter punching. It will be a tough fight early and very difficult to take the distance because the pace will be hurried. Cotto is the smaller man at only 5’7” to Margarito’s 5’11”. It will difficult for Cotto to hold if needed, because Margarito will be too strong to allow it and his vision will be better in the clinch. Look for Cotto to move laterally more than ever and throw punches in bunches to keep Margarito off him. Margarito needs to fight big. He has a tendency to get low and that could be to Cotto’s advantage. As the fight goes on both fighters will show their wear. Margarito tends to leave his left hand low as he tires and Cotto tends to dive forward much like Ricky Hatton, which could get him caught. Stamina will be everything in this fight. Going the distance may not be an option, but it will take incredible discipline and conditioning to accomplish it.
Although both carry the banger reputation, they can both box very well. Case and point, Cotto showed tremendous skill against Shane Mosely, showing he could move backwards and box when stalked. Margarito is not given enough credit for his boxing ability, largely because of his recent loss to Paul Williams who was able to out box him to a victory. I think we can chalk that loss up to a bad night. He did a fine job out boxing the brawler Joshua Clottey in what turned out to be a very difficult outing. This will without a doubt be the toughest fight of his professional career, and the same can be said of Miguel Cotto. In the end, it will come down to will. Cotto wants Mayweather as bad as Margarito; the question will be who wants that fight more. After vindicating his loss to Williams and capturing the IBF crown from Cintron, Margarito is still in celebration mode. I think Cotto wants it more, and feels he needs to send a serious message to both De La Hoya and Mayweather, and that message is simple. Fight the best or retire, because I am here and I am not going anywhere.
PREDICTION:
Cotto by knock out between 10 and 12.
This fight will be less about the winner and more about the performances of both fighters.