Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
This past Saturday night in Atlantic City, welterweights Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto dished out impressive beatings to their two respective opponents, Kermit Cintron and Alfonso Gomez. Now Margarito and Cotto, each holding welterweight titles, will turn their savagery upon each other in what promises to be an ultra-violent July 26th showdown at Madison Square Garden.
For months now, the entire boxing universe has been dominated by one looming question – when will Floyd Mayweather end his ongoing series of publicity stunts and step into the ring with the 147-pound Frazier to his Ali, Miguel Cotto? But on Saturday night, the urgency of that question evaporated into the New Jersey fog as the tantalizing prospect of a classic Mexican (Margarito) vs. Puerto Rican (Cotto) all-out nuclear war took shape before our eyes.
There was an apt symmetry to the way both men took care of their business on the A.C. card, first Margarito ending Cintron’s night in the sixth round with a brutal left hook to the liver, and then Cotto, exuding confident fury, unleashing a terrifying body assault on the overmatched Gomez that forced the Contender veteran to quit on his stool after five rounds of punishment.
Immediately after the fight, Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters, announced the July 26th date for Margarito/Cotto at the Garden, letting fly with some not-so-veiled shots at the proposed September bout between Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya in the process. “This is the kind of fight that boxing needs,” Arum said. “No old fighters. No 24/7. No fighters dropping F-bombs and no fighters going to nightclubs and throwing money around.”
Not that I am generally inclined to heap accolades upon Bob Arum, but he’s got good cause to stand up on his soapbox about this one, because he has a bona fide class A welterweight rumble on his hands. It doesn’t quite have the marquee juice of say, Mosley/De La Hoya, or Whitaker/Chavez, or that granddaddy of welterweight super-fights, Leonard/Hearns. But if it’s not in that rarified class of rumble, it’s damn close, and with the straight-ahead, take-no-prisoners approach of the two principals, it also has the potential to be one of those epic Irresistible Force vs. Immoveable Object kind of battles that we talk about forever afterwards, à la Hagler/Hearns or (dare we even dream to dream it?) Corrales/Castillo.
In short, circumventing the sport’s two biggest stars entirely, Saturday night’s results brought us what is now unquestionably the most anticipated fight of the year left on the 2008 calendar, a bout that has more than a glimmer of a chance at being an historic affair. But of all the reasons to love the idea of Cotto and Margarito mixing it up, it’s hard not to feel that perhaps the best part of the whole thing is that it suddenly makes all of The Golden Boy’s pomp and circumstance and all of Money May’s mercurial vacillations seem utterly irrelevant, a welcome development if ever there was one.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
6 comments
Comments
Despite Saturday night’s dominance, I still have visions of the Margarito who couldn’t take a single judge’s card against Paul Williams. Although if Paul comes out and knocks Quintana through the ropes I may have to rethink everything again.
Forget it, Cotto will beat anybody put in front of him. That’s a bad bad man.
by Unsilent on Apr 14, 2008 4:10 PM EDT reply actions
Unsizzo – good to see you in these parts. I feel you on Margarito, but yo son, man is looking fierce of late. His cardinal sin against Paul Williams was that he got started so late – if that was a fifteen-rounder I think he knocks Williams out. I think the central analysis of the Margarito/Cotto battle lines boil down to a very simple division – Cotto is an infinitely better all-around technician while Margarito has a better chin (one of the best chins I’ve ever seen for that matter, a freakin Carlos Baldomir anvil-like chin). If Cotto goes all Sugar Shane on Tony, he could make things very easy for himself, but will he? Honestly I thought that Cintron could have beaten Margarito if he’d boxed rather than brawled. But Margarito gets up on you and never lets up, and Cotto, well… the man has never shied away from proving that he is el mas macho. My point being – if Cotto boxes the majority of the fight, he’ll win a comfortable decision. But if a brawl breaks out in there, all bets are off. And I’m kind of hoping for the brawl, cause I think it would be epic.
by No Mas Large.tsn on Apr 14, 2008 5:46 PM EDT reply actions
If they decide to brawl it out, this will either be epic or tragedy. Still not sure, Cotto got any chance than to brawl, he is not freaking 6,2 like Williams, in fact he is smaller than margarito, not sure he can keep the TJJ at bay.
by Tricksteriuos on Apr 14, 2008 6:32 PM EDT reply actions
First of all, good to have you over here at TSB Trickster. Never seen you outside the No Mas pub.
After his display against Sugar Shane, I’ve come to feel that Cotto has turned into an amazing boxer to go with his brawliciousness and I think he can razzle-dazzle Margarito a little. Plus, let’s not forget, Cotto hits a HELL of a lot harder than Paul Williams. His jab has evolved into a lethal weapon in there.
I’m not saying that I think Cotto is a lock by any means. In fact, I’m going to have to think long and hard before I make my call on this one. But I think Cotto’s emerging skills as a sweet scientist are definitely going to be a point in his favor.
by No Mas Large.tsn on Apr 14, 2008 8:19 PM EDT reply actions
Styles make fights. Margarito seems to only lose to slick southpaws – (e.g., Paul Williams, Daniel Santos, Rodney Jones). Mind you Josh Clottey gave him hell – but Margarito outlasted him. Cotto would be a damn fool not to box him but I have yet to see him box for an entire 12 rounds. He mixes things up but definitely likes to slug as much as he likes to box. Cotto likes to flurry and then take a little walk and rest. Margarito puts constant pressure on and I’m sure he’ll train to not let Cotto get those little breaks he likes. The fact that Margarito has such a pronounced height and reach advantage (Cotto is 5’7 to Tony’s 5’11) really makes Margarito into Cotto’s worst nightmare. This one is going to be a great fight. I expect Margarito to give Cotto an even tougher fight than Mosley did. I see a real possibility for an upset.
by emhoffk.tsn on Apr 15, 2008 3:10 PM EDT reply actions
I’m with you Kurt. If they fight right now, I’d go for Margarito, he just impressed me that much. As for Cotto keeping him at bay? I just can’t see it. Sure, I have respect for his boxing abilities and for his power… but man, Cintron can crack too, and it didn’t seem to bother Margarito at all.
by Tricksteriuos on Apr 15, 2008 6:53 PM EDT reply actions
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