RINGSIDE REPORT: COTTO EXACTS REVENGE ON MARGARITO
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 Dec 2011
NEW YORK -- Miguel Cotto's revenge was consummated tonight in the city he calls his second home against a fighter he believes toyed with his health and well-being three years ago. In a sold -out Madison Square Garden that adopts the Puerto Rican boxer as its own, Cotto scored a 10th round TKO win over rival Antonio Margarito whose win in their first match was tainted because of the hand wrap issue involving him in the fight after that.
Miguel Cotto showed superior boxing tonight in front of a loud partisan crowd that cheered every time he lands a telling blow on Margarito. Cotto moved and used the ring against Margarito who pressed him from opening bell. He would land combos on Margarito and get out of his way after doing it. It was clear that his intention was to inflict damage on the Mexican's repaired right eye. He jabbed and jabbed towards its direction early on in the fight. And it did not take long for the damage to show as Margarito suffered a cut above it as early in the 3rd round.
But that would not deter the tough Tijuana native. He never relented on his attack on Cotto in the fight. He hacked on Cotto forcing Cotto to hold on at certain moments of the fight. He punched in the head, in the body and elbows of his opponent. Even as he gets hit by good combinations, Margarito would just shrugged it off as if it did nothing to him. But those combos would earn marks on the judges' cards and also on the thousands of pro-Cotto fans here in New York.
Cotto displayed great boxing in the ring from the 7th onwards. He would jab and punched through Margarito and then followed that up by moving to his right, thereby avoiding Margarito's dreaded right hand. He would also wow the crowd with left and right combos which the slower Margarito is unable to defend. That would produce more damage on Margarito's suspect eye. It slowly closes as the fight progresses on. That prompted the ringside physicians, one of them an eye specialist to check on his eye after that round.
Cotto targeted Margarito's closing eye from then on. An accidental clashed of heads in the 8th left Margarito more vulnerable as it produced a cut on his other eye. But even with damage on his two eyes, Margarito's attack and pursuit of Cotto never ceased. But instead of dishing out damage, he ended up getting pummeled on by Cotto's combinations. Cotto caught him in the ropes and unleashed a barrage of punches which landed with fury. Margarito returned to his corner with the ring side physicians looking at him with concern. They checked on Margarito's eyes during the break and based on their facial expressions, they are more inclined to have the fight halted already by then.
The decision came in the 10th as Margarito's right eye continued to close. There was considerable swelling developing around it by now. That prompted them to advise referee Steve Smoger to halt the bout at that point of the fight. With the stoppage, Miguel Cotto earned a TKO victory over an opponent he truly hates and detest. It also earned him the revenge that he wanted for so long after that loss in 2008.
Photo: Miguel Cotto (R) connects with a right overhand to the face of Antonio Margarito during the junior middleweight title fight at the Madison Square Garden in New York late Saturday night. Photo by Rob Cruz.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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