27th July: Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto

[kompressaur]

Im just adding things for the month to the frontpage. as mentioned before a thread on the event wouldnt go amiss so here it is. Looks like this is a hotly anticipated fight
Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto? - Yahoo! Answers

As far as who I think will win- this fight is a genuine tossup and an excellent match. I slightly lean towards Cotto using his better boxing skills to defeat Margarito by a close decision. Even though a lot of people say that Cotto is not that technically sound, he has showed in his last few fights that his boxing skills have improved greatly. In his fight with Shane Mosley, he was actually outboxing him in certain parts of that fight. On the other hand, I could very well see Margarito walking through Cotto and stopping him with his tremendous workrate and very good power. If Cotto tries to stay on the inside and trade with Margarito, he will get beat because Margarito is the stronger inside fighter and the better brawler. I think that Cotto knows that his only chance to win is by staying on the outside when he needs to so that he can use his boxing skills to his advantage and not stay on the inside and trade too much with Antonio. Also, if anyone does get stopped, it will be Cotto because as you said, he has been knocked down and shaken up by fighters with a lot less power than Margarito. Margarito on the other hand has an excellent chin and can walk through anything with a smile on his face afterwards. If the fight is mainly fought on the outside, then I think Cotto will win a close decision; if the fight is mainly fought on the inside, then I think Margarito will win by late round stoppage.

Maybe the 1/2 with skybet on Cotto could be too short. Anyone follow the boxing?

[kompressaur]

In 1985 Bob Arum put together a boxing show that was so exciting it simply didn't need any hype.


No promotional hysteria or hyperbole was needed or offered in order to sell Marvin Hagler against Thomas Hearns and for this reason Arum simply called it 'The War'. Fast forward to 2008 and he's at it again.


This weekend in Las Vegas, Arum pits the world's top two active welterweights together in Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito and the veteran fight promoter has decided to keep it short and sweet again by giving us 'La Batalla' (The Battle).


Obviously Messrs Cotto and Margarito are going to have to go some if they are to match the excitement, drama and sheer brutal intensity of Hagler - Hearns, but there is a feeling in the trade that if any fight can match that 1980s war then it's this one.


On Saturday night the irresistible force meets the immovable object and something simply has to give.


Opinion is divided among the trade as to whether it will be unbeaten WBA kingpin Cotto or IBF strap holder Margarito?


The odds men have Cotto as a warm-ish 4/9 favourite to win the fight but plenty of people just can't split them and I concur that it really is a 'pick 'em' affair.


It's going to come down to who can execute their game plan most effectively on the night and who can take the most punishment as both men have been telling anyone who will listen they are going to come out swinging from the first bell.


It's easy to see why Cotto is favoured. The 'Caguas Crusher' is unbeaten in 32 fights and has a KO ratio above 80%.


That's a startling stat considering he twice went the distance in four-rounders early in his career and that he has been operating in legitimate world class since 2003.


He is a former Olympian who has been groomed for superstardom since making his pro bow in 2001.


At the age of just 27 he has already collected titles in two weight divisions (he was a WBO light-welterweight champ and at 10st beat men of the calibre of Paulie Malignaggi, Ricardo Torres, Kelson Pinto and DeMarcus 'Chop Chop' Corley amongst others before moving up).


However while he was excellent at light-welter since moving north to welterweight he's been a revelation.


He destroyed the classy Carlos Quintana to win the WBA belt and he has also produced top-tier performances against 'pound-for-pound' stars Zab Judah and 'Sugar' Shane Mosley in recent times.


If he beats Margarito many people will be championing him as the best fighter in the world right now. It's a big 'if' however.

The 30-year-old Margarito has been a pro for more than half his adult life (he began punching for pay as a 15-year-old in 1994) and he's been brought through the hard way.


Margarito lost three of his first 12 but crucially never lost heart.


After being decisoned by the slick Rodney Jones he went on a 17-fight winning spree before winning the WBO welterweight belt by crushing Antonio Diaz.


That was in 2002 and despite a couple of setbacks (he lost to Daniel Santos on a technical decision in Puerto Rico due to an accidental butt and was outworked by Paul 'The Punisher' Williams last year) he now looks the complete package.


Margarito digs murderously hard with either hand and after standing up to Kermit Cintron's best shots there is no questioning his chin either.


He can box when he wants to and his skills are under-rated but he's popular because he likes to fight in the traditional Mexican way i.e. stand in front of an opponent and go toe-to-toe.


I wouldn't be shocked at all if Margarito beat Cotto this weekend but the big question mark surrounding him in my eyes is whether he has a 'Plan B'?


He has said he's going to jump on Cotto from the outset but if his initial ambush fails does he have the boxing brain to make the necessary adjustments?


Cojones alone don't win boxing matches and for me Cotto has the better variety.


Never was this better illustrated than in his fights with Judah and Mosley.


Against Judah he went to war with a slick, hard-punching New Yorker and essentially issued a beatdown at Madison Square Garden.


Against the equally quick and just as dangerous Mosley however he boxed brilliantly, working patiently behind his jab and bagging round after round with technical mastery rather that brute force.


For this reason I favour him this weekend and I reckon he could force a spectacular win inside the distance.


The 36-5 Margarito has never been stopped and he has been in with some big punchers.


However he's never been in with a Miguel Cotto and if he comes out face first and has a tear-up I feel it will be meat and drink to the Puerto Rican, who will have plenty of target to aim those vicious body shots at given Margarito's ample frame.


I don't see it being quite as vicious as Hagler-Hearns early on but don't see either man taking a backward step.


Cotto can be tagged and can be hurt (he was wobbled and dropped several times as a light-welter) but he looks much more sturdy at 10st 7lbs and I get the feeling he knows a spectacular win here will cement his reputation as a boxing superstar.


I fancy him to survive a few torrid moments early on before systematically breaking Margarito down and halting him somewhere around round nine.


It should be a classic and whether you are having a punt on proceedings or not Saturday's showdown should be well worth staying up for.


And while I reckon the 4/9 odds on a Cotto win look a trifle skinny given that the outcome is by no means a foregone conclusion, Hills' 4/1 quote about Cotto winning inside the distance looks well worth a play.

4/1 COTTO TO WIN 'LA BATALLA': Sports Betting - Sports Betting News, Form and Tips