Miguel Cotto
MIGUEL COTTO AFTER BEATING MARGARITO
San Francisco, CA– When it was all said and done, Antonio Margarito’s battered face told the entire story of how Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto extracted revenge from the Mexican mauler. As Antonio was beaten decisively over the first half of their 2008 fight, Cotto tired and Margarito unloaded on him with what a lot of people think were “loaded” gloves. Loaded gloves, what’s that? Margarito, renamed in the blogosphere, Marga-cheato, Antonio was caught with plaster of Paris blocks, one already inserted into his wrapped hand and the other in his trainer Javier Capetillo’s possession. With Margarito’s blood on the illegal cement-like blocks, you knew the prick had used them prior. Cotto thinks they were used against him.
Antonio Margarito
WILL COTTO RENEW TOP RANK CONTRACT?
Now that Cotto’s contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank has run it’s course, Miguel may opt to sign with another promoter or go it on his own like Floyd Mayweather. Although Arum is implying that he would like to make Cotto vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at 160 lbs., providing the thought to be reluctant Puerto Rican signs a new contract. Signing with Arum has some impediments. The first being the way Arum defended Margarito, insinuating that Margarito’s use of the plaster of Paris blocks was not the case when Margarito defeated Cotto. That and collaborating with Manny Pacquiao to make Cotto, who had problems making 147 lbs., made him cut weight and weigh 145 or less! Cotto implied last October in Cartegena, Colombia, that he was not all that happy with Arum and Top Rank.
Right Hand Was “Key” Punch For Cotto
EXPECT COTTO TO BE STRIPPED!
The WBA is demanding that the winner of Cotto-Margarito face co-WBA 154 lb. champ Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KOs) a slick southpaw out of New Mexico. The last thing Cotto needs is to fight the shifty lefty who is coming into his own, this as Cotto appears to be declining, regardless of his beating Margarito. Having worn title belts at 140, 147 & 154 after turning professional at 21, Cotto is now 31 with a record of 36-2 with 30 KOs. Seeing he is looking at only big money fights, Cotto won’t fight a non-household name in Trout.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING TO DO?
If Arum really wanted to do business with Cotto, he would make Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto II at 154 lbs. Seeing that isn’t going to happen, and Chavez (44-0-1, 34 KOs) weighs 180, after scaling 160 the day before, even if he is a boxing lummox that’s a lot of weight. The best fight out there might be a match with the still a little bit “green” but still unbeaten (39-0-1, 29 KOs) Saul Alvarez. But when I discussed this with an advisor I look to for help in setting my “Odds & Predictions,” he said that the Canelo fight might be about even, but with youth on his side at 21 and less incurred damage this would make Alvarez a 7-5 favorite over Cotto.
OPPONENTS NOT SO PLENTIFUL?
At 154, there’s also Cornelius Bundrage (31-4-2, 18 KOs), Paul Williams (40-2, 27 KOs), James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOS), Erislandy Lara (15-1-1, 10 KOs), HBO judge Harold Lederman’s favorite, Carlos “Mr. Upset” Molina (19-4, 6 KOs) and Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 13 KOs). Delvin is probably next for Austin Trout, Lara is dangerous, Williams is not all that marketable, the others with the exception of Kirkland are non-starters. Seeing World middleweight (160) champ Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs) is really a 154 lber. who was forced to go to 160 in order to get out of boxing seclusion, that might be Cotto’s best shot. But that too is risky, as Martinez is a lefty who can punch. The bottom line is that Cotto doesn’t have a plethora of options. So, where do you think he’s going and who will he face next?
Pedro Fernandez