Margarito vs Cotto II: Redemption Awaits the Winner While Shame Awaits the Loser

According to espn, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will be facing off in a rematch to their controversial fight in 2008.

If you don't already know, Antonio Margarito has been accused of using illegal hand wraps in his fight against Miguel Cotto after being caught with loaded hand wraps in his devastating loss against Shane Mosley.

Since then, it has been speculated that Margarito has used loaded hand wraps in the past fight against Miguel Cotto due to the amount of damage Cotto received from Margarito.

Both fighters went different ways after their first fight. Now the two are set to square off December 3rd on even grounds and once and for all prove whether or not Margarito's win was due to him cheating or not.

After their fight, Cotto went on to win the vacant WBO welterweight title and defended it successfully once against Joshua Clottey.

Since Cotto's loss to Margarito though, he has since been viewed as damaged goods. He wasn't the same fighter he was before Margarito, and it showed in his match with Clottey.

Margarito, on the other hand, rode this momentum into a fight with Shane Mosley. His momentum was put to an abrupt halt after he was found with loaded hand wraps. Shane Mosley went on to win the fight, and Margarito has since been branded as a cheater and had his license revoked.

He has lost a lot of credibility as a fighter and respect as well.

Both men then went on to fight and lose to Manny Pacquiao and are now in a collision course for each other.

Cotto has been rebuilding his confidence since his loss to Pacquiao by winning another world title in another weight division and successfully defending it against Mayorga. Margarito received a brutal beating from Manny Pacquiao, which resulted in a broken orbital bone requiring surgery and threatening to end his boxing career.

The main underlying purpose of this fight that everybody wants to know is simple: did Margarito beat Cotto with or without the hand wraps?

While both men look to answer that question, only redemption awaits the winner while shame awaits the loser of the bout.

If Cotto is able to win in his rematch with Margarito, his victory will prove that Margarito probably did cheat against him. It will also be a confidence booster for Cotto knowing that he was able to get revenge against the first person who defeated him. Margarito would repeatedly be shown in a bad light, and retirement would be the best possible option for him.   

Should Cotto lose though, he would probably labeled as damaged goods again while showing that Margarito probably didn't use hand wraps in their first fight. Margarito makes a step forward in his path to redemption and once again throws his name out there for big fights.

Both men have a lot to gain and a lot to lose in this fight.

Hopefully when Dec. 3rd rolls around, viewers will be treated to a passionate and competitive war between two men fighting for survival in the world of boxing.