Miguel Cotto vs. Margarito:13 Reasons It'll Be Better Than Pacquiao-Marquez

As Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Magarito II draws near this Saturday, thoughts of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III play back in the minds of many boxing fans.

Pacqiao and Marquez engaged each other in their third bout, but nothing like the drama and intrigue of their two previous fights mustered.

Cotto and Margarito is the type of rematch that won't offer that type of dilemma. It will be a great fight and will meet or exceed the greatest of their first battle in 2008.

Both fight series have different circumstances and events that have taken place over time to make them become what they have become.

Here are 13 reasons why Cotto-Margarito II will be better than Pacquiao-Marquez III.

13. Better Characters

Pacquiao and Marquez are warriors in the ring, but are merely nice and humble individuals outside of it.

While that makes for a great set of people, it also makes for mediocre characters to root for in a boxing match.

People like good vs evil, not good vs good. Cotto is a victim who wants vengeance for his loss that he believes came by way of foul play.

Margarito is shrugging his shoulders and wearing black shades while telling Cotto to go "f__k off." Margarito's villain persona is confident he'll beat Cotto again and will savagely mangle him.

Cotto's hero is sure he is wronged and will fight to right that wrong. That storyline sure beats two nice guys like Marquez and Pacquiao just wanting to have another good fight.

12. Younger, Hungrier

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Antonio Margarito in his youth

Marquez was 38 years old. Pacquiao is 32, nudging ever so closer to 33.

Margarito is 33 and Cotto is 31. Margarito and Cotto are beyond their primes mostly in part to the beatings they've taken in recent years.

But what makes them younger than Pacquiao and Marquez is their hunger.

Marquez has virtually nothing left to prove. Pacquiao has already collected millions of dollars, fans and achievements.

Cotto has done much, but his loss against Margarito casts a huge shadow over his recent career. Margarito's plaster incident casts a similar shadow on his career.

They both have much to accomplish through the beating of each other, thus making them still young and hungry for victory.

11. Guaranteed Violence

Cotto is a body-puncher who loves to go toe to toe. He can box, but he can't hold back his brawling ways for too long.

Margarito is a fellow lover of brawling, maybe even more. Margarito may be slow, but he's persistent and always comes forward.

No matter how hard he is beaten, Margarito will come forward and take the beating to give Cotto a worse beating.

Pacquiao and Marquez were very reserved with the chances they were willing to take against each other. Marquez was cautious of getting knocked down. Pacquiao was cautious of getting countered.

Cotto and Margarito will throw caution to the wind and set fire to the Garden.

10. Steve Smoger

Steve Smoger is the official referee of Cotto-Margarito II. Many have questioned whether Margarito might be stopped if Cotto lands too hard on his bad eye.

Margarito's right eye was heavily questioned and examined by the New York State Athletic Commission, barely passing in order to allow Margarito to fight in New York. Many feel New York would stop the fight as soon as any damage was noticed.

But Smoger is a great referee who knows how to officiate a fight to let the action go on and give a champion a chance to properly defend himself.

Smoger allowed Pawel Wolak to go on against Delvin Rodriguez despite the fact that Wolak's right side of his face had a gigantic hematoma obscuring his vision in that eye.

If Smoger allowed that to go on, he'll definitely let Cotto-Margarito continue until it reaches a perfect, proper brutal conclusion.

9. Better Undercard

Pacquiao vs Marquez III had an unexpectedly great fight between Mike Alvarado and Breidis Prescott at junior welterweight (140 lbs).

The other major fight on the card was an uneventful showcase of Timothy Bradley's boxing skills against an apparently high and barely present Joel Casamayor, who was there only for a paycheck, not to win.

Cotto vs Margarito II has an undercard that promises action from beginning to ending. Brandon Rios (a very all-action fighter) promises to deliver against John Murray.

Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez will have a rematch of their July fight-of-the-year war. Mike Jones will also fight in an IBF welterweight world title eliminator against a solid Argentine veteran, Sebastian Lujan.

These fights promise to over-deliver versus the Pacquiao-Marquez III card that under-delivered.

8. Mutual Hatred

Miguel Cotto believes Antonio Margarito played with his health by using plaster in his handwraps under his gloves during their 2008 war.

Cotto lost a championship, his confidence and his unblemished record of 32-0.

Margarito professes his innocence and wishes to shut up the man who believes otherwise, Cotto.

Their hatred will ignite in the ring in what is sure to be a violent conclusion.

Pacquiao and Marquez never really hated each other, no matter how much Marquez may be frustrated that he can't earn the clear-cut victory he wants. Pacquiao and Marquez just don't hate each other.

7. Better Storyline

Marquez wanted revenge against Pacquiao only because their first two fights kept getting too damn close to call. The most intriguing question at the time was could Marquez still fight him at age 38?

Cotto vs Margarito, on the other hand, is a completely different and better story. Cotto is a young undefeated Puerto Rican fighter. Margarito is a tough, crowd-pleasing Mexican warrior.

These two are two of the best fighters of the welterweight weight class at the time. Margarito had something to prove coming off a major loss to Paul Williams. Cotto had something to prove as well.

The winner was said to be destined for greatness, maybe even a fight against Oscar De La Hoya. Margarito came up victorious. Then, in his next fight, it's discovered he has plaster in his gloves.

This casts doubt on Margarito's previous victory against Cotto, who broods with evil intentions to pay back Margarito for what he believes is a plaster-delivered beating.

Now, with Margarito's return from a year-long suspension and eye surgery, the revenge/redemption story is set to proceed once and for all.

Should Cotto win, he helps validate that maybe Margarito used plaster during their initial fight.

Should Margarito win, he helps clear his name with an honest victory over Cotto.

6. Last Chance

For both fighters, this is a last chance at redemption. With Pacquiao vs. Marquez, you could've said it was their last chance, but in actuality, that would be a lie.

If Pacquiao lost to Marquez, who wouldn't pay to see him face Marquez again, face Mayweather or face just about anybody else?

If Marquez has lost, who still wouldn't pay to see him face Erik Morales or Brandon Rios or Robert Guerrero?

If Cotto loses, who does anyone want to see him up against? If Margarito loses, who in the world does he face next?

Is there a path for lost warriors to walk after a grueling loss such as the one that is set to be administered to the loser of Cotto vs Margarito II on December 3 in Madison Square Garden? I doubt it.

5. Rival Countries

Cotto is Puerto Rican. Margarito is Mexican. The two countries have the most storied history of boxing violence in the history of the sport.

Sure, Filipinos (Pacquiao) and Mexicans (Marquez) have produced some brilliant battles (Gerry Penalosa vs Jhonny Gonzalez, anybody?), but Puerto Rico and Mexico have a richer, bloodier history.

4. Pick'em Fight

A "Pick'em Fight" is a fight where you can pick either fight to win and probably be right. There's not a clear-cut favorite.

Pacquiao was the clear favorite despite Marquez's history of troubling the boxing icon, and Pacquiao indeed won, even if barely.

Cotto and Margarito has so many factors that make it a relatively even fight. How much wear and tear have both fighters accumulated over the course of their careers?

Is Cotto damaged psychologically from the battle he had against Margarito? Is Margarito's eye truly OK after the multiple surgeries he's had? Is Cotto the better-fit warrior for the 154 lb. division?

And most of all, did Margarito cheat the first time they fought in 2008? There are plenty of questions, and Saturday will produce plenty of answers.

3. More Historic

Pacquiao's battle against Marquez was historic because it ended another classic trilogy in boxing's history and whatnot.

But Cotto vs Margarito is more historic because of its unique moment and its Madison Square Garden location. Cotto has become one of biggest ticket-sellers at the historic venue.

If boxing ever wants to reach anywhere near the heights of old, it needs to embrace other potential boxing meccas outside of good ol' shiny Vegas.

Cotto has been the door-kicker toward bringing back major boxing events to Madison Square Garden.

Cotto is selling out New York like Devon Alexander, who sells out arenas in St. Louis, and Lucian Bute, who sells out arenas in Montreal, Canada. People must know boxing history is made all over, not just in Vegas.

2. Knockout Likely

Marquez was knocked down three times in his first fight against Pacquiao, but there was no round afterward where either fighter looked like they'd be knocked out.

In no round in their third fight did Pacquiao and Marquez look hurt enough to be on the verge of getting knocked out.

Cotto was stopped in his first fight against Margarito. Now, with so much hatred in each other's eyes, a knockout is highly likely to happen again.

They've both been hurt and have been damaged heavily in recent megafights with Shane Mosley and Pacquiao.

Someone is likely to fall to the other. Just who will it be?

1. More Controversial

Bob Arum knew what he was doing when he finally got this rematch together. Cotto vs. Margarito is selling off the controversial idea that Margarito may have cheated in their initial throwdown.

Pacquiao vs Marquez III came as a result of two highly close fights that produce angry arguments from their fans as to who really won. The victor is far from clear in their trilogy.

Cotto vs Margarito, though, is about more than a close fight, but a possibly tainted one. Many will support Cotto, believing Margarito to be a cheater. Others will feel Margarito just has the style to win regardless.

Another controversial aspect of the fight is Margarito's right. Will Margarito's eye be OK enough to hold up against a Cotto left hook attack? Will Cotto's confidence hold up if Margarito starts roughing him up?

No one knows what will happen until the opening bell sounds, the crowd goes quiet and the leather and flesh meet in a ballet of broken bones and bruised bodies.