Cotto vs Margarito 2: Why Antonio Margarito Must Win to Silence Critics

Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto will square off this weekend for the second time, and if Margarito falls, his legacy in the boxing world will tarnish even more. 

The first time these two fought was back in 2008, and Margarito won by TKO in the 11th round. However, a year later, it was found that the Mexican boxer was tampering with his hand wraps. 

The California Department of Justice confirmed the substance in Margarito's contained two key elements found in "Plaster of Paris," which was used to help him throw a harder punch. 

It's extremely unfair, and Margarito was forced to serve a one-year ban from boxing. 

There is a belief he was using these illegal hand wraps against Cotto, which is why round two between these boxers is so very important. 

With a clean win, Margarito can right the ship. However, if he loses to Cotto, many will continue to bash him and say his career is forever tainted. 

He may be older now, but if he can't beat Cotto without cheating, then his status in the boxing world is ruined. 

This isn't the big fight boxing fans want to see, although, it does have a great appeal. The match fans covet the most is Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr., but they'll easily settle for this one. 

The history these two have together is what makes Saturday's fight so intriguing. The first fight was extremely intense, and now that we know Margarito should be clean, it hypes the fight up even more. 

Every fight is must-win in boxing, but December 3 has much more meaning for Antonio Margarito, as he can put his bad past to rest by taking care of business and defeating Cotto.