Cotto vs. Margarito: Puerto Rican Middleweight Will Pummel Accused Cheater

Junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto has more than enough inspiration to knock out accused cheater Antonio Margarito Saturday night in New York, and the result will show.

Cotto lost a brutal fight to Margarito back in July 2008 which has since become clouded in controversy. 

Margarito was accused of boxing with hardened hand wraps that got tougher as the fight went on. He won via TKO in round 11 and was caught shortly before his next fight with Shane Mosley trying to enter the ring with the wraps.

From there the drama escalated.

Cotto had the following to say about Margarito regarding the epic, but controversial 2008 bout:

"

Playing with the health of someone else, a human being, attempting to kill because he used plaster on his wraps, that is a weapon to me, that is being a criminal in a sport. If we have another name for it, please tell me what I can use.

"

Margarito is the bad guy in all of this without question, and Cotto no doubt will have the backing of the thousands of fans in attendance and the millions watching around the world Saturday night.

Still, if Margarito was in fact innocent against Cotto three years ago, then the 31-year-old Puerto Rican will have his hands full in the ring the second time around.

For the 33-year-old Mexican, inspiration is all around. Margarito has been accused of cheating and there is arguably nothing worse in sports.

But given the fact that Margarito's eye was wrecked by Manny Pacquiao last year, Cotto will have the undeniable edge and will ultimately send Margarito to the mat once or twice in this fight.

Cotto was badly beaten in the first go-around with Margarito, and whether it was fair or unfair, he'll be looking to return the favor on Saturday night.

Cotto will win behind his superior boxing talents, not plastered hand wraps, and he'll do it in front of his Puerto Rican supporters.