Cotto vs. Margarito: Another Loss Will End Margarito's Career

When WBA super welterweight champion Miguel Cotto faces off with Antonio Margarito Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, there will be more on the line than just a title belt.

This is the second meeting between Cotto and Margarito. The first ended in a stunning late-round TKO victory for Margarito over the then-undefeated Cotto.

It was six months later that Margarito squared off with Shane Mosley and was found to be using a plaster-of-Paris-type substance to harden up his wraps before the fight.

While there was no direct evidence that Margarito had used the rat-like strategy against Cotto in their first meeting, the unusual damage done to Cotto’s face makes it very possible.

With no Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather match on the horizon, this is the biggest fight in boxing. While diehard boxing fans can wait, casual fans are starting to follow along with the bout's many storylines.

And everybody is weighing in on who they think will take this war.

Four-time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., told Boxing Scene about what he expects from this fight:

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It's a tough fight and Margarito is not finished. Margarito is stronger, taller and more braver. I think Cotto is a better boxer and it's going to be a long fight. If Cotto does things right, Cotto can come out the winner by decision. Margarito's eye is not 100 percent, but Margarito is very brave, strong and he will be attacking Cotto like he did in the first fight. Cotto has to be very careful. Again, if he makes a smart fight, he can win by decision. If Margarito wins, it will be by knockout.

"

Chavez is 100 percent right on this one and I would expect no less from one of the greatest champions of all time.

Visually, it’s plain to see that Margarito has the size advantages in almost every aspect and won their first meeting with a big TKO. That forces the more skillful Cotto to push the tempo and exploit Margarito as the poor defender he really is.

If Cotto wants to reclaim that luster he had before their first fight, he needs to knock out Margarito in convincing fashion. Send Margarito to his early retirement.

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