Cotto vs Margarito: Weak Performance Dooms Margarito's Legacy

On the rare occasion when Antonio Margarito is remembered, it will be as a cheater.

Performance

Margarito was never in this fight. He looked slow and was continually pummeled with left hooks when he tried to charge at Cotto. Cotto ended up receiving a TKO victory in the 10th after the refs ruled Antonio's right eye was too damaged to continue.

His eye was swollen shut. It was the same eye that was punished in Margarito's previous fight against Manny Pacquiao. Margarito required surgery on a broken orbital bone following that fight.

The loss was especially damaging to Margarito as he was looking for vindication since he was caught cheating.

Illegal Wrap Scandal

Following his fight with Shane Mosley on January 9th, 2009, Margarito was suspended for using a plaster-like substance in his hand wraps.

This is a disgraceful charger. Making matters worse for Margarito is the fact that, in hindsight, it appeared as if he had the same hand wraps in his first fight with Cotto.

That meant the greatest win of his career was tainted with the assumption he cheated.

Resume

Margarito has a resume to be considered a great fighter. He is 38-8-0 in his career. He has held the WBO and IBF welterweight title and the WBO light middleweight title. 

However, this is not what he is going to be remembered for.

Legacy

Margarito had a chance to salvage his legacy in a rematch with Cotto. He needed to prove he could beat Cotto without the cloud of cheating tainting his victory. Instead he was destroyed.

Now he is destined to be a footnote in boxing, and when that footnote is brought up the first thing that will be mentioned is Margarito's cheating and not his accomplishments.