Cotto vs. Margarito: Loss Proves Margarito Is No Longer Elite

Saturday night's fight between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto was a chance for “El Tornado de Tijuana” to prove he still belonged among the elite names in boxing. A final test of his ability to go toe-to-toe with one of the sport's marquee names.

He failed, further proving the point first raised by losses to Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao. He's no longer a top-notch talent at 33.

Even though Margarito was able to withstand Cotto's onslaught for nine rounds, he was clearly outclassed for most of the bout. He looked slow and struggled to keep up with Junito's aggressive, attacking style.

The fight had to be stopped after Margarito's troublesome right eye had swollen to a point where the doctors didn't feel safe enough to allow him to continue. It's an injury the veteran should certainly take seriously before scheduling any future matches.

His only win in his last four fights came against Roberto Garcia, which shows he's nothing more than a mid-level boxer right now.

Margarito's career stock has been falling ever since the hand wrapping controversy against Mosley. How much of an impact the special concoction actually had on his career is unknown, but he hasn't had the same pop since he was called out for it.

He would be best off attempting to land another marquee fight instead of wasting time trying to rebuild his image at this point. Unlike most fighters who like to get a couple wins under their belt to rebound from a loss, Margarito is running out of time to score big purses.

So, if somebody is willing to provide him with another big main event opportunity, he should take it. There isn't much for him to lose at this point.

You can't help but to wonder what his lasting legacy will be. Will it revolve around his prime years when he was one of the sport's most exciting fighters or the last few years as he began to decline at a rapid rate?

Only time will tell, but it's not likely to improve moving forward.