Boxing Preview: Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito

On July 26, one of the biggest fights to grace the welterweight division will happen in Las Vegas. Be sure to circle the date and get ready to watch, along with Floyd Mayweather Jr, an amazing bout between two of the very best in the division.

Promoter Bob Arum is confident that this fight between two offensive minded boxers will be a huge draw for boxing fans worldwide. Arum even lobbied the Nevada State Athletic Commission to lower the limit on the 10 ounce gloves regulation to 8 ounce gloves.

When you factor all these equations together, this will be one of the most anticipated fights of the summer.

Now about the boxers: Miguel Cotto is coming off a massive victory against Alfonso Gomez in a five round massacre. Gomez was so badly beaten that it was necessary to stop the fight at the end of the fifth.

Cotto holds an undefeated record of 32 wins and no losses, with 26 knock outs. He is a skillful fighter with good speed and an aggressive mentality in the ring. His best asset as a fighter is his willingness to keep on coming and his willingness to get inside on boxers to get at the body.

He has always been a huge draw in the East Coast as his Puerto Rican fans flock into the venues to see his fights. Will he have a fair following in the West? Not likely and the reason why is Margarito.

Antonio Margarito knocked out his last opponent, Kermit Cintron. It took six rounds for Margarito to claim the victory against an ever diminishing Cintron.

Margarito had successfully defended his WBO title seven consecutive times before losing it to Paul Williams. As well, Margarito holds the IBF belt in his category.

At 30 years of age, he has a record of 35 wins and 5 losses, with 26 knockouts. He is a skillful fighter whoʼs greatest asset is his hard punches. Margarito hits hard and stands very well in the ring.

Will he be favorite in Las Vegas? The answer is yes, as this fight is being presented by Arum as a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown. Does anyone remember De La Hoya vs. Trinidad?

Although Margarito will certainly be the crowd favorite in this Western bout, Cotto is the favorite among the critics. It is not so much a fight between two great fighters as it is a fight to prove that Cotto deserves to face Mayweather or Oscar.

However, before we get to that point, let us not discard Margarito, who may surprise Cotto with his toughness and his ability to surprise opponents with his determination.

Although Arum does stand to gain enormously from this bout, so does the boxing fan who will see an amazing display of power between two hardened boxers.