The Big Debate: Antonio Margarito vs. Kermit Cintron.

On April 23, 2005, live on ESPN from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Antonio Margarito and Kermit Cintron will lock horns with each other for the right to be called the WBO welterweight champion of the world. This is one of those fights that creates such excitement, that debates as to who, how, and why one fighter will win are bound to happen. Well fight fanatics guess what? Such a “discussion” occurred between Jim Cawkwell and yours truly. For your reading pleasure, here it is.

Why Antonio Margarito will win!

All of us guys can remember when we were pimple-faced teenagers, rebelling against everything possible, trying to look and be cool. There were those fistfights that we all took part in to prove our manhood to our fellow “partners in crime.” After a few wins on the streets, some of us (yes I said us) started to believe that we could kick our Daddy’s butt (that’s another story for another time). Then, there were some of us (yes, I said us) that actually tried to whoop our Pops, only to find out that, even though he was slow, over-weight, and not much stronger, his experience, pride, and will were way more than what one bargained for (definitely another story for another time!). Well, in my opinion, this Saturday will end up being just that. I see Cintron as that mean, pimpled faced, bad attitude, “I’m it” teenager that has just told his “Daddy” (Margarito) that he can whoop his ass! Margarito, with that Fatherly smirk like is standing there saying, “Ok, prove it!” Don’t believe me” Let’s do it by the numbers.

Don’t miss this exclusive new SaddoBoxing.com feature with Sergio Martinez arguing for Margarito and Jim Cawkwell arguing for Cintron.

Margarito-total number of fights: thirty-six bouts; number of world title fights: seven bouts.

Cintron-total number of fights: twenty-four bouts, number of world title fights: one bout.

Margarito-Quality opposition faced: Danny Perez (twice), David Kamau, Frankie Randall (past his prime and best weight, but still formidable), Daniel Santos (twice and now a junior middleweight champion), Andrew Lewis (former welterweight champion), Hercules Kyvelos, and Sebastian Lujan. Except for Randall, all of those guys were actual top welterweights at the time they fought Margarito.

Cintron-Quality (in this case, I’m using that word loosely) opposition faced: There is really only one truly recognizable name: Teddy Reid, whose best weight was really 140- pounds. Cintron has yet to face a true, 100-percent solid welterweight fighter, let alone contender. Now he is thinking he can beat a top welterweight champion? Please.

So, this fight is going to be great, and I’m sure “The Killer” will give a good account of himself because he has been training harder than ever and has something to prove (Just like that teen I told you about). It won’t matter! Tony will weather the early storm, match heavy artillery with his own heavy artillery, make Cintron’s body feel pain in places it had no idea it had, and stop the kid late! Don’t get me wrong fight fans, I like Kermit, but I’m just going with conventional wisdom here. I just hope that both fighters are Ok after the fight and this fight does not ruin that Cintron, who is still very young at twenty-four-years-old.

As Harold Letterman always says…….“JIM!”

Alright, I think I know what is going on here. This is a case of if you can’t beat “em, join “em right? Sergio, you must be all high on Antonio Margarito since he knocked out your namesake Sergio Martinez in 2000 and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of him right? Seriously though, you have some good points. We all know that Margarito is as honest as the day is long, he comes forward and throws many punches and is nevergoing to give up. However, there is a first time for everything and I believe that Cintron possesses something to break the trend that saw Margarito only lose by distance or technical decisions to this point

The reason why Kermit “The Killer” Cintron will beat Antonio Margarito is…

Power, and lots of it. Of course, Cintron was just turning professional at the time that Margarito was already a world champion; I am not even going to attempt to argue the experience factor, but you do not acquire a nickname such as “Killer” because you like to dance around and tap out a few jabs. There is a good reason why only two of twenty-four opponents heard the final bell while being in with Cintron: pure, unchecked power the like of which will be all over Margarito like a rash.

I notice that you mentioned Teddy Reid in a slightly derogatory fashion in highlighting Cintron’s opponent level. Well, I would much rather have Cintron coming into a fight with Margarito having just had to slug it out with the likes of Reid than in some insignificant marking time fight. Also, pound-for-pound, it could be argued that Reid punches as hard as any fighter in the world and Cintron knew about it in their fight. The thing about Cintron’s power is that he believes in it, he does not completely rely upon it but he knows it can equalize a situation for him and as long as he is upright, he can win a fight. Cintron proved against Reid that he could return from being badly hurt and hold his nerve to deliver the telling punches.

It would be nice to say the same for “Tony,” but unfortunately, I recall his last performance with markedly less than the same fondness. You have Sebastian Lujan as a favorable inclusion on Margarito’s opponent list, but if you remember, Margarito definitely struggled to assert himself in the early rounds against Lujan, whom let’s face it, we had not heard of before, and we probably will never hear from again. Furthermore, Lujan took the fight on very short notice, did not have the time to prepare for a world title fight and still caused Margarito problems. Of course, Lujan probably figured that he had enough in him to fight strong for about six rounds, so he came out as very much a live opponent and for a world champion, Margarito was not impressive in dealing with him.

The rest of Margarito’s victim list hardly inspires fear. Frankie Randall for one could hardly fill out a prescription never mind live up to the nickname of “The Surgeon.” Margarito was just one of many fighters that proceeded to knock Randall sideways so let’s not get excited about that name on Margarito’s record. Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis was down to about three heads by the time he fought Margarito. Lewis was obviously damaged goods after annihilation by Ricardo Mayorga. Hercules Kyvelos was undefeated but completely untried in tough competition, Margarito’s predictable washout of him made for a disgraceful main event on HBO, and every even remotely decent fighter Danny Perez ever fought defeated him.

At his best, Margarito would give any welterweight in the world a good fight, but this occasion represents Cintron’s coming out party onto the world scene. In a division that boasts Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Oscar de la Hoya, Cintron is out to prove that he belongs and I believe that he has the jab, the right hand and if required, the physical toughness to get past Margarito one way or another.

Stay tuned to SaddoBoxing.com for more Big Debates.

Sergio Martinez can be reached at srg_mrtnz@yahoo.com

Jim Cawkwell can be reached at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk