Margarito vs. Cotto Rematch Sells Out Madison Square Garden

Three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto and professional rival and three-time welterweight world champion Antonio “The Tijuana Tornado” Margarito sold the last ticket available at Madison Square Garden this morning for their long-awaited world championship rematch.

The 17,943rd and final ticket was sold at 10:42 a.m. ET, producing a box office gate in excess of $3 million. For Cotto, who has sold more tickets to The Mecca of Boxing in this millennium than any other fighter, this is his second complete sellout of The Garden. The first was his welterweight title defense against former world champion Zab Judah on June 9, 2007.

“You can rename Madison Square Garden The Mecca of Miguel Cotto,” exclaimed a jubilant Bob Arum, who has promoted his fair share of memorable events in New York during his 45-year Hall of Fame career. “Selling out Madison Square Garden is an event, selling it out in advance is a mandate. New York is Cotto country. I don’t think any fighter has sold more tickets in this building than Miguel.”

Cotto will defend his WBA super welterweight title in this high-tension showdown against Margarito, Saturday, December 3, at “The Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cotto Promotions, Tornado Promotions, AT&T, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, Cotto-Margarito II will be produced and distributed Live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT

The previous encounter between Cotto and Margarito took place on July 26, 2008 and was a battle of epic proportion and arguably the Fight of the Year. Cotto and Margarito boast a combined record of 74-9 (56 KOs) – a winning percentage of 89% and a victory by knockout ratio of 76% — not to mention seven world titles between them.