The commentators have Cotto ahead after 6, but by less by than I do. Margarito has NOT sleepwalked through the first half of this fight, but he may well have done - Cotto has been supreme. The 7th may well be the round of the year - Margarito somehow, amazingly, courageously, incredibly has upped his pace. he had spent the first 6 looking outclassed, but he had done his groundwork and softening up - he's artfully been cutting off the ring so he was taking three steps to Cotto's six and he had been targeting the Cotto body with wicked hurtful blows that must accumulate. His preparation complete, he moved to a full out blitzkreig assault that Rocky Marciano would have been proud off.

Margarito actually begins throwing punches when he was out of range and he just continues to punch as he literally RAN after Cotto, who found it increasingly difficult to counter this human chainsaw who just kept coming, like some science fiction robot.


The pivotal moment in the fight, halfway through the 7th - Margarito bulldozes Cotto onto the ropes, he leans on him so he can't slip and slide out, and he throws three consecutive left hook/uppercuts.

Now it is worth dwelling on these three punches.


We've seen Ali, both Sugar Ray's, Pretty Boy, Roy Jones and others throw three consecutive left hooks. We marvel at their athleticism, skill and coordination.


Margarito's three lefts were different. They were sickening blows. They were smashes. If you've ever seen a streetfight and someone stamping onna defenceless man's head, that's how these blows were. There was no 'thwack' of leather, these made a meaty 'splat' as they landed. And, sometime between the first and the third punch ...... something physically broke in Cotto's face.

You could tell he was stunned and hurt, his mouth and nose streamed blood and this continued to pump out aggressively for the rest of the fight, to the extend that he clearly couldn't breathe through his nose and had to keep swallowing or spitting out blood for the rest of his time in that ring.


Those three brutal, clubbing thwacks had changed the tempo of the fight. The moon and the sun and starts were now with Margarito. Where previously, Cotto was slipping and avoiding, laying traps and detonating counterpunches like a seasoned and expert guerilla campaigner, now it was HE who was retreating in straight lines, looking for survival, employing all his skills to stay in the ring with this relentless madman while he couldn't breathe.


Margarito was driven, it was as if he was possessed by some ancient demon of boxing - a throwback to the grim brutality of the battle Royals, the Early Prize Ring, Cobblestone boxing, where to pause - to show mercy, to rest - were punishable by your own maiming and eath. Antonio Margarito was fantastic.


The tables had turned, Margarito's size, aggression and durability - he was like a piece of leather that no matter how hard you beat it, twisted it, gouged it, scratched, bit or ground, it always just springs back into shape .... shaggy and battered, but a functional and serious piece of equipment - that might be a fitting epitaph for Margarito the fighter!

In a strange twist, emphasising the duality of boxing, it was only now that only really saw how complete Cotto actually is .... he was spent by the end of the eighth ...... he couldn't breathe, he was losing lots of blood and having to swallow it so the ref wouldn't stop the fight - anyone remember Chavez-Taylor? , but he showed a true Champions heart and real fibre.

Anybody who has ever boxed will tell you that it's the worst feeling in the world to be physically finished, your body has absolutely nothing left to offer and you are in serious pain, but your heart won't let you quit. You'll stay up out of pride, but you know that you can't protect yourself.


Imagine having that feeling, and knowing that Antonio Margarito was going to come rampaging after you, knowing he is frutrated and angry, knowing he is pitiless.


Cotto showed me something that few fighters have the opportunity to show - he took a beating from the 7th onward, he is in his prime and many fighters don't recover (but look at Joe Louis, he learned a few lessons from his battering at the hands of Max Schmeling when he was still young and hungry) I think Cotto will as well.


When Cotto finally, almost reluctantly went down, it wasn't his heart that let him down .... his body had completely shut down. face smeared in bolld, eyes unfocused, in pain and (I'm sure) holding an enormous oxygen debt, he folded to the canvas... and the fight was over.


The aftermath - dignity from both fighters. I think Cotto is the better boxer of the two, his skills were awesome to behold, power, speed, economy of movement, elusiveness, heart, fitness - the full package. he'ss be back and he will be a better (but less feared) fighter for it. Would he give Mayweather fits .... absolutely.


Margarito - derided by some for being one-dimensional .... and yes he is. But so what. He was the better FIGHTER on the night. He is a tough-as-nails, straight forward aggressive puncher with a chin and heart second to none. He follows in a long and distinguished line of glorious Mexican fighting men. What a great dimension to have, who needs more than that one?


Would Antonio beat Floyd .... no, he can be outboxed (and while he absolutely won the fight fair and square and would have competed with any welterweight in history that night), If you put Antonia Margarito in a telephone box with Wlad Klitschko, I know who would come out the winner.............. but I wonder how things would have panned out had he not smashed Cotto's nose and lip in the seventh.



What a fantastic fight. Two great fighters ... and as you can tell, I seriously enjoyed it!!

Hope you enjoyed the read.