
Originally Posted by
LobowolfXXX
I agree that Cotto didn't show heart in the fight, and Margarito did. The reason for that is, Margarito was nowhere near good enough to challenge Cotto to the point where Cotto's heart was an issue. What Cotto showed were brains and skills. He'll have to face a stiffer challenge than Margarito to prove his heart. As for Margarito, he clearly wanted to continue, and would have continued, showing his heart. Props to him, but that's about all he showed. He knew exactly what Cotto was going to do - stick & move, and target the eye. And he either wasn't smart enough, or wasn't good enough, to stop him. Couldn't get him early, before the eye became a factor, couldn't change angles and protect the eye, couldn't avoid the pinpoint punches. In short, he had absolutely no answer for the ideal fight plan that Cotto executed to a T.
I have my suspicions, but I don't know whether or not the 2008 Margarito did/could have beaten Cotto cleanly. I do know that the 2011 Margarito sure can't. Regardless of what he did or didn't do in 2008, what Margarito is doing nowadays is fighting clean. And whether it's a coincidence or not, he's no longer among the elite (nor will he be again), and Cotto is. And he doesn't even have his reputation intact, which is either his fault or Capetillo's. But he does have a devoted cadre of (largely nationalistic) fans. When he's a bitter old man in the old folks home, they can slap him on the back and tell him how great he used to be. They may as well start now; his glory days are in the rear view mirror, and they're not getting any closer.
Bookmarks