Some fights are meant to be treasured for eternity. The qualifications for these special moments in the sport vary from match to match but one characteristic is shared; the ability to imbed themselves into the memory of fans without a moment of hesitation.
On Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena one of boxing’s magical moments transformed itself into reality. The history between Mexican and Puerto Rican greats can be traced back to the death defying bout between Wilfredo Gomez and Carlos Zarate, but when Miguel Cotto (32-1, 26 KOs) and Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27 KOs) turned Las Vegas on its head, a new national rivalry was crafted.
So how good was this exchange of leather and more importantly, why can we call it an instant classic? It was so good that words may not even put this bout into perspective.
For one thing, boxing has had trouble parlaying the action that was witnessed in 2007 (and much earlier then that). With the continued growth of MMA, a new generation of fight fans are gravitating towards a sport with more action reflecting interests and life styles of the 21st century. But that doesn’t mean that boxing doesn’t get the respect it deserves, especially when a night like Saturday rolls around.
Putting odds and prop bets aside, Miguel Cotto was the hands down favorite in the eyes of many. His low gravity, 5-foot-seven inch frame, arms resembling baseball bats and a will to continue knocking opponents into pulp where all traits which gave Cotto a 32-0-0 record with 26 KOs entering the match.
Cotto’s unanimous decision win over boxing’s great, Shane Mosley, his pulverizing showdown against Zab Judah and another unanimous decision beat down over Paul Malignaggi all showcased special abilities that were perceived to propel himself as the top welterweight in what’s one crowded division.
But as is the case in any sport, the tide can turn in the blink of an eye.
Cotto, who’s known as a fighter to start slow and end with wicked momentum, began Saturday’s classic with punishing force. Landing handicapping blows with blistering speed, the Puerto Rican talent stuck and moved with positive results. Margarito not only took plenty of punishment in those early rounds, but his own offensive tactics seemed slow and choppy to say the least.
What maybe was the most surprising aspect of the fight was that Cotto’s power shots – which struck with incredible accuracy – didn’t seem to wobble his opponent at any particular moment. Margarito was able to walk through the punches, only to land his own devastating body shots as the bout wore on.
It was around the fifth and sixth rounds that Cotto appeared to slow down. The body shots he absorbed throughout the bout until this point were taking their toll. Margarito began to cease the moment, turning up the heat and pace in his favor. While we may have questioned Cotto’s chin in prefight analysis, there was no doubting Margarito’s.
Another point to note was Cotto’s increasing tendency to corning himself in the ropes. Margarito now had continuous openings to bang to the body and head. This all culminated in the seventh round when the “Tijuana Tornado” caught Cotto with a pair of uppercuts which caused profuse bleeding from the nose. Margarito had a new target to key on.
Chasing down his opponent for the remainder of the match like an animal of prey, Margarito never looked back. Cotto continued to degrade, sucking up punishment at an astounding pace.
Margarito’s 237 power punches landed had done the job as the eleventh round would mark the end to this exciting spectacle. With Cotto hanging on to a hope and a dream, Margarito put an exclamation point on the night with a flurry of combinations that downed the defending champ to his knees. The courageous Cotto attempted to hang on but another salvo of fire power from Margarito found its target and the fairy tale story became reality. Cotto’s corner had seen enough and raised the white towel, conceding the bout.
This was truly the fight of the year without question. It had the history of Puerto Rican versus Mexican pride on its side. It witnessed power and determination on every second of the clock, and finally, it showcased to the world that boxing can produce a match that even casual fans could enjoy based on the heart pounding action. It was a movie that this writer wished would never have ended.
Wagering wise, Margarito walked to the window as a $1.85 underdog. The ‘over’ was a chalky bet, pulling in a closing price tag of -210 (bet $210 to make $100) and if you had Margarito to win by KO, TKO or DQ then your ticket(s) paid dividends at 16/5 odds.
Hats off to both fighters for demonstrating that the old age tradition of boxing is far from fading away anytime soon.
Joshua Jacobs can be reached at jacobs@vegasinsider.com.
