By Jake Donovan

We watched it. We experienced. Now with some downtime following Saturday’s thriller between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, we’ve hopefully had to time exhale, and rationally reflect on what took place this weekend in Las Vegas.

All too often, those attending and covering such an event tend to get caught up in the moment, to where they claim to have seen something that simply wasn’t there.

It was that very reaction that immediately followed Margarito’s 11th round knockout of Cotto. Some were already calling it the Fight of the Year. It was the fight that saved boxing. Referee Kenny Bayless was quoted as saying it was the best fight he’s ever witnessed. Others insist it was not just latest but greatest installment of the rich Mexican-Puerto Rican boxing rivalry.

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, a category under which most of the aforementioned claims would file. There’s no such thing as a right or wrong opinion, except of course when you confuse it with fact.

That said, a Sunday’s worth of time to take it all in and consider what else took place prior to this weekend helps put things in proper perspective.

For starters, it wasn’t the Fight of the Year… Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez III, anyone?

Just because HBO neglected to mention prior to, during or after Saturday’s fight doesn’t mean it isn’t still the best fight of 2008, nearly without competition. That their March rubber match still stands out to everyone else in the boxing world, from a month that was one of the best in recent memory speaks volumes of just how special it was and remains.

Margarito-Cotto, as wonderful as it was, doesn’t carry that same effect. If it took place in March, it would’ve been one of a number of terrific fights that would’ve fell short of 2008’s top fight honors.

Timing is everything, so this bout will stand out at least through the remainder of the summer – very little of not preceded it once winter became spring and spring became summer. Considering the sport functionally going on hiatus at the top level in the month of August, no doubt the fight will still be discussed come Labor Day.

But not every fight has to supersede the previous leading candidate to qualify as a classic. The obsession with going purple in describing every quasi-great moment only lends to the confusion beyond the sport’s hardcore base. It’s with such overstatements that good fights become great, that great fights become all-time classics and good fighters become borderline Hall of Fame candidates.

At the very least, Margarito-Cotto was a very good fight. The first half laid the foundation for a true Fight of the Year candidate. The second half had its share of drama, particularly the end, but slowed down just enough to where terms like “exceeded expectations… Fight of the Year… among the all-time great Mexico-Puerto Rico battles” were no longer applicable.

But why can’t a great fight be good enough?

For as long as people were discussing this matchup, it was universally agreed upon that it mattered little what was at stake. Who cares if Margarito giving up a belt meant it was no longer a unification match, or that any title at all was on the line?

A great fight was all that mattered then. It should still be all that matters now.

Another debate now taking place is whether or not Antonio Margarito is without a doubt THE welterweight champion of the world.

So long as Paul Williams continues to campaign at 147 lb (and promoter Dan Goossen personally confirmed his fighter’s intentions to contend for welterweight supremacy), the answer remains no.

Again, though, it doesn’t matter. Margarito still emerged victorious in a great fight. It was the biggest win of his career, one that puts him at the top of the welterweight division, even with Williams enjoying a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard for the moment.

It should be good enough.

Others are comparing it to the great Mexico-Puerto Rico wars of boxing past. This fight deserves mention, but by no means reshuffles the deck.

For the sake of simplifying, it can be argued that it’s not even the best of the rivalry within this decade – Felix Trinidad’s 12th round knockout of Fernando Vargas carried far more ethnic pride, and actually surpassed expectations. Saturday’s fight “only” lived up to the pre-fight hype, if not falling just a little bit short. Not to mention the possibility that it doesn’t even come close to matching the 525,000 pay-per-view buys registered by Trinidad-Vargas 7 ½ years ago.

If there’s the need to discuss who and what ranks where, then forget about Fight of the Year and ethnic rivalries. Let’s talk 2008 for Fighter of the Year candidates, where last weekend truly rings relevant.

The list now begins with Antonio Margarito – and for the moment arguably ends there.

Puerto Rican prizefighters have repeatedly gotten the best of Mexico in recent years, but Margarito has been a one-man Army in trying to swing the pendulum back in his country’s favor. Knockout wins over Kermit Cintron and now Miguel Cotto have Margarito in the leading slot, and by more than a little bit.

Some fans – especially those of Pinoy persuasion – will no doubt plead their case for Manny Pacquiao. A split decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez and demolition of David Diaz are both remarkable feats. Prior to Saturday, it was enough to put Pacquiao in the lead through the first half of the year.

Forcing one of the sport’s very best to qui… that is, beat the fight out of him, is another animal altogether. That it followed up a repeat demolition of Top 5 welterweight Kermit Cintron puts Margarito at the very top heading into boxing’s version of the All-Star break.

It’s going to take something truly special to occur in the final quarter of 2008 to supplant him.

Something truly special took place last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. By night’s end, those who paid for the pay-per-view or for a ticket to attend unquestionably got their money’s worth.

The year’s most anticipated events featured blood and violence galore, and in the end provided a career-defining win for the man who was a slight underdog going in. Questions will now be asked of the previously undefeated Cotto, while Margarito soars to new heights after nearly 15 years of fighting for industry-wide respect.

There’s no need to exaggerate for the sake of assigning a historical parallel. People know a good thing when they see it. It’s not something they should have to be told – it just is.

On Saturday night, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto just gave a damn good fight, possibly even a great fight.

That should be good enough.

Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Comments/questions can be submitted to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .