Cotto-Margarito Rematch Still Possible For NJ, Says Arum

By Ryan Burton

As previously reported, the Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto rematch is tentatively set to take place on July 16th. Originally, the idea was to stage the fight at the 1.6 billion dollar New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ which is the home of the NY Giants and Jets. Recently other venues such as the MGM Grand Garden Arena have been mentioned as possibles locations to stage the fight.

Madison Square Garden isn't one of them as the historic arena is undergoing renovations this summer.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum advised Boxingscene.com that the New Meadowlands Stadium is still in the mix for the highly anticipated rematch.

"The Meadowlands is definitely still in the running and is where I would like to have the fight. It is a beautiful stadium and would make for a great event," Arum said.

There are a few hurdles that must still be cleared before a venue can be nailed down. First on the list is that Cotto must get past ten to one  underdog Ricardo Mayorga on Saturday.  Assuming that hurdle is cleared Margarito will still have to be licensed by the state that hosts the fight. 

So far, Texas has been the only state to license the Mexican fighter since he was caught with loaded handwraps before his fight with Shane Mosley in January 2009.  Margarito would have to be issued a license by the state of New Jersey for the fight to take place at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

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