by David P. Greisman - NEW YORK CITY — For three-and-a-half years, Miguel Cotto sought revenge — for the first loss he had ever taken, for the brutal beating he had received at the hands of Antonio Margarito, for the belief that Margarito’s hands had been tampered with, amplifying the extent of that beating.
For nine rounds, Cotto exacted that revenge, working to guard the weaknesses that had Margarito had taken advantage of in 2008 — and taking advantage of Margarito’s own weakness, one that dated back to a year ago and had been a topic of both conversation and concern in the weeks leading up this rematch.
Margarito’s right eye — where an orbital bone had been broken by Manny Pacquiao in November 2010, where vision had been blurred, a cataract removed, a lens replaced — swelled up due to the targeted punching of Cotto. Though expert physicians had ruled that Margarito’s surgically repaired eye left him fit to step in the ring, the ringside physicians have a stricter criteria when it comes to being fit to stay in the ring.
His eye was shut, the doctors saw. His vision was impaired, the doctors ruled. The fight was over, the doctors decided.
Cotto had his revenge, and an announced 21,239 in attendance — nearly all of Puerto Rican heritage, but some with Mexican blood — were there to see it.
Cotto had come out boxing in their first fight, only to be broken down under Margarito’s pressure. Margarito had dug hard uppercuts down into Cotto’s body and brought them up into Cotto’s face. Bloodied, his face misshapen, Cotto eventually wilted after 11 rounds, taking a knee and taking the loss. [Click Here To Read More]
For nine rounds, Cotto exacted that revenge, working to guard the weaknesses that had Margarito had taken advantage of in 2008 — and taking advantage of Margarito’s own weakness, one that dated back to a year ago and had been a topic of both conversation and concern in the weeks leading up this rematch.
Margarito’s right eye — where an orbital bone had been broken by Manny Pacquiao in November 2010, where vision had been blurred, a cataract removed, a lens replaced — swelled up due to the targeted punching of Cotto. Though expert physicians had ruled that Margarito’s surgically repaired eye left him fit to step in the ring, the ringside physicians have a stricter criteria when it comes to being fit to stay in the ring.
His eye was shut, the doctors saw. His vision was impaired, the doctors ruled. The fight was over, the doctors decided.
Cotto had his revenge, and an announced 21,239 in attendance — nearly all of Puerto Rican heritage, but some with Mexican blood — were there to see it.
Cotto had come out boxing in their first fight, only to be broken down under Margarito’s pressure. Margarito had dug hard uppercuts down into Cotto’s body and brought them up into Cotto’s face. Bloodied, his face misshapen, Cotto eventually wilted after 11 rounds, taking a knee and taking the loss. [Click Here To Read More]
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