By Mark Vester
IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron promises to avenge his crushing loss in 2005 to Antonio Margarito. That night, Margarito put him away in five-rounds. On April 12 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, almost three-years later, Cintron will get the chance to reverse the only loss of his career.
Cintron (29-1, 27KOs), speaking with Endi, notes that he's become a changed man in the three years since the loss, with big improvements as a boxer due to his new trainer, Emanuel Steward. Coming off a right hand injury that was suffered in his November title defense againt Jesse Feliciano, Cintron is slowly getting back in the gym.
"This time it's going to be very different," Cintron said. "I'm already hitting a little to the bag, but I'm still getting therapy. By the middle of February, I should be training hard. I have changed the style a little bit, I'm boxing more. I don't want to enter the ring against Margarito (35-5, 25KOs) and only think about the knockout. The most important thing is to get the win, but if the knockout comes (I'll take it)."
The main event will feature unbeaten Miguel Cotto defending his WBA welterweight title against Alfonso Gomez. Should Cotto, the heavy favorite, win the fight, he would face the winner of Cintron-Margarito in July. Cintron think the fight with Cotto will be one of the biggest in 2008.
"I believe that a fight between Cotto and me is going to be the one of the largest this year," said Cintrón. "It's part of the deal. The fight with Margarito is not as big. Me against Cotto, it's a very big fight."
Most insiders don't give Gomez a chance to win the fight, but Cintron says that Gomez has a shot to win.
"Every boxer has a chance (to win)," said Cintrón. "Nobody believed that Feliciano had a chance with me. I know Gomez a little bit. I've spoken to him a little bit. He's good people."
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