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"This fight will not only be the fight of the year, it will be the fight of the decade. Margarito vs. Cotto! Mexico vs. Puerto Rico! You can't ask for anything better," stated IBF welterweight champion Antonio Margarito as he talked about his highly anticipated showdown with WBA champion Miguel Cotto. Although Cotto has yet to sign the contract, don't miss what Margarito had to say about the fight as he shared his thoughts on Miguel as well as other fights in the division, including Mosley vs. Judah and Quintana vs. Williams. Check it out!
JA: How do you feel now that you're a Champion again after defeating Kermit Cintron?
AM: It feels great to be a champ once again. After my loss to Paul Williams, I told my wife and team that I would become a world champion again.
JA: You looked very confident going into that fight. Did you know that it was going to be an easy fight for you?
AM: No, not at all. Although it might have looked easy, I had to work very hard. Cintron was taking some devastating punches, but was not going down. He had a big heart and I have to give him some credit.
JA: Now that you're IBF Champion, you are faced with a similar situation that you were in before the Paul Williams fight. We all know that there's a mega-fight in the works with Miguel Cotto, but the IBF is requiring a fight with mandatory number one contender Joshua Clottey, a guy that you obviously have history with. Will you relinquish the belt in order to fight Cotto or has another alternative been discussed?
AM: Yes, the belt will have to be relinquished. It was a condition given to us from the IBF since Cintron had already been given permission to defend his belt against a non-mandated opponent in his prior fight. I have to either defend my belt against Joshua Clottey or be stripped.
JA: Speaking of the fight with Cotto, there have been reports that the Cotto camp still hasn't signed the contract. Do you know the reason why they have not agreed to the terms of the fight as of yet?
AM: True, Cotto has not signed the contract. From what I've been told by many Puerto Rican sources, Team Cotto wants to be well compensated for this fight. They feel it is a very tough fight, a fight that they believe they can lose, and if that's going to be the case, Cotto wants to get paid. To be honest, I do not blame Cotto for this. Fighters continue to get paid well as long as they keep winning. Who knows how much less Cotto will get paid when he loses?
JA: Did you see Cotto's performance against Alfonso Gomez and if so, what did you think of his performance?
AM: I did see Cotto's performance. Cotto is a great fighter. He is strong, quick, and very intelligent. He played with Gomez. Not too many people were happy in the manner that he fought some of the rounds. I guess some people were upset with what they thought was showboating. I thought Cotto did what he had to do to take Gomez out. I did not feel that Cotto was showboating. He knew he was the dominant fighter in there, became comfortable with position and carried Gomez for an extra round or two to give his people more of a show.
JA: Have you already started training for the Cotto fight?
AM: I am training here in Mexico, but not with the same intensity when I train in Los Angeles. I'm currently training to maintain a good weight and enough condition to get me ready for the intense training which will begin in two weeks.
JA: How do you see the fight between you and Cotto playing out?
AM: It will be a great action-packed fight between the two best in the division. Now this is a fight worth paying to watch.
JA: I just want to ask you about some of the other fights that are coming down the line in the welterweight division. What do you think is going to happen in the fight between Shane Mosley and Zab Judah later on this month?
AM: I believe Mosley is the better fighter, but Zab might be the hungrier fighter. Mosley is on the way out and Zab has a lot to prove. To be honest, this fight will probably be a long, boring event.
JA: And what are your thoughts on the rematch between Paul Williams and Carlos Quintana?
AM: I was really surprised to watch Paul get beaten the way he did. Quintana fought the perfect fight. Although I believe Quintana can win this fight again, I don't know if he will. I think you'll be seeing a more aggressive Paul Williams who will go out to punish Quintana. Quintana fought a great first fight with Paul, but he'll need to be better. I certainly believe Paul will.
JA: Is there anything that you want to say to the fans as far as what they can expect from Antonio Margarito in the future?
AM: First, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career. I want everyone to tune in July 26th. This fight will not only be the fight of the year, it will be the fight of the decade. Margarito vs. Cotto! Mexico vs. Puerto Rico! You can't ask for anything better!
JA: How do you feel now that you're a Champion again after defeating Kermit Cintron?
AM: It feels great to be a champ once again. After my loss to Paul Williams, I told my wife and team that I would become a world champion again.
JA: You looked very confident going into that fight. Did you know that it was going to be an easy fight for you?
AM: No, not at all. Although it might have looked easy, I had to work very hard. Cintron was taking some devastating punches, but was not going down. He had a big heart and I have to give him some credit.
JA: Now that you're IBF Champion, you are faced with a similar situation that you were in before the Paul Williams fight. We all know that there's a mega-fight in the works with Miguel Cotto, but the IBF is requiring a fight with mandatory number one contender Joshua Clottey, a guy that you obviously have history with. Will you relinquish the belt in order to fight Cotto or has another alternative been discussed?
AM: Yes, the belt will have to be relinquished. It was a condition given to us from the IBF since Cintron had already been given permission to defend his belt against a non-mandated opponent in his prior fight. I have to either defend my belt against Joshua Clottey or be stripped.
JA: Speaking of the fight with Cotto, there have been reports that the Cotto camp still hasn't signed the contract. Do you know the reason why they have not agreed to the terms of the fight as of yet?
AM: True, Cotto has not signed the contract. From what I've been told by many Puerto Rican sources, Team Cotto wants to be well compensated for this fight. They feel it is a very tough fight, a fight that they believe they can lose, and if that's going to be the case, Cotto wants to get paid. To be honest, I do not blame Cotto for this. Fighters continue to get paid well as long as they keep winning. Who knows how much less Cotto will get paid when he loses?
JA: Did you see Cotto's performance against Alfonso Gomez and if so, what did you think of his performance?
AM: I did see Cotto's performance. Cotto is a great fighter. He is strong, quick, and very intelligent. He played with Gomez. Not too many people were happy in the manner that he fought some of the rounds. I guess some people were upset with what they thought was showboating. I thought Cotto did what he had to do to take Gomez out. I did not feel that Cotto was showboating. He knew he was the dominant fighter in there, became comfortable with position and carried Gomez for an extra round or two to give his people more of a show.
JA: Have you already started training for the Cotto fight?
AM: I am training here in Mexico, but not with the same intensity when I train in Los Angeles. I'm currently training to maintain a good weight and enough condition to get me ready for the intense training which will begin in two weeks.
JA: How do you see the fight between you and Cotto playing out?
AM: It will be a great action-packed fight between the two best in the division. Now this is a fight worth paying to watch.
JA: I just want to ask you about some of the other fights that are coming down the line in the welterweight division. What do you think is going to happen in the fight between Shane Mosley and Zab Judah later on this month?
AM: I believe Mosley is the better fighter, but Zab might be the hungrier fighter. Mosley is on the way out and Zab has a lot to prove. To be honest, this fight will probably be a long, boring event.
JA: And what are your thoughts on the rematch between Paul Williams and Carlos Quintana?
AM: I was really surprised to watch Paul get beaten the way he did. Quintana fought the perfect fight. Although I believe Quintana can win this fight again, I don't know if he will. I think you'll be seeing a more aggressive Paul Williams who will go out to punish Quintana. Quintana fought a great first fight with Paul, but he'll need to be better. I certainly believe Paul will.
JA: Is there anything that you want to say to the fans as far as what they can expect from Antonio Margarito in the future?
AM: First, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career. I want everyone to tune in July 26th. This fight will not only be the fight of the year, it will be the fight of the decade. Margarito vs. Cotto! Mexico vs. Puerto Rico! You can't ask for anything better!
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