As a Mexican, I'm starting to lean towards Cotto....

[IMDAZED]

Vs Clottey it's easier to use the jab because Clottey doesn't throw. Vs Santos it was also a war both times.

Only against Williams did I really see him use it effectively against a volume puncher like himself AND catch the jab in return. People think of Marg as this rudimentary brawler but he has decent boxing technique.

Cotto was also hurt in round 2 of the first fight against Marg. His nose was broken in one shot and that made the rest of the fight miserable. I have fought with a broken nose and it sucks, you can't breath properly.

Marg will touch him no doubt but how much does he have left? I think that's the question.

I never understood the idea that Margarito didn't have skills. Defense? Maybe. But otherwise he can do it all in the ring. The guy was throwing triple uppercuts against Cotto a la Roy Jones. The only difference between him and Roy was the speed. I have to wonder about Margarito's stamina too though. I think we discussed this before but alarm signals went off in my head when I saw him against Garcia. Margarito hasn't looked like Margarito to me since he fought Clottey. IDK this is a pick em to me because of all those variables. I wouldn't bet if I were you lol.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

Never go against la raza, you will regret this.

Hahaha, I didn't say I was picking Cotto, I'm just thinking it will be much, much closer than I first thought.

I still got over $500 on this with about 4 different people.

[BTL]

Hahaha, I didn't say I was picking Cotto, I'm just thinking it will be much, much closer than I first thought.

I still got over $500 on this with about 4 different people.

Oh my bad......

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I never understood the idea that Margarito didn't have skills. Defense? Maybe. But otherwise he can do it all in the ring. The guy was throwing triple uppercuts against Cotto a la Roy Jones. The only difference between him and Roy was the speed. I have to wonder about Margarito's stamina too though. I think we discussed this before but alarm signals went off in my head when I saw him against Garcia. Margarito hasn't looked like Margarito to me since he fought Clottey. IDK this is a pick em to me because of all those variables. I wouldn't bet if I were you lol.

I think his stamina looked amazing vs Pac. It was his stamina that kept him on his feet and still throwing hard shots in the last round in that fight.

Plus training where he trained for this one, it was a good move on his part. It's where Morales trains and he said it's changed his career later on.

[IMDAZED]

I think his stamina looked amazing vs Pac. It was his stamina that kept him on his feet and still throwing hard shots in the last round in that fight.

Plus training where he trained for this one, it was a good move on his part. It's where Morales trains and he said it's changed his career later on.

I don't know. He just took a beating against Manny. And his punches had nothing over the last half of the fight. I don't know, man. Whatever you do, hold your money lol.

[ßringer]

To me, this fight all boils down to three simple factors : Cotto's conditioning, Cotto's gameplan, and Margarito's eye.

A lot of fuss was made about Cotto's conditioning (or lack thereof) in the first fight, but I don't really buy it. Granted he has a history of running out of gas, but what was more disturbing to me in the first Cotto/Margarito fight was the utterly ******ed way in which Cotto fought Margarito in the mid rounds.

There were points in that fight where he literally sat on the ring ropes , while Margarito was pounding away at him. Whether this was due to gassing out, Margarito's relentless attack, a piss poor gameplan, or inability to keep himself from being trapped is really anybody's guess, but I'm thinking it was a combination of factors, rather than one particular factor.

Like I said after their first fight : Miguel Cotto is a much better boxer, but Antonio Margarito is a much better fighter. A lot of Cotto stans took that as my saying Margarito was more skilled than Cotto, but it's merely a comment on their mentality as prizefighters.

If Cotto has the discipline and conditioning to box a smart fight, I see no way Margarito can win this scrap. But if he gasses out, or fights stupidly, this will be a carbon copy of the first fight.

It's 50/50, and I can't honestly make a prediction. I'm backing Cotto, just because from a technical standpoint, his boxing style is more appealing to me as a fan than Margarito's. Not that Tony's style doesn't have it's appeal as well, I just prefer a more fundamental approach to the craft.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I don't know. He just took a beating against Manny. And his punches had nothing over the last half of the fight. I don't know, man. Whatever you do, hold your money lol.

Stamina has a HUGE impact on how well you take punches. Marg was outclassed in the fight there's no argument there but that's Manny Pacquaio we are talking about. He destroyed Cotto as well.

Marg's stamina has never been in question, it's been one of his major strengths in his fights.

Too late, the bets are out and I'm going to win $500 or lose it, we will see Saturday night.

[rudyyr]

I think cotto has always had a stamina issue and it will be an issue again in this fight. Margarito's strength has always been his conditioning and ability to take a punch. In the first fight Cotto pretty much outclassed him. But Margarito kept on coming and I think Cotto just got tired of the the body shots, all the movement and the work trying to keep margarito at bay. The extra weight is definitely not going to help Cotto. I have this one going the same way as the first fight.(I am not a Margarito fan either)

[savorduhflavor]

I'm PR(well, half) and I think Margarito's going to win. I won't bet because I'm a massive Cotto fan and that would just feel wrong to me, but I really think Margarito's going to be too much again. The only thing that stops him to me is if his eye doesn't hold up because he will get hit again. A lot.

What I'm seeing out of Cotto's camp is them working on this lateral movement....pivoting, turning, etc. And while that's smart, I'm not sure if it meshes well with Cotto because I don't know if he'll have the gas to do that for 12 rounds.

If I was on Cotto's team I would try and LIMIT the amount of movement he would have to do. The entire camp would be centered around clinching. Clinching takes a lot out of you also, but Cotto seems to gas more by moving a lot.

I think Cotto will look great early again but he'll begin to retreat to the ropes and start to get pounded on again.

[Bushbaby]

I have e-points and real money on Marg and still think he has the advantage but something inside of me tells me Cotto is becoming more and more the favorite in this fight.

I understand all the pluses and negatives each fighter has but the eye of Marg really concerns me. I don't think the wraps had anything to do with for the record.

Not because I want to give Marg an excuse or think that loading your gloves won't matter but it wasn't a brick that fell out of Marg's gloves like most think. It was the wraps, the color of the wraps and when analyzed what elements were found in them.

Saying that, I think Marg might be a little more shop worn and wonder how badly the vision is in his right eye. Cotto isn't the same fighter either but maybe he can box his way to a UD in this one.

As the fight gets closer, I'm starting to think it will be closer than I first thought.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Regardless of who wins, it's a good night for the fan. Race doesn't matter.