The hand wraps were definitely clean this time, regardless of whether or not there was plaster of Paris in Margarito’s wraps the first time.
On Saturday night in Madison Square Garden, it was Antonio Margarito who suffered a vicious beat down that resulted in a 10th round TKO loss at the skilled hands of Miguel Cotto. The stoppage came when the ringside physician ruled that Margarito could not continue due to a grotesquely swollen right eye.
Cotto repeatedly targeted the right eye of Margarito who had recently had surgery to repair a detached retina that was a result of his fight with Manny Pacquiao in November of 2010.
The crowd was hugely in favor of Cotto, cheering as they watched him dismantle his rival.
“Thanks to all the crowd here,” said Cotto after the stoppage. “Thanks a lot. I love you.”
The statement was met with thunderous applause and shouts of approval.
“After the fight was stopped, you went to the corner and stared at [Margarito] for what seemed like quite a while. Why?” asked Max Kellerman.
“Just to look at him, you know, and taste my victory on him,” Cotto answered.
Cotto has recently been very vocal in expressing his opinion that Margarito had loaded gloves when they last met. When Kellerman asked how he felt about Margarito after the fight, Cotto responded; “He means nothing to me”.
Margarito told Kellerman via interpreter that “…they were out to protect him because I was building.”
The beach ball that had previously been Margarito’s right eyelid told another story. It wasn’t Cotto who needed protection.
“I hurt him. Look at his face. Look at his face,” Margarito said as the crowd booed. “But I keep saying it again, he hits like a girl! That’s it!”
Margarito’s denial of what had just happened did nothing to affect the opinions of those who had witnessed it. Cotto’s brilliant victory did little to prove that Margarito had cheated in their first fight but in the eyes of Miguel Cotto and in the eyes of countless fans, justice was served.
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