Cotto labels Margarito a criminal, Mexican returns fire, bad blood simmering

The fight salesmen tried to peddle the idea that there was some, seething and deep seated animosity bordering on hatred between Manny Pacquiao and Mexican archrival Juan Manuel Marquez.
No doubt the Pinoy Idol is often irritated by Juan Ma and vice versa.
But rarely in boxing has there been some obvious contempt between two ring rivals as that which exists between Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto and disgraced handwrap cheater, the Mexican Antonio Margarito.
It's no rarity, in the days leading up to a hyped up fight, for one fighter to have an obvious chip on his shoulder.
As for Margarito-Cotto II, set for HBO PPV TV and a sold out Madison Square Garden filled mostly with 19,000 Cotto-loving Boricuas, the disgust each has for the other is in plain view.
Margarito spoke first at Wednesday's final prefight presser and he made his loathing of Cotto his main topic.
"He," a swaggering Margarito said, "calls me a criminal...Open the door for a criminal..."
Then, in a personal attack of his own, Margarito upped the ante to what was already a vendetta rematch.
"He calls me a criminal but I've have never done what he has done. I don't know why he calls me the criminal," Margarito said.
"I am not a man who beats on my own family."
You could hear a pin drop inside the Wamu Theater when that zinger was landed by the fighter from Tijuana who thrashed Cotto in their first bout. The reference was to a wild brawl Cotto had involving his uncle, then his trainer as well, outside a boxing gym. That event happened in April 2009 and Evangelista Cotto was fired by Miguel.
But "Margacheato" went even further.
"He wants to take it personal...I am taking it personal, too. He will never beat me...He says he will have no mercy on my eye. He can hit my eye as many times wants...He hits like a girl...he hits like a super flyweight," Margarito said. "
Margarito, of course, had an issue getting licensed in New York for this fight because of as broken orbital bone in his right eye after taking a 12 round pasting from Pacquiao.
Cotto's response was less emotion, more measured but seemed to be no less heartfelt.
"I am speaking to him in Spanish," Cotto begin, speaking in English first, "so Antonio can get the message and understand well.
"If you don't know what a criminal means, you can look it up in the dictionary...it's someone who uses a weapon...
"We spoke about the wraps on (HBO's show hosted by Mad Max Kellerman) the Face Off. I showed you a picture of them,"  Cotto said.
"You are like a child. You are an embarrassment to boxing..."
Some in the crowd then applauded Cotto's words.
"We'll see you in the ring on Saturday."
The bad blood is simmering on the stove.
It comes to a full boil on Saturday night.
Is there any way this fight won't be thrilling?
(mlcmarley@aol.com)