FanPost

Can Cotto Handle Losing To Margarito Again?

I am super excited to watch Miguel Cotto versus Antonio Margarito II.  Usually HBO (and Showtime) contrive reasons for their to be interest in a fight.  But the psychological games here are fascinating.  Everything about these fighters and who they are revolves around that fight in 2008.  Never has a rematch meant so much to each guy.

For Margarito, no matter the controversy derived from his Mosley fiasco, he will always have that Cotto fight.  As 24/7 showed before beating Cotto, Margarito was the most dodged fighter in the world.  It made him a star, it showed everything that made him great as fighter, and it personified Mexican boxing.  And despite everything, nobody can prove he did anything but put a beat-down on Cotto.  That fight is why he got the Pacquiao fight.  Its why there will constantly be interest in him and why he kept getting fights, because that fight proved how great he could be.  If Margarito loses this fight, it might somehow prove everyone right.  If he loses, he was a cheater and Cotto was the better man.  I steals from him the one moment of greatness that nobody could take from him.  But yet, something about the beating he took from Pacquiao has almost absolved him of that to some.  Manny beat him like an animal for all of us, and I think it has helped dull some of the anger at him.

For Cotto, the psychological impact could be worse.  He was undefeated and on his way to being a superstar.   Not that he's not a star, but he's not elite.  That fight robbed him of that perfect record and showed chinks in the armor.  Granted, the only other fight he lost was to Manny Pacquiao, but I think something about the loss was embarrassing to Cotto, he feels he should not have lost.  It haunts him.  He lost to Manny in a great fight, but I think he might be able to accept Manny was the better man.  But Margarito?  He's a dog to Cotto, and he loses again?  What is worrisome is the hand-wrap controversy has given Cotto a psychological crutch to somehow excuse that loss, it explains it, it explains how a man like Margarito could beat him.

Cotto not only believes he's a better fighter, he doesn't respect Margarito as as man.  He is an old school prize-fighter, who fights for God, family, and country (or American territory).  What does Margarito fight for?  And Margarito understands this and plays the part of the villain not because he enjoys being seen as a bad guy, but he knows to break Cotto he needs to be that. 

If Margarito loses, on some level it will prove what Cotto said was right.  Marg couldn't beat Miguel in a fair fight.  It will take away Margarito's one major victory, the one fight that defined him as a fighter.  If he loses this one, he goes back to being just a tough Mexican nobody wants to fight.

If Cotto loses, I'm not sure how he will handle it.  There will be no excuses this time.  He will have to admit that Margarito is the better fighter.

Its these mental games that have me so enthralled for this fight.

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