August,
2011 - The long-awaited rematch between WBA super welterweight champion Miguel
Cotto and the first man to stop him, Antonio Margarito, is officially on.
After some
haggling on Cotto's side regarding a same-day weigh-in, the battle and details
have been clarified.
“Both sides
have agreed to terms. The fight is December 3rd at Madison Square
Garden,” said Sergio Diaz, Margarito's manager, last Wednesday.
In addition
to the same-day weigh-in Cotto requested, the Puerto Rican fighter wanted
Margarito to agree to not weighing more than 160 on the day of the fight.
Although
the WBA 154-pound title is at stake, the fight will be officially contested at
153 pounds. Cotto proposed that the usual ten-pound gain allowed over the 24
hours following the official weigh-in be amended, allowing only six pounds maximum
for rehydration.
After some
negotiations, the issue was put to rest. “Yes, that [weight issue] was thrown
out. New contracts are being drafted and should be signed by both by the end of
the week,” concluded Diaz.
Margarito's
stoppage win over Cotto in their now-classic war back in the summer of 2008 has
been brought into question by Cotto as the reigning titlist has been recently
pointing out some red stuff on Margarito's raised glove in post-fight photos.
What Cotto
fails to mention is that, not unlike the photo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, there have been other
photos of various fighters with virtually the same reddish stuff on their
gloves after their own fights.
When asking
trainers and fighters around the L.A. area as to what they thought the
substance in question is, there would be two trains of thought. A) The constant
pounding on the moist leather of the red gloves makes the color bleed through onto
the hand wraps within during the fight or B) blood from cuts, knicks or bruised
knuckles, which could have occurred during training or the fight itself, are also
suspect.
It's all
academic at this point as Margarito will surely be on a mission to prove his
victory over Cotto was a clean one.
You can reach German at
ultragerman@yahoo.com.
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