whomper Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Margarito stuns Cotto in 11th round to claim 147-pound title July 27, 2008 CBSSports.com wire reports LAS VEGAS -- Antonio Margarito showed he is the world's best welterweight by stopping Miguel Cotto to win the WBA title Saturday. Advertisement The Mexican, who had also won the IBF version of the title in April, inflicted Cotto's first defeat and took his WBA belt with a late barrage of punches that ended the contest in the penultimate 11th round. Margarito, the 30-year-old so often ducked by the division's best fighters in recent years, dropped the Puerto Rican champion twice in the 11th after several rounds of relentless pressure at the MGM Grand Garden. "I told my corner I would wear him down and then knock him out," said Margarito. "He never hurt me, but that was the game plan, to come out early strong and to wear him down and knock him out. I got him with body shots, and then I hit him in the head, and then I knocked him out." Cotto, the champion attempting his fifth title defense, won the early rounds with defense and timely counterpunching. Margarito took several major shots on his chin, yet still kept up the relentless attack that paid off in the latter rounds. Antonio Margarito rejoices after his upset over Miguel Cotto. (AP) With Cotto bleeding and woozy, the champion's corner stopped the fight with 55 seconds left, sending Margarito's team into a celebration of a long-awaited victory. Cotto, unable to speak clearly through tears and welts, was taken to a hospital from his locker room. "I am very proud and very happy I was able to give the fans a great fight," Cotto said. "Life continues. It's not over for me. I'm going to take a long rest, decide what to do next. This night was Margarito's night. He's an excellent fighter. He did his job better than I did." From the opening round, the fight matched every expectation in the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry that has produced so many memorable fights. Their countrymen filled the arena with cheers, flags and chants, and Margarito said he drew strength from the support -- although his motivation was several years in the making due to rebuffs from the cream of the division. Margarito has long been a dangerous proposition for the division's top fighters because of his heedless style and tough chin. Floyd Mayweather Jr. turned down an $8 million payday to avoid facing the "Tijuana Tornado" in 2006 -- a dodge that resonated with Cotto, who also couldn't get the Pretty Boy to return his promoters' calls. This career-making win puts Margarito among the contenders for the lucrative spot opposite Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in the Golden Boy's farewell fight in the same MGM Grand ring. De La Hoya previously was circling Margarito for the fight, but Cotto's battered face might give De La Hoya second thoughts about both fighters. "Oscar De La Hoya is one of the best," Margarito said. "If he comes through with his promise, we can give Mexicans a true battle." If De La Hoya goes with Cotto, Manny Pacquiao or a lesser challenge, Margarito could be looking forward to a unification fight with the winner of next weekend's IBF title fight between Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey. On the undercard, Colombian Cesar Canchila rallied for a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Mexican Giovani Segura and won the WBA's interim light flyweight belt. Segura dropped Canchila in the second round after a busy start to the bout, but the Colombian gradually gained the ascendancy over the middle rounds to comfortably win the judges' approval. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budlitebrad Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Great fight. Cotto kept nailing him with counter punches, but he doesn't have a chin like Margarito's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budlitebrad Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I guess we'll need a rematch of this one to clear up the new controversy over Margo's loaded gloves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 great performance by shane...loved it....made some good money off him at +325....wish id had the balls to drop a note on him to win by ko....id be loving life right now....just dominate...and nazim richardson is now the frontrunner for trainer of the year and i can imagine alot of fighters will come calling for his services(also trains bhop)....basically he added to the blueprint that cotto showed on how to beat him....but cotto kept retreating and letting margs back him up and pin him on the ropes...shane just kept coming forward.... as far as margarito...he always seemed like a decent guy....but if theres anything to this glove controversey he is a disgrace...this may explain alot though...how a guy with basically no real boxing skills got this far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 great performance by shane...loved it....made some good money off him at +325....wish id had the balls to drop a note on him to win by ko....id be loving life right now....just dominate...and nazim richardson is now the frontrunner for trainer of the year and i can imagine alot of fighters will come calling for his services(also trains bhop)....basically he added to the blueprint that cotto showed on how to beat him....but cotto kept retreating and letting margs back him up and pin him on the ropes...shane just kept coming forward.... as far as margarito...he always seemed like a decent guy....but if theres anything to this glove controversey he is a disgrace...this may explain alot though...how a guy with basically no real boxing skills got this far Its funny I just watched this fight this AM on HBO on demand while doing my exercise bike. I had 100 on shane as well at +335 for chits and giggles and was psyched to see him win. Awesome performance by Sugar Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 you guys wanna hear something awesome sh1+?? so pacquiao/hatton is on may 2nd....which happens to be on my birthday...so a friend of mine gets ahold of their uncle who is a casiono host out in vegas....he scores us 4 tickets....booked my flight and hotel reservations yesterday...staying at the mgm....cant wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 you guys wanna hear something awesome sh1+?? so pacquiao/hatton is on may 2nd....which happens to be on my birthday...so a friend of mine gets ahold of their uncle who is a casiono host out in vegas....he scores us 4 tickets....booked my flight and hotel reservations yesterday...staying at the mgm....cant wait Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawks21 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 that fight with Sugar Shane was as one-sided as I have seen a fight in ten years. Absolute schoolwork. I'm convinced Margarito had loaded gloves in the past. He didn't look like nearly the same fighter that I have ever seen, especially as punching power goes. He wasn't capable of hurting Sugar, even if he could have caught up to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budlitebrad Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Margarito and his trainer got their licenses pulled, so they're banned for at least a year, probably longer. Too bad, I was hoping Cotto would have the chance to whoop his ass in a rematch. Guess he'll have to meet him in an alley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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