Both Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley commented on Antonio Margarito's manhood last night, describing him as a real man. It's hard to argue with them, but I would include Miguel Cotto in the same category. What was left unsaid about both of these men, and even more so in Cotto's fight, is that despite the opportunity, neither winner sought to humiliate their opponent. How easy would it have been for Cotto to tease, torment and humiliate Alfonso Gomez into defeat. He chose instead to fight with dignity, despite the obvious difference in skills, and allowed Gomez to keep his dignity in losing. When you think about the intense rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican fighters, it would have been easy to have taken advantage of Gomez. The fact that he didn't says a lot about Cotto's character. If I wasn't a fan of Miguel Cotto before this fight, I am now. A class act!
The same goes for Margarito. When the point came in the fight that it was obvious who was going to win this fight, Margarito just kept throwing punches, as he always does. Even with Kermit Cintron's constant complaining about being hit behind the head, despite the fact that he was bending over so much, without throwing any punches, leaving Margarito no choice but to hit him. Cintron, throughout the fight kept forgetting the first rule in boxing "Protect yourself at all times".
Both men are deserving fighters and are tentatively scheduled to fight on July 26th of this year. It can't possibly be anything but a war between two real fighters, two real men. It's a fight worth waiting for. Other fighters should take note, especially Floyd Mayweather Jr. This is how real champions fight.
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