For Miguel Cotto, July 26th could be nothing more then a continuation of the coming out party that began on November 11th, 2007 when Cotto stepped into the ring and prepared himself to go to war with "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Cotto's critics argued that Cotto, who's reputation has spread like wild fire ever since his win over Paulie Malignaggi in the summer of 2006, had finally "hit the brick wall" when he signed on to fight the man that defeated superstar pugilist Oscar De La Hoya not once, but twice. What followed that night was a spectacular display of courage, heart, and boxing skill that made the contest truly worthy of being billed as a "mega-fight". Cotto's ability to box as well as brawl with Mosley over the course of twelve grueling, action-packed rounds opened the public's eyes to the possibility of Cotto becoming the next Felix Trinidad, and potentially their wallets for a chance to watch the new "Tito" take on pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather. Cotto's unanimous decision victory over Mosley shot him up the pound-for-pound rankings, and made the public wonder who could stop Puerto Rico's new welterweight sensation.

Antonio Margarito , much like Cotto, has been on the tip of fight fans tongues for the past several years. With five losses on his record, Margarito might not have that aura of invincibility that Cotto has acquired, but two pivotal wins over highly regarded Kermit Cintron have made Margarito a major force in the welterweight division. After a heart-breaking loss to Paul Williams in July of 2007, Margarito immediately went back to the gym, regained his focus, and set his sights on another big payday as well as another chance to prove he belonged among the elite of the welterweight division. A first round knockout over Golden Johnson in November of 2007 and a sixth round knockout in the rematch with Cintron five months later has put the spotlight back on this Mexican warrior, and has given him another opportunity to grab the brass ring.

A fight of this magnitude will be no simple task for either man. Both men bring attributes to the ring that give them a certain amount of leverage over their highly regarded opponent. For Cotto, his use of the jab in his fight with Shane Mosley solidified him as someone who knows how to time and slip punches, as well as deal with fighters faster than himself. Cotto's exhibitions of well rounded boxing skills will give him an advantage over the slower, lanky Margarito. As for Margarito, while he may not be quite as fast as Cotto, he is considered to be the harder puncher of the two combatants, as well as the much taller man. The three-inch height advantage that Margarito has over Cotto could potentially present a problem for the young Puerto Rican. If Margarito is able to effectively use his jab to keep Cotto at bay and can time his punches effectively, Cotto might just be in for the longest night of his professional life thus far. In order for Cotto to offset Margarito's longer reach, he is going to have to get inside and land enough hard hooks and uppercuts to make what Paul Williams did to Margarito pale in comparison.

Both Cotto and Margarito have everything to gain with a victory on the 26th. For Cotto, a win would put him in the mix for the top pound for pound fighter in the sport among such legends in the making as Manny Pacquiao, Joe Calzaghe, and Kelly Pavlik. And although he might never be as beloved in his native Puerto Rico as fellow countryman Felix Trinidad, a win might force even hardcore Trinidad fans (you know, the one's who actually think he beat De La Hoya) to at least tease the possibility that Cotto might be better than Trinidad ever was. A win for Margarito, on the other hand, will prove to the masses that he truly gets better with every fight (win or lose), and that his loss to Paul Williams was nothing more then an "off" night.

So who will win this potentially epic encounter? That's not a really easy question to answer. Both fighters have tools that could prove potentially devastating for their opponent, and both men also will bring a level of determination with them that night that practically screams "kill or be killed". What this fight will come down to is nothing more than who has the better all around boxing skills. It's already been established that Cotto is quicker while Margarito is the harder hitter, but what this fight will come down to is basic mechanics such as slipping punches, counter-punching, and the jab. What you'll most likely see on the 26th won't merely be two hard headed combatants throwing crippling blows at a frantic pace, no!, what your likely to see is two hard headed combatants throwing crippling blows at a frantic pace, as wells as using the jab to throw off their opponents timing and slipping punches. This fight is bound to be as technical of a street fight as your ever likely to see. And while Margarito certainly has knockout power, he just doesn't have Cotto's boxing ability. While Cotto might have to deal with the height disadvantage, don't forget that Cotto has not learned how to lose yet, and that could do wonders for his mental mind set.

Boxing enjoyed one of it's best years in what seems like ages in 2007, and action packed fights such as Cotto vs. Margarito will keep the public interested and yearning for more fights such as this that have the ability to elevate the sport passed the "special interest" category it has found itself in during recent times. While the UFC might be gaining fast on PPV buys and public interest, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito have the unique task of elevating boxing's overall credibility in the sports world, and reminding the sporting community why boxing should remain just as relevant today as it ever has in the past.