Cotto looked every bit the pound-for-pound elite he'd been pegged as throughout the first half of the fight only to see Margarito walk through every rock solid punch like the T1000 on PCP. Cotto's hand speed and swift lateral movement allowed him to pick-off and counter his challenger's punches, even when on the retreat. Margarito was repeatedly punished by Cotto's vaunted left hook, although far too many of those were directed at the head.

Cotto has been known as one of the premier body punchers in the sport, primarily due to that ruthless snapping hook, yet he never committed to attacking Margarito's long torso. Had he done so he might have slowed down Margarito's unrelenting attack. That is, if Margarito can be slowed down at this point.

Instead it was Cotto who began to wither in the latter stages of the fight, likely due in equal part to Margarito's constant flurries and the energy Cotto expended with all of his movement early in the fight. Once the fighters entered the championship rounds it became clear that Cotto was simply trying to hold on for the fight's final nine minutes. Of course a guy like Margarito wasn't about to let that happen. Instead he went after the heavy favorite with furious swarms of punches thrown from a variety of angles. Eventually Cotto was reduced to a beaten fighter, taking multiple knees before his corner waved the towel.

Antonio Margarito is the new champion, and quite possibly the toughest motherfucker roaming the Earth. Vazquez-Marquez was my previous pick for FOY, but after watching Margarito overcoming Cotto's superbly technique, speed, and power to score a knockout makes this all but unbeatable.

So what happens from here in the most exciting division in boxing? I say Margarito should take a rematch with Cotto. Oscar de la Hoya is too smart to take on such a dangerous fight without the huge guaranteed payday that would have come with a Cotto fight. Bob Arum would have settled for a match against the winner of the upcoming Zab Judah-Joshua Clottey fight, but now who knows if that will happen.

Paul Williams is the other major player in the division, and he famously won a decision over Margarito. Considering their history, and the fact that Williams holds a piece of the welterweight title it would make sense to see the two get back in the ring. And then there's my boy Andre Berto. The young, charismatic fighter is undefeated and a match between he and the winner of the Judah-Clottey fight would be a spectacle.

Oh, and be sure to check out Large's live coverage over at The Sporting Blog. I'm just diving in now, and it's pretty great.

Margarito Decision 23/4 (5.75/1)

The prevailing opinion is that if Margarito scores the upset it will be via knockout. He's certainly more more brawler than technician, but he is capable of scoring points with the judges. Margarito's style will sit well with everyone at ringside, and he'll be able to swing some close rounds by being the aggressor. However, the fact remains that Cotto is the champion, and the odds of an all-action fighter like Margarito taking away his belt on points are longer than Bodog is willing to give.

Margarito KO/TKO/DQ 16/5 (3.2/1)

Cotto has only been in trouble a couple of brief times in his career, he probably doesn't get enough credit for his durability. Ricardo Torres, a heavy-handed Colombian, has been the only man to put him on the canvas and Cotto got back up and knocked Torres out in the seventh. It's unlikely that Margarito will end Cotto with a single combination like he did to Kermit Cintron, but the challenger can throw enough punches to hurt Cotto over time. If you insist on going with the underdog, this isn't such a bad bet.

Cotto Decision 13/10 (1.3/1)

It's no wonder why this is the most popular pick amongst boxing writers and gamblers alike. Margarito has been defeated five times in his long career (he turned pro at 15) but he's never been knocked out. For a fighter whose primary strength is an aggressive style that's exceptionally rare. Cotto certainly has power, but as much as Cotto punished Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi they stayed with him for a combined 23 rounds. The payout isn't great, but don't let that steer you away. A bet of just under $39 could recoup the extra $50 charge on your cable bill.

Cotto KO/TKO/DQ 14/5 (2.8/1)

Remember all that crap about Tony never getting knocked out? Well I'm choosing to ignore it. Sure, it's not probably not the most sound decision I've ever made, I just feel like Cotto is going win this thing emphatically. I know that Margarito will never relent or back down, but that doesn't mean a referee can't stop him for his own good. I don't think Cotto is going spend much feeling (ed. note: feelings = profits) out Margarito, instead he'll start in on his free-swinging opponent early with his incapacitating hooks to the body. As the fight wears on Cotto will find more opportunities to counter-punch, eventually picking Margarito apart. He may be the toughest guy in boxing, but he's never been in against a fighter as dynamic as Miguel Angel Cotto.

Now I'm going to go kill some time watching the MMA event to get the blood flowing. If you're looking for coverage of that event Cousins of Ron Mexico is on the case at TBL.

This is your DUAN.

Large has been delivering gold all week over at No Mas, but Wednesday's post was probably the highlight. That bastard is actually in Vegas tonight, where he'll be providing ringside updates for The Sporting Blog. I haven't been this jealous of another guy since Pavel Bure and Sergei Federov were plowing a young Anna Kournikova.

William Dettloff has written two great articles on the history and importance of the Puerto Rico-Mexico rivalry and it's impact on tonight's fight, one for The Ring and one for the WWL. Hell, ESPN even talked about the fight for a few seconds on SportsCenter tonight. They sent Dan Rafael out there with some guy I've never seen for a few seconds of thrilling discussion. I wonder what it would take to get SportsCenter on location in Vegas with Brian Kenny Anchoring. Probably something like Kimbo Slice vs. Batman. Imagine the crossover marketability!

Over at the Ring Report Tim Starks has the event covered from nearly every conceivable angle to get you ready. It's not like there's anything on television today.

I'll be back tonight to offer up my thoughts, as well as the requisite predictions for the fight and the outcome.

Update: MDS is live blogging the fight at Fanhouse. I thought about doing that, but it would have involved taking my eyes off of the television.