As part of an exciting HBO welterweight card this Saturday, Carlos Cintron gets a chance to avenge his April 2005 KO loss to Antonio Margarito.
If, after the Antonio Margarito vs. Carlos Cintron welterweight fight, boxing writers and fans everywhere are complaining that this turned out to be a dull affair, then Cintron did his job and probably won. Exciting, action-packed fights are fun to watch and are undoubtedly good for boxing, but they aren't always what's best for the fighters.
In their first fight, Cintron stood in front of the heavy handed Margarito and got blitzed. This time around, I expect Cintron's trainer, Manny Steward, to have him using his jab and lateral movement as Tommy Hearns did so successfully against Sugar Ray Leonard in the middle rounds of their first fight. Of course, Leonard eventually caught up to Hearns and knocked him out. There's a good chance Margarito could do the same thing in this fight.
Margarito is the typical old-school Mexican fighter--tough, well conditioned and strong with good in-fighting skills, but lateral movement can give him problems. Expect Cintron to win a nervous first half of the fight by boxing on the outside. Late in the fight Margarito, well behind on the cards, lets it all hang out and catches Cintron with a left hook counter when Cintron leaves his chin on a tee after throwing a long right. Once Cintron is hurt, Margarito will swarm him until there is nothing left but bones.
Margarito by late TKO.
