Editing Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito (section)

===Pre-fight information===
[[File:LasVegas-MGMgrand.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The MGM Grand, site of "The Battle"]]
Both fighters' victories on April 12 cleared the way for a July 26 showdown between Cotto and Margarito.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Rafael
  | first =Dan
  | title =Cotto, Margarito win to set up July 26 showdown
  | publisher =ESPN.com
  | date =2008-04-13
  | url =https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=3344439
  | access-date =2008-10-03 }}</ref> The WBA welterweight title fight took place at the MGM Grand Las Vegas,<ref name="DB"/> marking the first time Cotto headlined a Las Vegas card. It was Cotto's first fight in Las Vegas since December 11, 2004, on the undercard of [[Vitali Klitschko]]'s bout with [[Danny Williams (boxer)|Danny Williams]]. According to Bob Arum, the match took place in Las Vegas to promote Cotto to a new audience while also appealing to Margarito's [[Mexican American]] fans in California.<ref name="IHT"/> The Las Vegas notion gained momentum in the previous month when the [[Nevada Athletic Commission]] amended its provisional rules on glove size, allowing welterweights to wear 8&nbsp;ounce (227&nbsp;g) gloves instead of the previously mandated 10&nbsp;ounce (284&nbsp;g) gloves. Nearly every other boxing jurisdiction in the United States allows welterweights to fight with 8&nbsp;ounce gloves, and both Cotto and Margarito likely would have refused to fight in Las Vegas without their usual glove size.<ref name="IHT">{{cite news
  | agency=Associated Press
  | title =Cotto-Margarito welterweight unification fight to be held in Las Vegas
  | newspaper =[[International Herald Tribune]]
  | date =2008-05-13
  | url =http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/13/sports/NA-SPT-BOX-Cotto-Margarito.php
  | access-date =2008-10-03 }}</ref> Margarito had to vacate the IBF welterweight title after the IBF mandated him to defend the title against [[Joshua Clottey]].<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Rafael
  | first =Dan
  | title =Judah to face Clottey in August for welterweight title
  | publisher =ESPN.com
  | date =2008-05-23
  | url =https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=3410020&type=story
  | access-date =2008-10-03 }}</ref> Press conferences were held in [[Mexico]], [[Los Angeles]], New York City, and [[Puerto Rico]] to promote the world title bout.<ref>{{cite news
  | title =De aquí al gimnasio
  | newspaper =[[Primera Hora (Guaynabo)|Primera Hora]]
  | language =Spanish
  | date =2008-05-24
  | url =http://archivo.primerahora.com/archivo.asp?guid=c356354c-91b3-4541-af7f-144633c09cf2&year=2008&mon=5&keyword=de%20aqui%20al%20gimnasio
  | access-date =8 September 2011}}</ref>

Cotto entered the fight as ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'' magazine's #1 ranked boxer in the welterweight division and #6 in their [[pound-for-pound]] rankings. Margarito entered the match as The Ring magazine's #4 ranked welterweight.<ref name="f4"/> The official judges for the bout were Dave Moretti, Jerry Roth, and Glen Hamada, and the referee was Kenny Bayless.<ref name="DB">{{cite web
  | last =Gonzalez Jr
  | first =Frank
  | title =Sharkie’s Machine: Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito Preview
  | publisher =Doghouse Boxing
  | date =2008-07-21
  | url =http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Frank/SharkieMM0721a08.htm
  | access-date =2008-10-11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  | last =Smith
  | first =Tim
  | title =It's time for Margarito to cash in
  | publisher =ESPN.com
  | date =2008-07-27
  | url =https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=3507108&type=story
  | access-date =2008-10-11 }}</ref> Serving as the ring announcer for the fight was [[Michael Buffer]].<ref>{{cite news
  | last =Willis
  | first =George
  | title =Joy in Margaritoville!
  | newspaper =New York Post
  | date =2008-07-27
  | url =http://www.nypost.com/seven/07272008/sports/boxing/joy_in_margaritoville__121742.htm
  | access-date =2008-10-11 }}</ref> Promoted by Arum's [[Top Rank Boxing]] promotional company, the match aired on [[Home Box Office]] (HBO) [[Pay-Per-View]].<ref name="LVS"/> Cotto entered the fight as a two-to-one betting favorite, and the official attendance for the event was 10,477.<ref name="f4">{{cite web
  | last =Warneck
  | first =Jereme
  | title =HBO recap of Cotto vs. Margarito part 1
  | publisher =Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online
  | url =http://www.f4wonline.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=6253
  | access-date =2008-10-17 }}</ref> Both Margarito and Cotto weighed in at the welterweight limit of {{convert|147|lb|kg}}.<ref name="LVS">{{cite news
  | last =Haney
  | first =Jeff
  | title =Take Five: Cotto vs. Margarito, ‘The Battle’
  | newspaper =[[Las Vegas Sun]]
  | date =2008-07-26
  | url =http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jul/26/take-five-cotto-vs-margarito-battle/
  | access-date =2008-10-11 }}</ref>