Editing Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito (section)

==Aftermath==
Dan Rafael of [[ESPN.com]] described the fight as a "riveting slugfest with a dramatic ending that left the throbbing crowd of 10,477 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in ecstasy". The referee for the bout Kenny Bayless called it "the best fight I've ever done".<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Rafael
  | first =Dan
  | title =Margarito and Cotto give boxing fans one to remember
  | publisher =ESPN.com
  | date =2008-07-27
  | url =https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=3506804
  | access-date =2008-11-10 }}</ref> Fightnews.com writers Andreas Hale and Victor Perea called it "an instant classic that gave boxing fans all over the world all they could handle...and then some".<ref>{{cite web
 |last        = Hale
 |first       = Andreas
 |author2     = V. Perea
 |title       = 'The Battle' a classic war! Margarito usurps Cotto for welterweight crown!
 |publisher   = Fightnews.com
 |date        = 2008-07-27
 |url         = http://www.newmexicoboxing.com/fights2008/07-margarito-cotto.htm
 |access-date  = 2008-11-10
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090207173813/http://newmexicoboxing.com/fights2008/07-margarito-cotto.htm
 |archive-date = 2009-02-07
}}</ref> Dave Larzelere of ''Sporting News'' wrote that it "was unquestionably the fight of the year".<ref>{{cite magazine
  | last =Larzelere
  | first =Dave
  | title =Margarito Stops Cotto!
  | magazine =Sporting News
  | date =2008-07-27
  | url =http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/8934/margarito_stops_cotto!
  | access-date =2008-11-10 }}</ref> Compubox wrote, "Margarito-Cotto was billed as 'The Battle' and it certainly lived up to the name as they proved why they are among the best boxing has to offer".<ref>{{cite web
  | author =Compubox
  | title =CompuBox Post-Analysis: Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito
  | publisher =BoxingScene.com
  | date =2008-07-28
  | url =http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15155
  | access-date =2008-11-10 }}</ref> BoxingScene.com writer Jake Donovan wrote that "It was brutal, and lived up to everyone's exceedingly high expectations".<ref name="MBOWGBR"/> Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports named it the third best boxing match of 2008.<ref>{{cite news
  | last =Iole
  | first =Kevin
  | title =Elite eight bouts
  | work =Yahoo! Sports
  | date =2008-12-22
  | url =https://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AhD5VFYVXOq7NAPZRJzIQ8aUxLYF?slug=ki-topfights122208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
  | access-date =2008-12-26 }}</ref> The fight generated 450,000&nbsp;pay-per-view buys, the third highest in 2008 for a boxing match.<ref>{{cite news
  | last =Falgoust
  | first =Michael
  | title =De La Hoya-Pacquiao bout a box-office heavyweight
  | newspaper =USA Today
  | date =2008-12-11
  | url =https://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2008-12-10-pacquiao-de-la-hoya_N.htm
  | access-date =2008-12-11 }}</ref>

Following the victory, Margarito became ''The Ring'' magazine's #1 ranked boxer in the welterweight division, and he replaced Cotto in their rankings as the #6 ranked boxer in the world, pound-for-pound. For Cotto, ''The Ring'' magazine dropped him to #3 in their welterweight rankings and #10 in their pound-for-pound rankings. With the loss, Cotto's fight with Oscar De La Hoya, which would have guaranteed Cotto $25 million, was off.<ref name="f4"/> De La Hoya instead opted to fight ''The Ring'' magazine's #1 ranked pound-for-pound boxer [[Manny Pacquiao]] on December 6, 2008, at the  MGM Grand Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Rafael
  | first =Dan
  | title =Pacquiao to move up two weight classes to fight De La Hoya
  | publisher =ESPN.com
  | date =2008-08-28
  | url =https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3558298
  | access-date =2008-11-14 }}</ref> Margarito made his first title defense against Shane Mosley on January 24, 2009, losing to him by technical knockout in the ninth round.<ref>{{cite news
  | title =Mosley shocks Margarito, wins belt with TKO
  | work =Yahoo! Sports
  | date =2009-01-25
  | url =https://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=txmargaritomosley&prov=st&type=lgns
  | access-date =2009-01-28 }}</ref> The [[California State Athletic Commission]] revoked the licenses of Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo for a year on February 10, 2009, after it was discovered before the fight that a [[plaster]]-like substance on illegal pads was found inside Margarito's hand wraps.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Rafael
  | first =Dan
  | title =Margarito, trainer banned in U.S.
  | publisher =ESPN.com
  | date =2009-02-10
  | url =https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3897765
  | access-date =2009-02-21 }}</ref> On February 21, 2009, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Cotto claimed the vacant WBO welterweight title by defeating [[Michael Jennings (boxer)|Michael Jennings]] by fifth round technical knockout.<ref>{{cite news
  | last =Iole
  | first =Kevin
  | title =Cotto drops Jennings, claims WBO title
  | work =Yahoo! Sports
  | date =2009-02-21
  | url =https://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AkrE.0h2fFGLhv1phdIu1oCUxLYF?slug=ki-cottowins022109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
  | access-date =2009-02-21
  | archive-date =2012-07-18
  | archive-url =https://archive.today/20120718042326/http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AkrE.0h2fFGLhv1phdIu1oCUxLYF?slug=ki-cottowins022109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
  | url-status =dead
  }}</ref> In his second title defense, Cotto defeated former IBF welterweight champion [[Joshua Clottey]] by split decision at Madison Square Garden on June 13, 2009.<ref>{{cite web
 |last        = Gutierrez
 |first       = Patrick
 |title       = Cotto beats Clottey by split decision
 |publisher   = [[Fox Sports (USA)|Fox Sports]]
 |date        = 2009-06-14
 |url         = http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/9678558
 |access-date  = 2009-07-03
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090714020809/http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/9678558
 |archive-date = 2009-07-14
}}</ref>

[[Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito II|The pair had a rematch]], which Cotto won by tenth round technical knockout.