I shelled out the cash for the Cotto-Margarito fight and I ended up with the bargain of the year because that fight kicked MY ass. The first few rounds had Cotto slamming Margarito to the point of where he looked like he was doing a sort of rope-a-dope, waiting for him to come in hard and then just wailing on him. What he didn't count on was Margarito being like a big relentless machine with no regard for physical discomfort or even temporary embarrassment. As with all the best fights, by the end I was fantasizing about hitting the speed bag, chasing chickens and shit.
But the thing that bugs me is how every fight has to have this nationalistic/ethnic component to it. Margarito's the Mexican so he's gonna be tough and put the pressure on. Cotto's a Puerto Rican so he's gonna be tough.. and the sterotype about Puerto Rican fighters. To me it's like HBO is missing out on 75% of the demographic by making it some kind of racial Last Fighter Standing:Caveman Edition.
Enough of that shit already. I'm trying to find out who's the hardest, not who's country is the hardest. Plus it seems like the people most gunhoe about that shit are the wackest fuhmuckas in their country. It's like Mark Madsen thinking he's better than Elton Brand because he's got a ring.
If Cotto had won the fight, some Puerto Rican wouldn't be a harder Puerto Rican.These fighters are some of the hardest PEOPLE in the world, and we spend our time acting like some water in Vieques is different than the water in Chihuahua.
If I can't forget about the troubles around the world when I'm trying to watch two folks agreeingly beat each other up, when can I? Is there some way around promoting boxing by highlighting the racial, ethnic and country aspects? Or is that what fuels our bloodlust?
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