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Margarito granted license as Cotto issues ultimatum

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
Mexican to fight in New York on December 3rd

Former world champion Antonio Margarito will challenge Miguel Cotto for the WBA light-middleweight title at Madison Square Garden as planned on December 3rd after the New York State Athletic Commision granted him a license.

The 33 year-old was forced to undergo stringent eye tests after initially being denied a license last week and after travelling from his base in Mexico to be thoroughly checked by doctors, is now clear to take his place on the HBO card next month.

At a teleconference today, champion Cotto, 31, had stipulated that the fight will have to go ahead in New York or he would be forced to draft in a new opponent only to be told later that the fight will happen as planned.

Margarito picked up the injury after a one-sided twelve-rounder with current welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao that has kept him out of boxing for the past year and ‘Tony’ will now get the chance to face Cotto for a second time.

The first time the two fighters met in 2008, Margarito came out on top with an eleventh round stoppage but the result turned out to be highly controversial, not at the time, but after Margarito was found to have an illegal substance in his handwraps before fighting Shane Mosley in his next fight.

The first bout’s result has been doubted ever since and Cotto has been chomping at the bit to get the two-time welterweight title holder back in the ring to prove that something was untoward in their earlier meeting.

And finally the decision has been made after hours of deliberation.
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