Cotto deflects talk of controversy, sets sights on reclaiming title

Miguel Cotto (left) hopes to reclaim the WBO title with a win over Michael Jennings. AP Bryan Graham's Mailbag Bryan Graham will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Bryan Graham on Twitter

Miguel Cotto made the fifth and most memorable defense of his world welterweight title last July against Antonio Margarito at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Cotto, the favorite from Puerto Rico whose impressive 32-0 record matched the gleam of his WBA championship belt, opened an early lead against the Mexican challenger. But Margarito managed to wrest control of the fight in the middle rounds, backing up Cotto with an oppressive array of punches to the head and body.

The violent denouement came in the 11th round, as Margarito stalked his retreating opponent around the ring before opening fire. When Cotto crumpled onto his right knee under one final assault in a neutral corner, his blood-splattered face hung in resignation as his trainer and uncle Evangelista Cotto put a stop to the slaughter.

Many believed they'd witnessed the birth of a superstar athlete, as Margarito's come-from-behind performance in the grueling epic was met with universal praise. But it's proven a swift and spectacular downfall for the "Tijuana Tornado" in the months since, beginning with his first title defense against Shane Mosley in January, when Mosley's trainer noticed a plaster-like substance on the Mexican's hand wraps during pre-fight preparations. Within hours, the underdog Mosley had taken Margarito's title on an emphatic ninth-round TKO and, within weeks, the California State Athletic Commission had revoked his license to fight in the United States.

No one can say for certain whether Margarito also employed loaded gloves in July, so there's no asterisk beside the one and only eyesore on Cotto's record. But the incident casts serious doubts over Margarito's entire body of work -- and those doubts begin with his transcendent performance in Las Vegas.

Eight months after his lone defeat, Cotto returns to the ring Saturday against England's Michael Jennings at Madison Square Garden. It's the East Coast end of a unique split-site doubleheader, the brainchild of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who's packaged the fight with Kelly Pavlik's middleweight title defense against Marco Antonio Rubio in Youngstown, Ohio. Fans at either venue can watch the out-of-town events on a closed-circuit broadcast.

Yesterday, Cotto spoke to the press at the Garden, facing the predictable barrage of questions on the Margarito controversy. He's known as a power puncher, but Cotto deflected and sidestepped questions about the scandal with the deftness of a defensive specialist.

"[Margarito's corner men] are the only ones that can answer that question," Cotto told reporters. "I prefer to think that he had a great night in July."

Whether or not Cotto wins on Saturday isn't the pressing question. He's widely expected to dispense of Jennings, the mandatory challenger and unheralded thirtysomething cast in the unenviable role of sacrificial lamb. This weekend's showcase is about reclaiming the WBO welterweight title and taking the first step toward consolidating power atop boxing's most crowded division.

Perhaps more importantly, if Cotto can rediscover the dominant form exhibited in previous victories against Carlos Quintana, Zab Judah and Mosley, a number of lucrative paydays are waiting down the pipeline. Given the right opportunities -- including the potential rematch with Mosley to unify the WBA and WBO belts -- Cotto could challenge Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuez Marquez atop boxing's mythical pound-for-pound rankings by the end of 2009.

"We're confident. We trained for the last two months and we're ready for everything Michael can bring," Cotto said. "We're going to do anything in our hands to come back to Puerto Rico with the title."

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