Cotto Vs. Margarito 2: Denver Leading Candidate To Host Bout If Margarito Not Licensed In New York

If the New York State Athletic Commission denies Antonio Margarito a boxing license for the second time within a month, Denver's Pepsi Center appears to be one of the leading candidates to host his bout against Miguel Cotto that was scheduled for Dec. 3, reports RingTV. The NYSAC denied Margarito a license on Oct. 31 due to an eye injury that he suffered a year ago.

However, Margarito will be examined again on Monday and a decision on his status should come on Tuesday. If Margarito is denied, Top Rank's Bob Arum is expected to decide between the Pepsi Center and Phoenix's U.S. Airways Center. Top Rank is reportedly going to visit Denver on Monday, as the company wants to secure a new venue quickly.

If Denver is chosen to host the bout, this could prove a boon to boxing in Denver. As Scott Christ at Bad Left Hook writes:

Denver and Phoenix are both cities that could turn into more familiar boxing locales if promoters are aggressive enough, as local draws like Mike Alvarado in Denver and Jesus Gonzales in Phoenix have shown that there is, indeed, quite an audience for boxing.

On July 26, 2008, Margarito defeated Cotto in the 11th round by technical knockout.

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