Cotto vs. Margarito II Review: “He means nothing to me.” (Slideshow)

SAN DIEGO, Dec 4, 2011 – Boxing fans got a brightly wrapped Christmas present Saturday night and when it was unwrapped, it didn’t disappoint.

Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico righted a wrong in the eyes of many in the boxing world by defeating Antonio Margarito of Mexico with a dramatic tenth round TKO victory at Madison Square Garden in New York. It seemed all 21,239 fans were on their feet for the majority of the bout cheering on Cotto with enthusiam, their Puerto Rican native son.

The fight began much like the first one, with Cotto moving well, throwing shots and then getting quickly out of Margarito’s way. But Margarito is known for his relentless pressure, and he pressed Cotto forward successfully. Cotto’s punches were landing at a higher connect percentage than Margarito in the early rounds.

Then in round four, a left hook by Cotto cut Margarito’s right eye, the same eye damaged so badly by Manny Pacquiao in 2010. While not a devastating cut, Cotto focused on the opportunity just as he said he would do in pre-fight interviews. Eventually the eye was swollen shut.

Still, halfway through the fight Margarito continued to put pressure on Cotto, if not landing the type of punches he did in their first meeting. For a fleeting moment in round seven, it seemed Margarito might start taking command just as he did in the first fight.

But Cotto didn’t allow it to happen. Margarito’s eye didn’t allow it to happen either. Margarito, fighting with a sense of urgency, simply couldn’t see well enough to be effective landing power shots on Cotto. For his part, Cotto continued to land shots and even engaged in some bodywork with Margarito, something he doesn’t always do well.

Fans held their breath before the start of the ninth round, as primary ringside doctor Barry Jordan insisted on one more look at Margarito’s eye before letting him enter the ring for the round.

Margarito made it through round nine, but it was clear he was having trouble seeing, and he looked fatigued. Make no mistake, Margarito was still pressing forward, still engaging, and would have continued fighting as long as he could stand.

In his post-fight interview with HBO analyst Max Kellerman, Cotto declared himself satisfied with the victory despite the way it came about. When asked by Kellerman what he thought now of Margarito, Cotto said, “He means nothing to me,” and repeated the statement a few minutes later. Noted for his sportsmanship, this represents a strong statement from Cotto.

When asked delicately by Kellerman about Margarito’s punching power in this fight versus their 2008 meeting, Cotto said, "I’m still awake, that’s my answer" meaning that Margarito didn’t punch as hard. This was a not-so-veiled reference to the allegations that Margarito used illegal hand wraps to beat Cotto in their first fight.

After the fight, Margarito insisted he had been able to see perfectly fine. When questioned about the strength of his punches, Margarito told HBO’s Kellerman, "Look at his (Cotto’s) face!" And then he repeated his pre-fight taunt, “He hits like a girl,” claiming he didn’t feel Cotto’s punches. Margarito needed 12 stitches to his eye from a plastic surgeon following the fight.

Margarito deployed the same strategy which proved successful for him in the first fight. But this time, Cotto seemed to move better, cutting Margarito off and keeping away from the ropes, where Margarito trapped him to administer punishment in the first fight. Cotto’s switch to former Cuban Olympic boxing team coach Dr. Pedro Benitez paid off, as he showed the ability to move around Margarito, pushing him back successfully in later rounds, inflicting damage while working to avoid getting hit by Margarito inside at close range.

Without the eye injury Margarito suffered in his fight with Manny Pacquiao, this would have likely gone the distance and been closer. Cotto would have won a decision. He was well ahead on points, eight rounds to one on all three judges’ scorecards. With three rounds left, Margarito would have had to knock Cotto out. Not this time.

Final CompuBox stats showed Cotto landing 43 percent of his punches, the exact same percentage as in his last fight with Margarito, evidence of his complete domination of the fight. Margarito landed only 22 percent of his punches.

As predicted, it was an action-packed brawl filled with drama inside and outside the ring. Both fighters gave everything they had. Fans of the sweet science can’t ask for anything more.

The script might not have been written exactly as Cotto hoped, but he’ll gladly take the victory and move on to an exciting future filled with crowd-pleasing fighters like Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Julio Caesar Chavez. Jr., James Kirkland, and Canelo Alvarez.

As for Margarito, it’s doubtful even if anyone would license him to fight with his damaged right eye that he’ll ever fight at the elite level again. It would be the wise thing to do for him to retire now

Five Iron Frenzy: Overwhelmed by fan support for new CD/tour

The security relationship between the United States and Pakistan has sunk to its lowest level since the two countries agreed to cooperate after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, endangering counterterrorism programs that depend on the partnership, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials.

Both sides say further deterioration is likely as Pakistan’s military leadership comes under unprecedented pressure from within its ranks to reduce ties with the United States. The army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, was jeered last month by fellow officers who demanded in a town-hall-style meeting that he explain why Pakistan supports U.S.

Kayani “is fighting to survive,” said one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of current sensitivities. “His corps commanders are very strongly anti-U.S. right now, so he has to appease them.”

Outspokenness to top officers is virtually unheard of in the strict Pakistani military hierarchy, and open criticism of Kayani “is something no Pakistani military commander has ever had to face before,” another U.S. official said. “Nobody should underestimate the pressure he’s now under.”

Tension over U.S.-Pakistani relations is building on the American side, as well. Lawmakers on Wednesday expressed outrage that a number of Pakistanis who had helped gather intelligence for the CIA about Osama bin Laden’s compound have been arrested.

Among them is Maj. Amir Aziz, a doctor in the Pakistani army’s medical corps who lived next to the bin Laden residence in Abbottabad for several years and has not been seen since shortly after the raid by U.S. commandos in early May that killed the terrorist leader.

Officials said Aziz was among several Pakistanis paid to keep track of and photograph those entering and leaving the compound, without being told whom they were looking for.

“Their families don’t have any idea where they have been taken,” said one neighbor in Abbottabad’s Bilal Town subdivision. “Nobody knows what they had done.”

A U.S. official said the CIA tried to get the doctor and other informants out of harm’s way before their arrests, offering to relocate them. But they refused and “thought they would be okay,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. A Pakistani military spokesman said reports that an officer had been detained were “totally baseless.”

After years of sporadic tension between Washington and Islamabad, the immediate cause of the rupture was the raid on bin Laden’s compound, located minutes from Pakistani military installations. Pakistan was not informed before the operation, a level of secrecy that left its military and intelligence services angry and humiliated.

In recent weeks, Pakistanis have escalated their demands that the United States stop its covert campaign of drone strikes on al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban bases in the country’s tribal areas, and at least some U.S. personnel are being withdrawn from a base in the southwest part of the country used by the CIA to launch the unmanned aircraft. A U.S. Special Operations training program for Pakistan’s tribal defense force has largely ceased. Visas have been withheld from CIA and military personnel assigned to Pakistan programs, according to officials from both countries.

Kyle Orton now with Chiefs, could face his former team on New Year’s Day in Denver

Orton and his new team will travel to Denver for the season finale on Jan. 1.

Tim Tebow supplanted Orton after a 1-4 start and has gone 4-1 to help the Broncos climb back into the AFC West race, a game behind Oakland.

Orton has a chance to go to a place where he could wind up with the starting job, especially with Matt Cassel undergoing season-ending hand surgery and his replacement, Tyler Palko, throwing three interceptions in a loss to New England on Monday night that dropped the Chiefs to 4-6.

“Good for him. Congratulations to him,” Tebow said upon hearing the news Wednesday that Orton was staying in the division. “That will be fun to play him the last game of the year.”

The fact Orton might return to Mile High on the opposing sideline was a risk the Broncos were willing to take. With quite a few teams in the market for a quarterback, the Broncos realized they were dangling quite a catch out there. They did so partly because they wanted to get the balance of Orton’s nearly $9 million deal off the books even though they lost the compensatory draft pick they would have received had he stayed in Denver for another six weeks.

The Broncos decided to let Orton get a fresh start somewhere else rather than stand on the sideline in Denver, where Brady Quinn had been bumped up to No. 2 on the depth chart.

“It’s all amicable. We’ve just moving on,” general manager Brian Xanders said. “We feel good about our quarterbacks.”

Rookie Adam Weber might be promoted off Denver’s practice squad, but coach John Fox said he’s in no hurry to fill Orton’s roster spot.

“Obviously, Kyle, as I’ve said many times, he has handled this as well as any player I’ve ever been around,” Fox said. “He’s handled it with class, was a true pro. I think he deserves an opportunity. All in all, I think it was good for both parties, and wish nothing but the best for him.”

Orton began his Denver career in memorable fashion after being acquired in the 2009 trade that sent Jay Cutler to Chicago. Orton won his first six starts with Denver before going 6-21 and being replaced by an unorthodox quarterback who has been constantly criticized for his flawed mechanics.

After a 45-10 loss to the Lions on Oct. 30, the Broncos went about altering their offense to fit Tebow’s game, implementing the read option he honed at Florida to take advantage of his unique skill set.

And while some believe that way isn’t sustainable, that defenses will eventually figure it out, the Broncos certainly aren’t quibbling with the immediate results. The Broncos have rattled off three straight wins heading into their trip to San Diego on Sunday.

“We love his competitive toughness, his ability to keep fighting and rally the offense at the end there,” Xanders said. “He’s got some improving to do, in terms of passing, but everybody comes into this league not as an All-Pro. You’ve got to come in and develop your skills.”

Tebow is winning games, but is he winning over the Broncos’ brass? John Elway, chief of football operations, made waves this week by saying he’s not sold on Tebow as the long-term answer at quarterback.

“I like winning,” Xanders said. “Winning is a lot better than the alternative. We’re going to keep working with him.”

When Orton was released, the Broncos figured a team on their upcoming schedule could wind up with him, either the Chiefs or the Bears, who visit Denver on Dec. 11.

Former Colorado State quarterback Caleb Hanie is the starter in Chicago now that Cutler is out indefinitely after breaking the thumb on his right (throwing) hand.

Penske Racing apologizes for Kurt Busch outburst

NASCAR:  Busch lets analyst know how much he dislikes him

The NSFW tirade has prompted Penske Racing to issue an apology for the driver's outburst.

Penske Racing extends its apologies to Dr. Jerry Punch, our media partners and our sponsors and fans for Kurt Busch's inappropriate actions in Homestead on Sunday. These actions do not represent Penske Racing and are inconsistent with the company's standards for behavior, respect for others and professionalism. This matter is being reviewed internally with no further comment at this time.

Michigan Wolverines Links: Was Michigan too formal for Rich Rodriguez to succeed?

• According to Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel, RichRod will succeed at Arizona because it's less formal. "There will be no collective freak-out if he dares utters the word "ain't" at a press conference." If my memory serves me correct, nobody was ever freaked out over RichRod using the word "ain't," but his insistence that we "throw in a dip" of Wintergreen Skoal while he discussed his favorite episodes of "Momma's Family" was a little awkward (at times). [SI]

•  Green Destiny. Like it or not, Michigan's bowl destination will be be determined by games featuring Michigan State. "Only two Big Ten teams can finish with two losses: the champion and U-M. If MSU doesn't win the title, its shot at a BCS bowl with three or four losses would be nonexistent. U-M, though, could be attractive as second Big Ten BCS pick at 10-2." [FREEP]

• Rhinestone Cowboy. Brady Hoke has informed the University of Ohio that they should besimply known by their Bobcat mascot in order to avoid confusion when he refers to Ohio State as "Ohio." Hoke has also informed country western singer Glen Campbell that he should simply be known as "a national treasure." [FREEP]

• When Ohio State attempts at smack talk go horribly wrong. One Ohio State fan posted this "joke" on Twitter: "A Michigan football player was almost killed today in a tragic horseback riding accident. He fell from the horse and was nearly trampled to death. Luckily, the manager of the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged the horse." You have shamed the legacy of the greatest comedians to ever come out of the state of Ohio: Tim Conway and Jamie Farr. 

Michigan Wolverines Links: Was Michigan too formal for Rich Rodriguez to succeed?

• According to Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel, RichRod will succeed at Arizona because it's less formal. "There will be no collective freak-out if he dares utters the word "ain't" at a press conference." If my memory serves me correct, nobody was ever freaked out over RichRod using the word "ain't," but his insistence that we "throw in a dip" of Wintergreen Skoal while he discussed his favorite episodes of "Momma's Family" was a little awkward (at times). [SI]

•  Green Destiny. Like it or not, Michigan's bowl destination will be be determined by games featuring Michigan State. "Only two Big Ten teams can finish with two losses: the champion and U-M. If MSU doesn't win the title, its shot at a BCS bowl with three or four losses would be nonexistent. U-M, though, could be attractive as second Big Ten BCS pick at 10-2." [FREEP]

• Rhinestone Cowboy. Brady Hoke has informed the University of Ohio that they should besimply known by their Bobcat mascot in order to avoid confusion when he refers to Ohio State as "Ohio." Hoke has also informed country western singer Glen Campbell that he should simply be known as "a national treasure." [FREEP]

• When Ohio State attempts at smack talk go horribly wrong. One Ohio State fan posted this "joke" on Twitter: "A Michigan football player was almost killed today in a tragic horseback riding accident. He fell from the horse and was nearly trampled to death. Luckily, the manager of the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged the horse." You have shamed the legacy of the greatest comedians to ever come out of the state of Ohio: Tim Conway and Jamie Farr. 

J.R. Martinez on 'Dancing With the Stars' 2011 Win, Favorite Moments

J.R Martinez, who was crowned the new champion of "Dancing With the Stars" Tuesday night, in one of the closest and most thrilling finales ever, admits that the suspense before the show unveiled the winner was killing him.

"I said to Karina … 'Can they just tell us already?' It seemed like the moment was just lasting forever when they were building up the suspense," the actor and war hero said today on "Good Morning America." "It's amazing. We've all been putting over three months of work into this. To be able to hold that [mirror ball trophy] up was a tremendous honor."

It was also the first win for Martinez's professional partner, Karina Smirnoff. "I think I was screaming so loud, I lost my voice. It is an amazing feeling," she said today on "GMA," "and what a person to share it with."

Martinez, who survived an IED explosion while serving in Iraq that burned 40 percent of his body, danced his heart out against finalists Rob Kardashian and Ricki Lake in the two-night finale. Lake, who was leading the pack after the first round of dances, surprisingly failed to advance to the top two,Kardashian, the dark horse of the bunch who had showed tremendous improvement in recent weeks, went on to dance an instant samba against Martinez. Both received perfect scores from the judges, but combined with viewers' votes, Martinez was awarded the mirror ball trophy.

"I literally couldn't have asked myself to have done any better. I went as far as I could go," Kardashian, 24, said. "J.R. deserved that trophy."

All three finalists and their professional partners jumped on a plane after the finale and flew overnight from the ballroom to "Good Morning America's" Times Square studio to celebrate. Fans gathered to serenade the group, who showed a real sense of camaraderie as they answered viewers' questions and dished about what went on behind the scenes.

PHOTOS: The 'Dancing With the Stars' After-Party on 'GMA'

In between grueling rehearsals, the finalists said they made time for fun, popping into one another's studios and playing pranks.

"We'd take a break but instead of going to sit down, we'd go to everyone else's rehearsal. Just trying to keep everyone's energy up," Martinez explained. "That was the cool thing about it. It was never competitive among us. It was all fun and we cheered everybody on."

Martinez also loved to play practical jokes, putting a fake spider in pro Cheryl Burke's dancing shoes and hiding Rob Kardashian's shoes and cell phone.

"For two hours he didn't rehearse because he was looking for his phone," Martinez added.

"I genuinely did like kind of learning a new dance. You start over every single Wednesday, that's the worst part of the week and then you have to learn a whole new dance again in four days, but I enjoyed it," he said.For reality TV royal Rob Kardashian, the best part of his weeks were those very same rehearsals, where he learned the routine from his pro partner, Cheryl Burke.

For 43-year-old Lake, who'd shed serious pounds and came into her own on the show, the experience was physically and mentally challenging but incredibly rewarding.

"This really is putting everything on the line. Your body is at its limit. You get emotionally caught up in it. You want to win. You know, it's very scary to do these moves in front of 20 million people," she said on "GMA