Boxing News

Boxing Preview: Miguel Cotto Vs. Antonio Margarito

By Lee Bellfield July 26th, 2008 All Boxing Previews | (0) comments

On the 26th of this month at the MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegas Nevada, Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto defends his WBA Welterweight Championship against Mexican Antonio Margarito

This 147 pound bout could go a long way to deciding who the premier welterweight is.

Cotto the two weight world champion is making the 5th defence of the title he first won back back in February 2006. Vulnerable at 140 pounds, Cotto has seemed stronger since moving up to the welterweight division and has certainly grown into the weight with ease.

Big names such Zab Judah and Shane Mosley have been the names amongst the 5 defences. The defence against Mosley last November particularly impressed me. Never an easy opponent and also coming off an impressive win against Fernando Vargas, Mosley used all the tricks in his arsenal to try and dethrone Cotto, but the Puerto Rican showing his trademark calmness under pressure rode the storm (especially Mosleys body punches) on the way to a hard fought but clear enough Unanimous decision verdict.

His opponent Antonio Margarito at 30 is 2 years older than Cotto. For the last 6 years he has been perceived as the dangerman of the division.

Since winning the WBO title in 2003 Margarito made 5 successful defences before meeting the highly touted American Paul Williams in July last year losing the belt on a close Unanimous decision verdict. In between his successful Welterweight title defences, Margarito dipped his toes into the 154 pound division losing on a Technical Decision to old foe Daniel Santos following a cut eye stoppage after 10 rounds in September 2004. More...

Exclusive Boxing Interview: Delvin Rodriguez

By Jim Everett July 25th, 2008 All Boxing Interviews | (0) comments

Boxing is a sport full of emotion; it can provide athletes and fans alike the opportunity to experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Unfortunately, on last week’s edition of ESPN Wednesday Night Fights, that’s exactly what happened when Delvin Rodriguez won the USBA Welterweight title and opponent Oscar Diaz collapsed in the ring from a subdural hematoma.

The scheduled twelve round bout took place at the Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas, the hometown of Diaz. His fans came out to support him in the anticipated match, which was expected to be an action packed fight.

The fight did not disappoint the fans as the action traded back and forth between the fighters. Diaz tried to work his way in from the outside and was successful in the fourth round, landing a strong right over the jab, wobbling Rodriguez.

Rodriguez covered up and began to fight his way back by the end of the round.

During the next several rounds, Rodriguez took over the fight, keeping Diaz on the outside with his jab and straight right. In the ninth round, Diaz’s right eye was swollen shut from the hard snapping punches of Rodriguez.

Although Rodriguez won a lop-sided tenth round, it did not appear that Diaz was in any serious trouble. Before the eleventh round, the referee asked Diaz how many fingers he was holding up. Diaz appeared to answer as he rose to his feet, and then the referee asked him if he wanted to continue, to which Diaz let out a scream, pushing the referee’s arm away and turning towards the ropes as his legs went out from under him.

Now laying in the corner and quickly attended to by EMTs, Diaz was provided medical attention and put onto a stretcher where he was taken to the San Antonio University Medical Center for emergency surgery to reduce the swelling of his brain.

As the EMTs attended to Diaz, Rodriguez was looking on, trying to get an indication of what was happening. He later took the microphone to address the crowd, saying “I’m praying for Oscar and his family and will continue to pray for him throughout the night. I ask everyone else to pray for him.”

The most recent reports on Oscar Diaz are that he is in a coma and listed in critical but stable condition. The doctor that performed the emergency surgery has stated that he expects that Diaz should survive the injury and recover.

SaddoBoxing had the opportunity to speak with Delvin Rodriguez in an exclusive phone interview to find out what the experience has been like for him. More...

Boxing Perspective: Joe Calzaghe vs. Roy Jones

By Ricky Jones July 25th, 2008 All Boxing Articles | (0) comments

With the postponement of their scheduled September 20 clash announced earlier this week, due to a training injury to Joe Calzaghe's hand, the contest between the Welsh Wizard and Roy Jones Jr will now take place in November at the original location of Madison Square Garden.

Five years ago, this was a prospective fight that would have had fans and media alike crawling over broken glass to get into. Calzaghe had just won a tremendous slugfest with heavy-handed recent ex-champion Byron Mitchell while Jones was at the absolute height of his career having just outclassed John Ruiz for a heavyweight title.

Since that time, the pair's careers have gone in wildy different directions. Calzaghe, staying at super middle, won four fights over tough but less than top class competition before enjoying his coming out party again Jeff Lacy in 2006 but then going in against lower tier opposition again for two bouts before emerging to outfight Mikkel Kessler.

"The Pride of Wales" then made his long awaited jump to light heavyweight to outwork the ageless Bernard Hopkins, who was finally, at age 43, in with an opponent who "The Executioner" could not control. More...