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Looking at today’s welterweight division, one may be reminded of the status once only reserved for the heavyweight division of yesterday. Between 140-147 lb. lays a hotbed of pound for pound greats, and a myriad of up and coming prospects who are bound to take the boxing world by storm. Lately, recent propositions, deals, and rumors have shuffled this deck, putting the division in disarray. With this article, Saddoboxing.com will attempt to put things in order before confusion turns the average fan away.
The Welterweight Champion: Carlos Baldomir, Santa Fe, Argentina, 43-9-6 (13)
When Carlos Baldomir took the crown from former welterweight champion, Zab Judah, he single handily shook up a once solid division. After many naysayers dismissed the upset as merely a fluke, Baldomir picked up where he left off, stopping Arturo Gatti in nine rounds and putting all doubt to rest. Holding the IBF, IBA, and The Ring Magazine title, the most prestigious of all belts, Baldomir is now recognized as the welterweight to beat. Having fought for many years as a back-burner fighter, and now with his two big wins, Baldomir has definitely earned his top position.
The Most Sought After: Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Grand Rapids, MI, 36-0 (24)
Wherever Mayweather goes, love and hate are sure follow. This includes the welterweight division. After beating Zab Judah, who was coming off his loss against Baldomir, Mayweather’s place among the welterweight elite was claimed. Now that he is the pound for pound king, every fighter in the division seems to have him in their crosshairs. Mayweather made the biggest splash by being named as the possible opponent for Oscar De La Hoya’s farewell match. After De La Hoya revealed such a fight wouldn’t be held this year, fighters started clamoring to throw their hats in the ring as a possible Mayweather opponent for his scheduled November 4 date. Articles have now reported that a Mayweather-Baldomir clash is being finalized for that day.
The Avoided One: Antonio Margarito, Tijuana, Mexico, 33-4 (24)
Being a champion for many years, Margarito jumped into the spotlight as being considered the best welterweight to finally end Mayweather’s undefeated streak. Top Rank, Margarito’s promotional label, reportedly offered Mayweather eight million dollars for such a chance, but was turned down repeatedly. Many critics claimed Margarito had not earned the fight, noting his lack of a big name on his record. Other critics claimed Mayweather was merely afraid of losing to the bigger, stronger Margarito. Margarito has since moved on and is planning to share a card with undefeated superstar Miguel Cotto in December. Possessing a strong chin, and an even stronger punch, Margarito is definitely a dangerous man with or without a star-studded resume.
The Ferocious Foreigners:
Ricky Hatton, Manchester, England, 41-0 (30)
Already a national treasure in his home country of England, Hatton made his mark on the rest of the world when Kostya Tszyu could not answer the bell for the final round in their slugfest. Hatton went on to unify titles by knocking out the WBA champion, Carlos Maussa, in the ninth round. In Hatton’s US debut, he fought to a highly controversial decision over Luis Collazo. Hatton is allegedly scheduled to be fighting Oktay Urkal in his next bout, but recent rumors state that he is not happy with that level of opposition and is looking for another opponent.
Miguel Cotto, Caguas, Puerto Rico, 27-0 (22)
The status that Ricky Hatton has in his country, Miguel Cotto has in his native Puerto Rico. The young knockout artist is one of boxing’s most entertaining fighters, due to the fact that his hit and get hit style makes for many suspenseful moments. Undefeated in his 27 bouts, Cotto has seemingly steamrolled over all opposition, claiming titles along the way. Winning his last bout over the slick boxer, Paul Malignaggi, Cotto showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with once he makes the 147 lb. division. After fighting in the light welterweight division, Cotto will test the welterweight waters against an unnamed opponent in December.
The Legends:
Shane Mosley, Pomona, CA, 43-4 (37)
After Shane Mosley beat Oscar De La Hoya for the first time, he was riding on the fame of instant stardom. Although seemingly unbeatable, the train came to a grinding halt with back to back losses against Vernon Forrest. Immediately afterward Mosley once again rejuvenated his career with a second win over De La Hoya, but was then derailed yet again, only this time in back to back losses against Winky Wright. Rumors floated that Mosley did not have it anymore, until that moment he landed a thunderous left hook sending Fernando Vargas, in their rematch, to the canvas and giving his own career a shot in the arm. His claims of struggling to bulk up enough to make the light middleweight limit have presented an option for Mosley to join the already stacked welterweight division.
Oscar De La Hoya, Los Angeles, CA, 38-4 (30)
When boxing’s Golden Boy was stopped in the ninth round by Bernard Hopkins at middleweight, many predicted him to hang up his gloves forever. De La Hoya always hinted at retirement, but with the first knockout loss on his record, the end seemed imminent. Stepping into the ring with almost two years of ring rust against Ricardo Mayorga at light middle, many knew he had a chance but little knew just how much of a chance he really had. In vintage fashion, De La Hoya battered Mayorga until finally ending the bout in the sixth round. Coming off his victory, De La Hoya hinted at one last superfight, as a welterweight, against one man: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Nothing is inked yet, but the prospect of putting yesterday’s best against today’s best could be one of the biggest events in boxing history.
The Rest Destined To Impress:
Joshua Clottey, Bronx, NY, 29-1 (18)
Clottey is a strong, durable fighter who is referred to as the welterweight division’s biggest threat. After being disqualified against Carlos Baldomir in a fight he was winning on the scorecards, Clottey stacked up 11 straight wins, most notably his recent thrilling majority decision over the previously unbeaten Richard Gutierrez to take the IBF Intercontinental championship. It should also be noted that Clottey is being mentioned as the opponent for Margarito’s December fight.
Carlos Quintana, Moca, Puerto Rico, 23-0 (18)
The undefeated veteran got his name in the welterweight mix when he easily outpointed Joel Julio in June. Quintana, fighting as the underdog, was able to use his boxing skills to frustrate and eventually dismantle Julio, a fighter most believed was to be the future of the division.
Paul Williams, Augusta, GA, 30-0 (22)
Williams, an undefeated prospect, first turned heads on ESPN with a second round knockout of Sergio Rios. He then went on to beat the previously undefeated Walter Dario Matthysse via tenth round TKO. Williams also left a mark after calling out WBO Champion Antonio Margarito on many occasions. On August 19, Williams is scheduled to face his toughest test to date, a bout with veteran Sharmba Mitchell.
Vivian Harris, Brooklyn, NY, 27-2-1 (18)
After being knocked out in the seventh round against Carlos Maussa and losing his WBA Light Welterweight title, Harris has been traveling the road to redemption. His last two bouts saw Harris getting the decision over Marteze Logan and battering Stevie Johnston before getting the stoppage in the seventh round. Before running into Maussa, Harris had been quite impressive and with his recent wins, looks to be finding his stride once again.
Although we have merely scratched the surface, we hope this article has given a little organization to a cluttered division. With these mentioned fighters at the forefront and questionable greats such as Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah also part of the equation, boxing fans need look no further than the Welterweight division to quench their thirst for the sport.
