Boxing Superstars Mosley, Cotto, Margarito, Cintron: State Of The Game At Welter

The strongest division in boxing is loaded with talent and big names as well as future and potential future Hall of Famers. Perhaps even more intriguing is the fact that boxing’s next great star could emerge from the welterweight division.

Floyd Mayweather Jr’s departure has opened the door for someone to stake claim to the throne. Unification seems unlikely, at least in the near future, as four different fighters hold titles, five if you consider the fact that Mayweather technically still holds the WBC and The Ring championship belts.

WBC: Shane Mosley, 44-4 (37), recently made his return to the welterweight division and immediately made an impact. Fresh off his thrilling battles with Winky Wright and Fernando Vargas, Mosley hoped a return to a division that he once dominated would lead to another championship.

Boy, was he right. Shane looked terrific, decisively beating Luis Collazo to earn the vacant WBC interim title. While Collazo is a tough, crafty fighter, he was overmatched against Mosley, who simply possessed too much speed.

It is worth mentioning that Luis Collazo gave Ricky Hatton all he bargained for in their matchup last year that probably caused Hatton to reconsider a campaign at welterweight.

Mosley’s win puts him right in the thick of the championship picture in addition to raising some eyebrows and his pound-for-pound ranking.

IBF: Kermit Cintron, 27-1 (25), has rattled off three straight wins by TKO; Francisco Parra, David Estrada and most recently against Mark Suarez for the vacant IBF belt.

Many thought that Cintron could never bounce back after suffering a crushing TKO loss to Antonio Margarito, wherein he lost some confidence and his undefeated record.

Cintron has quieted his critics for now and appears on track, once again, to challenge for welterweight supremacy. His skills and power have seldom been called into question, however his heart will still be criticized until he proves his worth against one of the elite fighters in the division.

WBO: Antonio Margarito, 34-4 (24), has not lost since 2004 when he suffered a TD loss to Daniel Santos for the WBO Light Middleweight title. The fight was stopped in the tenth round of a scheduled 12 round bout due to a cut over Margarito’s eye caused by an accidental headbutt.

While Margarito was trailing on the cards, the fight was still within reach. Aside from the Santos fight, you’d have to go back to 1996 to find another Margarito loss. Since losing to Santos, Margarito has been stellar.

Antonio battled Sebastian Lujan, winning by a tenth round TKO, he handed Kermit Cintron the first loss of his career and he did so in dominating fashion, scoring a fifth round TKO. Margarito wasted no time at all in his bout with Manuel Gomez, dropping Gomez in round one and winning by TKO.

In his most recent fight, he got the better of perennial contender Joshua Clottey, winning by unanimous decision. The Clottey bout was not his most impressive performance, but that can be forgiven due to the quality of his opponent.

WBA: Miguel Cotto, 29-0 (24), has made an impressive transition from WBO Junior Welterweight Champion to WBA Welterweight Champion. Cotto brought an undefeated record and a brutal body attack with him when he entered the 147 lb rankings and very little has changed since he arrived.

He beat highly regarded and previously undefeated Carlos Quintana to claim the vacant WBA strap. More recently in March of this year, he scored a TKO victory over a tough but light hitting Oktay Urkal.

Miguel has been in some big fights, however it his selection of opponents since jumping to welterweight that has drawn some criticism. While Quintana and Urkal are quality opponents who deserve to be considered among the top 10-15 welters in the world, it is no secret that they are light punchers who win most of their bouts by outboxing their opposition.

Miguel has done everything that he needs to do to put himself in title contention and if he is successful against Zab Judah in June, that should all but solidify a major title shot.

The aforementioned Zab Judah, 34-4 (25), makes his return to boxing and the welterweight division after being suspended following a near riot breaking out during his fight with Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather.

Judah has suffered all four of his career losses since 2001, some more devastating than others. He first tasted defeat as a junior welterweight when he lost to Kostya Tszyu, while the first loss as a welter came against Corey Spinks.

The Spinks bout could have earned him the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, but Zab lost by unanimous decision. He later avenged his loss to Spinks, winning by TKO in 9 rounds to claim all three belts.

Zab then had one successful defense before being upset by Carlos Baldomir. He followed the Baldomir disappointment by losing to Mayweather Jr., losing his cool and getting suspended from the sport.

This is the moment of truth in Zab Judah’s career. With the power, speed and skill to become champion again, the question is can he remain focused while putting together a championship run?

Assuming that Judah gets by Ruben Galvan in April, a win against the undefeated Cotto in June would be a huge step in the right direction toward reclaiming the status he once held as an elite welterweight.

Both Carlos Baldomir and Arturo Gatti remain fringe contenders.

After being thoroughly dominated by Floyd Mayweather, it remains to be seen how Baldomir, 43-10-6 (13), will bounce back. Over a 27 month span from 3/27/04 to 7/22/06, Baldomir faced four opponents with a combined record of 129-11 and beat them all.

The Argentine earned victories over Alpaslan Aguzum and Miguel Rodriguez, along with career defining wins over Zab Judah and Arturo Gatti, and was a world champion until his train was derailed by Mayweather.

His string of big wins looks like a once in a lifetime thing, but Baldomir has enough left in his tank to challenge the division’s top fighters and beat all but the very best. Carlos Baldomir definitely shouldn’t be underestimated; just ask Zab Judah.

Arturo Gatti, 40-8 (31), has lost two of his last four fights. While his two wins were respectable, coming against Jesse James Leija and Thomas Damgaard, unfortunately it’s his last two losses that have left even die hard Gatti fans hoping he’d call it quits.

Gatti was dealt a devastating TKO loss by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and then another by Carlos Baldomir. What is more telling is not that Gatti was knocked out, but more so that he was dominated from the opening bell in both fights.

Like Baldomir, Gatti should never be underestimated. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him put on another great fight or two but at this stage of his career, Gatti is going to come up short against the best in the division.

While Baldomir and Gatti may be approaching the twilight of their careers, two new stars appear headed for greatness.

Two of boxing’s hottest prospects reside in the welterweight division. Twenty three year old Andre Berto and twenty five year old Paul Williams look to headline the division in the very near future.

While it may be too soon to start talking championship for either fighter, they have both made a big impact with fans and boxing insiders alike.

Andre Berto has started his career with a bang, knocking out 15 of his first 17 opponents. Berto is 17-0 (15) and while it is true that he has yet to face a top notch contender, he has pretty much destroyed everyone he has been in with.

His combination of power and skill, as well as a humble and polite personality outside the ring, make him very marketable. Putting on big performances on the big stage never hurts either, as Berto has scored big knockouts in both of his HBO appearances, becoming an instant fan favorite.

Andre Berto is one to keep an eye on. He has championship potential and the work ethic to make it a reality.

Paul Williams has also built an impressive ring resume. He has faced a better level of competition and he has fared well. In his last three fights, Williams has scored a TKO win over Walter Matthysse, a KO won against Sharmba Mitchell and a TKO win over Santos Pakau.

At 32-0 (24), Williams looks ready to make a big impression on the welterweight division. With his 6 foot 1 inch frame and his freakish 82 inch wingspan, he’ll be making it tough for anybody to get inside on him.

His defense could use some work and at times he appears raw, but he is already considered by most to be a top ten welter and even as his competition has stiffened, he has found a way to be successful and done so decisively.

Williams is poised to become a top contender for the championship and he has a great chance at success.

The welterweight division is as strong as it’s been in years, maybe ever. We will have the pleasure of watching talented, exciting, young prospects compete to become top ranked.

We will see legends look to remake themselves and reinvent their greatness. Champions will defend their titles. Then something will finally give. When it does, a fighter will separate himself from this great pack of competitors and then he will surely be looked at as one of the best fighters in the boxing, regardless of division.