Boxing News

Tag: Miguel Cotto

  • Boxing Perspective: Does Hatton vs. Pacquiao Parallel Pryor vs. Arguello?

    Just under 27 years ago, two men stepped into the ring and created the most memorable 140lb bout to ever take place when former three division champion Alexis “El Flaco Explosivo” Arguello stepped up to challenge then reigning WBA light welterweight champion Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor in his quest for a fourth division championship.

    Arguello, the crowd favorite by far, had not lost in five years and was widely considered one of boxing’s pound for pound greats, while Pryor was undefeated and had developed an aura of invincibility, stopping 29 of his 31 previous opponents.

    The bout did not disappoint onlookers in any way, shape or form as the two men went to war, giving it all they had until finally Arguello had enough and the bout was halted in the 14th round.

    Until this day, no other 140lb bout has captured the heart of boxing fans the way Arguello vs. Pryor had, nor to this date has there been another light welterweight bout which produced the same amount of electricity that circulated through the air of Miami’s Orange Bowl on November 11 1982. Not even when Julio Cesar Chavez faced off in the first of two meetings with Meldrick Taylor.

    Some fans had even come to believe that we might not see another bout of that proportion in that division for another 50 years, if ever! This of course has little to do with the fact that talent has been scarce at that weight because the light welterweight division has been anything but lackluster in talent over these past 25 plus years. (more…)

  • Ringside Boxing Report: Cotto v Jennings


    © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

    Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City Miguel Cotto regained the WBO Welterweight Title by sending Michael Jennings to the canvas three times before the referee stopped the bout at 2:36 of round five.

    After his loss to Margarito last year, Cotto 33-1 (27) was looking to regain not only his confidence but also a world title. Mentally, the confidence may have been the bigger challenge; coming back after a brutal loss, having HBO pass on broadcasting your fight and entering the ring at Madison Square Garden to a crowd of 11,120 fans instead of the sell-out crowds that you have grown accustomed.

    Regardless of the challenge Cotto was ready and proved to himself and his fans that he is still a dominant force in the welterweight division.

    In a tactical opening round Jennings back peddled while Cotto primarily used his jab throwing only a few combinations. (more…)

  • British Boxing: Jennings Falls To Cotto In Madison Square Garden


    © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

    Last night at Madison Square Garden in New York, British man Michael Jennings faced his toughest challenge yet as he met Miguel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight title.

    From the start, Jennings puts a lot of distance between himself and Cotto. Cotto stays in the middle of the ring while Jennings covers most of the canvas area keeping a couple of metres of ‘space’ between them and just dodging in with straight lefts and rights.

    Cotto goes for the body in the closing minute of the round and tries for an uppercut which misses its mark. It’s a cautious first round. Southpaw Cotto lands a good left hook to the face of Jennings mid-way through the third. (more…)

  • Boxing Result: Pavlik Stops Rubio In Comeback Title Defense

    Any questions that may have surrounded the career of Kelly Pavlik following his serious dismantlement at the hands of Bernard Hopkins last year were answered last night as the Youngstown, OH man impressed a hometown audience at the Chevrolet Center by defeating challenger Marco Antonio Rubio.

    With the Hopkins bout taking place at 170 pounds, the WBO and WBC middleweight titles of Pavlik were never at risk during that contest and the two world crowns were a motivating force for Rubio, hailing from Torreon, Mexico.

    But motivated or not, one thing Rubio found out he could not do against Pavlik was outbox the champion.

    It had been nine bouts since Rubio had made a similar discovery, with former IBF champ Kassim Ouma and future European titlist Zaurbek Baysangurov beating the Mexican in bouts that went the distance at light middleweight.

    Pavlik had bigger bombs in his arsenal, however, than anyone else Rubio had faced to date and that was apparent from the moment the pair touched gloves in the first round. (more…)

  • Boxing Preview Analysis: Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings


    © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

    The impossible may be possible tonight when Chorley, England’s Michael Jennings meets former champion Miguel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight title at the Mecca of boxing, New York’s Madison Square Garden.

    For Jennings, it’s a massive leap into the big time. For Cotto, it’s a chance to get his career back on track after his first professional defeat against Antonio Margarito last July.

    One year ago, things were going great for Cotto. Undefeated and looking like the next superstar in the sport, he was seen by many as the man to carry the welterweight division. (more…)

  • Top Rank Boxing: Pavlik, Rubio Promise Fireworks

    Wall-to-wall media at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, including two network affiliate television crews broadcasting live, attended today’s final news conference hosted by World Middleweight Champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik of Youngstown, his opponent, No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio of Mexico, and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank. (more…)

  • Final NY Boxing Press Conference: Cotto v Jennings

    **With Slideshow**

    © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

    Yesterday at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater in New York City, Top Rank hosted their final press conference for their “Two World Title Fights – One Night” Pay-Per-View event which will take place this Saturday, February 21 hosted from two locations.

    The evening will begin at the “Mecca of Boxing” Madison Square Garden in New York City where Two-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto 32-1 (26) will face Michael Jennings 34-1 (16) for the vacant WBO Welterweight Title. The broadcast location will then shift to Youngstown, OH where WBC & WBO Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik 34-1 (30) will face number one rated Marco Antonio Rubio 43-4-1 (38).

    Cotto will not only look to regain the welterweight title but also come back from the first loss of his career last July to Antonio Margarito. (more…)

  • British Boxing: Michael Jennings Vows To Break Miguel Cotto’s Heart

    Heartbreaker Michael Jennings is abandoning his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day so he can concentrate on breaking Miguel Cotto’s heart in New York.

    But Jennings has vowed to return from the States with two-dozen red roses – and the WBO World Welterweight title. (more…)

  • Irish Boxing Hero John Duddy Returns On Cotto vs. Jennings Bill

    Undefeated Top-Five contenders “Ireland’s” John Duddy and Anthony Peterson will light it up in separate bouts at Madison Square Garden, headlining the undercard of the Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings / Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik vs. Marco Antonio Rubio two-city / two-title pay-per-view extravaganza. (more…)

  • Boxing Perspective: Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings

    Miguel Cotto started the year 2008 as the man to beat at 147 pounds with a hard fought win over the highly rated Shane Mosley. When Cotto entered the 147 pound weight class, some people criticised that he simply wasnʼt big enough for the welterweights and that the larger fighters would be too much for him to handle.

    Cotto answered the critics with a sheer dominant performance over fellow countryman Carlos Quintana. Cotto looked really strong at the weight and with his later performances at 140 pounds, the 147 move was essential for. He showed that night that he was the future of the 147 pound weight class and defended his title four times enroute to the Antonio Margarito clash.

    The fight which really appealed to me was the Zab Judah fight in June, 2007; it really did show that Cotto was on track to becoming the best welterweight in the world. With Floyd Mayweather Jr avoiding fighters like Cotto, Paul Williams and Margarito, it was time for the weight class to start really sorting out who was the best.

    The p4p number one was interested in the come-forward pressure style of Cotto or Margarito, but I personally think he was put off by the size of Williams above everything else. The only way in which Cotto would ever get a shot at Floyd would be to go after the other elite 147 pound fighters.

    In July, 2008, Cotto got a shot against Margarito, who many still believe was the best 147 pound fighter at the time. In my opinion, going into that fight, Margarito was the third best welterweight behind Cotto and Williams, who had beaten Margarito a year prior to this fight.

    The status of these elite fighters is what made this fight really what it was. Everything to gain and lose from this very important fight and that is what was shown from start to finish. Cotto canʼt have anything taken away from him in that fight as his game plan was so effective for the first six rounds. (more…)

  • Boxing Quotes: Cotto, Jennings, Pavlik, Rubio

    Miguel Cotto: I don’t know anything about my opponent. I have not watched any tapes of him.

    Right now I feel good, but I miss the gym and the fights. I am hungry to get back. I have walked around at about 176 or 178. The people in Puerto Rico have made me feel real good, as well as my family.

    In New York there is a strong Puerto Rican population and latin community and to fight here makes me feel at home. (more…)

  • HBO Boxing: Cotto, Pavlik Headline Massive PPV February 21

    It will be a tale of two cities when two-division world champion Miguel Cotto returns to the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden and World Middleweight Champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik makes his world title defense a real homecoming at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.

    Cotto and Pavlik headline an exciting night of championship boxing fighting in winner-take-all world championship brawls. Cotto will be taking on top-rated contender Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title. (more…)