Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, announced today that the mega-fight between boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound king and the reigning Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Fighter of the Year, Manny “PacMan†Pacquiao, and the pride of Puerto Rico and three-time world champion Miguel Cotto is official.
“Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto have reached an agreement to fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 14,†said Arum. (more…)
OK, this is a little awkward. When the news broke this week that Showtime has created a six man tournament in the super middleweight division I was, well, ecstatic.
I love the talent in super middleweight division, and I think boxing needs something fresh and daring like this tourney. Now those are my honest, gut level reactions to this news.
Here’s the awkward part. Since I’m employed as the lead boxing analyst for Showtime Championship Boxing, it’s just barely possible that some might think that kind of enthusiasm is not arrived at objectively.
They might reasonably assume that I have a more subjective agenda in praising this new venture…like keeping my job. Well, I won’t deny that my 10 year old son’s penchant for purchasing every Star Wars item ever made means I can hardly afford a loss in income.
But, my giddy reaction to the super six tourney is as genuine as could be. You can suggest it’s misguided or even wrong, but you can’t get me for being a total company man.
I could trot out the argument that my track record as a broadcaster suggests fairness, and I could point to the countless times I have praised the product of other networks in columns like this or on my boxing channel.
But I have a better and less narcissistic argument to use—my reaction must be an honest one because it’s the same as everyone else’s. Virtually every boxing writer, broadcaster or fan I have talked to or listened to has said the same thing—this is great.
Perhaps there are a few complete misanthropes intent on concentrating on the potential pitfalls like injuries, mid-tourney retirements, or old fashioned contract breaking. Finding those people is about as hard as finding Miguel Cotto fans in the Phillipines. (more…)
There has been plenty of speculation as to where Ricky Hatton can go following his recent destruction at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.
There was a huge amount of press and fans alike that were immediately of the opinion that Hatton should retire, hang up the gloves and bow out as a former two-weight world champion and the case being that he only ever lost to the two top fighters on the planet.
The world was shocked when Hatton was floored twice in the first round by Pacquiao and put to sleep in the second, well everyone except Freddie Roach.
Most experts agreed that whilst Pacquiao would win, it would be a hard, drawn out battle of will against skill, but what we all saw was something completely different.
As Pacquiao now emerges as arguably one of the greatest fighters the Philippines have ever produced, Hatton’s career seems to be in disarray.
However, there are options out there for Hatton. If he were to retire, he would be remembered for some very special nights, i.e. Kostya Tszyu, or his thrilling stoppage of Jose Luis Castillo and some incredibly gutsy performances on a domestic level like when he out-boxed Jon Thaxton.
These were the sort of nights that secured Ricky his huge crowds, for he was never a brash, loud and arrogant fighter like Floyd Mayweather Jr, nor was he the go in, get the job done Terminator-esque typle like Miguel Cotto.
Here was a man who fought with his heart on his sleeve and a nation behind him. Moreover, the best part of all is that when the night was through, you could find the bar he was in and actually ask him how he felt the fight went over a beer! (more…)
While we all wait for the apparently inevitable announcement that Manny Pacquiao will fight Miguel Cotto, I think it’s wise to really sit back and try and put the Pacquiao story in perspective. Our goal here is to come up with some historical perspective that is reasoned.
In doing that you would think that the exploits of Pacquiao would take on less superhuman traits and be viewed through a prism less filled with hyperbole and more geared to hard scrutiny. That’s what you would think.
But, in reality, the process of taking a step back and really dissecting what Pacquiao has done in his career makes me more impressed and more willing to talk in terms of “greatest†and “historically important.â€
I said a few weeks ago that if Manny Pacquiao beats Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley or Floyd Mayweather Jr., he will have stamped himself as the greatest EVER at lighter weights, 135 or below. That’s a bold statement, but I believe I can back it up with a strong case.
The quartet of Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez produced the greatest series of fights seen at any time in boxing. They occurred during a decade’s span in a few weight divisions. This series of fights exceeded even the Hagler, Leonard, Hearns and Duran combinations of matches. (more…)
Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade Miguel Cotto proved that he has the heart of a champion retaining his WBO Welterweight title with a hard fought split decision victory over Joshua Clottey in front of nearly 18,000 fans.
In a fight that could have gone to either fighter the judges scored in favor of Cotto by scores of 116-111 and 115-112 while the score for Clottey was 114-113. Although many rounds could have been awarded to either fighter I felt Cotto had won a close decision by a score of 115-112.
The first round was one of the previously mentioned that could have gone to either fighter until Cotto 34-1 (27) delivered a jab near the end of the round that dropped Clottey 35-3 (21). It appeared to be a flash knock-down from a well-timed jab that caught Clottey as he was unbalanced.
After some back and forth action Cotto suffered a severe cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt at the end of round three, which would bother him for the rest of the fight. In the post fight interview Cotto would later say that he could not see Clottey’s right coming for the last five rounds of the fight.
The fifth round was all Clottey as he took advantage of Cotto who was obviously bothered by the cut landing several accurate punches as Cotto pawed at the blood streaming from his eye. Clottey’s momentum in the round was interrupted when he came in on Cotto getting hung up on his shoulder and fell face first into the canvas as Cotto shrugged him off. (more…)
MIguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey went to war last night over 12 hard rounds at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden with Cotto emerging still in possession of his WBO Welterweight title by a narrow split decision.
Clottey showed a massive heart by taking everything the Puerto Rican star could dish out while coming back time and time again with rattling combinations of his own.
The bout proved difficult to score as the pair went at it in close quarters and a Cotto knockdown of Clottey in the very first frame proved to be the deciding factor in the clash.
Cotto, who was cut in the third from a clash of heads, had much of his successes early and enjoyed a good round in the sixth when he went all out to stop Clottey but the challenger survived the shelling. (more…)
Miguel Cotto graced Trinity Boxing Club, in downtown Manhattan, with his presence and sweat earlier this week.
He is facing Joshua Clottey tonight, defending his WBO welterweight title at Madison Square Garden, where he is continuously adored by his large fan base.
As the gym felt the city heat trickle through the window, the un-phased Cotto paced himself for the duration of his tough regime that ran around an hour and forty minutes.
It included landing precise punches to the pads, lengthy jump roping, shadowboxing, advanced stretching technique. (more…)
At the lobby of the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Top Rank held a final press conference to promote the Welterweight Championship fight between undefeated WBO titlist Miguel Cotto, 33-1 (27), and Joshua Clottey, 35-2 (21).
The bout will be televised live on HBO this Saturday, June 13 at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
Promoter Bob Arum not only spoke about the upcoming title fight, but also took time to speak about Cotto’s involvement in the Wounded Warriors Project. “It’s great when one of our champions takes on a cause from the bottom of his heart. Miguel Cotto has taken on the cause of the United States Wounded Warriors.†(more…)
Russian amateur sensation Dmitry Chudinov will be ringside this Saturday night, June 13th, at the “Mecca of Boxingâ€, New York City’s Madison Square Garden, to watch his rival countryman Matt Korobov battle on the undercard of the Welterweight World Championship Bout between Miguel Cotto and challenger Joshua Clottey. (more…)
Three-time world champion Miguel Cotto, (33-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, will be holding a free public workout in the Bronx, today, Saturday, June 6, beginning at 2:30 P.M. ET, in an outdoor ring at 152nd and Wales Streets.
Cotto, who is in his final week of training, will be defending his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey, (35-2, 21 KOs), from the Bronx, Saturday, June 13, at Madison Square Garden. (more…)
As we bask in the glory of great fights already held this year and look ahead to bouts like Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Juan Manuel Marquez in July and Manny Pacquiao vs. Somebody in October, let’s not forget a fight that is just upon us; the battle between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey on June 13th in Madison Square Garden, which could get lost in the shuffle. That would be a shame.
The match is certainly not “lost†to the many East Coast fans who are planning to attend. Many tickets have been sold and a full house is expected. On a global scale, however, this match may not be totally understood. Make no mistake, this is potentially a great fight and is anything but the “transition†fight for Miguel Cotto that some believe it to be. This is a shootout in the making.
Miguel Cotto is a superb fighter. He has lost only once, and frankly, that loss is called into question because of the Margarito glove tampering in his fight with Shane Mosley. But, Cotto is only 11 months removed from that beating at the hands of Margarito, and only a win over C-level Michael Jennings has come since.
Cotto has always been an exciting, but slightly vulnerable champ. He can be damaged, but before Margarito, never broken. Did the Jennings win and the healing of time make him whole again? Trust me, we will find out on June 13th.
Joshua Clottey is champion but not an A-list fighter. He has had to claw for every opportunity and crumb of recognition he could get in his 13 year career. But, through it all, Clottey has remained focused and he has improved.
But for two hand injuries in the fight, he would likely have beaten Margarito when he fought him. Clottey was winning handily over the first four rounds, when the injuries struck. Even then he lost a decision and was never in trouble against Margarito.
Certain football and basketball games and soccer matches are referred to as “trap†games—a tough contest that comes at just the wrong time for a team. This is a trap fight for Cotto. With a tough loss behind him and a possible mega-fight with Pacquiao in front of him, he is faced with Clottey. He is faced with a fighter who is better than almost anyone gives him credit for being, and a fighter who is hungry for stardom. (more…)
Undefeated two-time world champion Ivan “Iron Boy†Calderon of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico will make his Madison Square Garden debut on Saturday, June 13, headlining the undercard of the big world championship welterweight clash between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey.
Calderon, 32-0 (6), making the fourth defense of his WBO junior flyweight belt, will be facing steel-fisted No. 4 contender Rodel Mayol, 25-3 (19), from Manadue City, Cebu, Philippines. (more…)