Cotto gives up WBO 140lb title!

[El Gamo]

The WBO 140 pound title has been vacated by Miguel Cotto who is moving to the 147 pound division. Cotto will box Carlos Quintana for the vacant WBA welterweight crown in Atlantic City, N.J. on Dec. 2. This opens the door for 'Mighty Mike' Arnaoutis, rated #1, and Ricardo Torres, rated #2 -- to battle for the vacant WBO jr. welterweight championship on the Pacquiao vs. Morales III 'Grand Finale' championship boxing event at the Thomas and Mack Center on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Aranaoutis, 17-0-1 with nine knockouts, is from Athens, Greece. He now lives and trains in Atlantic City, N.J. Torres, who was in that wild knockout war with Miguel Cotto, is 29-1, 27 KOs. He is from Barranquilla, Colombia.

"I am very excited about this world title fight. My matchmakers tell me Arnaoutis and Torres will be a real scorcher of a match," said Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia said "we are excited that Mighty Mike Aranoustis will have the opportunity to fight for the vacant WBO vacant title. It will give the world an opportunity to find out what we already know, that Mike is the toughest and best Jr. Welterweight in thw world.

"Mighty Mike came to us from Cestus Management earlier this year and we promised them that by the end of the year he would fight for the world title," DeGuardia said. "We delivered on our promise and we are confident that Mike will deliver on November 18 and give the Greek Americans their only World Champ."

Aranaoutis stepped up in class of opposition significantly in three fights in 2004, and rose to the occasion each time. He had a tremendous 12-round battle that ended in a draw against Juan Urango that August. Urango currently holds the IBF jr. welterweight world title. In Mike's next two fights against Jesse Feliciano (KO1) in October and Juaquin Gallardo (KO3) in Demember, he showed that he can be a devastating puncher.

Mike was very impressive in his two recent fights against previously undefeated opponents - Marc Thompson (14-0), and Jose Leo Moreno (12-0). Mike stopped both of them in the first round.

Regarding his nickname, Arnaoutis said, "When I first met (advisor) Mike Michael, I was in the Lennox Lewis center in London. One day when I was sparring with Steve Murray, a European contender, Mike saw the way I fought and called me, 'Mighty Mike.' That was in 2000."

Torres didn't receive much fanfare before challenging Cotto in September, 2005. Torres was a late substitute and complete unknown in the U.S. - he had never fought here before, and had only fought once outside of his native Colombia.

But he gained a legion of fans with his performance. It was a sensational battle, one of the best fights of the year - Ricardo scored a knockdown and staggered Cotto several times, but Cotto scored four knockdowns and knocked out Ricardo in the seventh round.

Boxing News reported, "Torres took the fight on three weeks' notice, after Gianluca Branco fell out. What a warrior."

The 'Grand Finale' undercard will include WBC Light Flyweight champion Omar Nino of Mexico in a defense over former champion Brian 'Hawaiian Punch' Viloria of Waipahu, Hawaii.

Super featherweight Juan Carlos Salgado, 16-0-1, 13 KOs, of Mexico City will make his Top Rank debut. Vanes 'Nightmares' Martirosyan, an unbeaten super welterweight, of Glendale, Calif., is scheduled for six rounds.

Pacquiao vs. Morales III 'The Grand Finale' is promoted by Top Rank in association with Wynn Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Morales III will be broadcast on HBO Pay Per View

http://www.fightnews.com/1318.htm

I hope this means Cotto is not coming back to 140,he has to work too hard to lose the weight!

[ICB]

so hes moving up to 147 thats a shame i wanted to see cotto vs hatton at 140 oh well

[bigragu]

so hes moving up to 147 thats a shame i wanted to see cotto vs hatton at 140 oh well

Hatton dodges another bullet.....and another...and another....all the big fights are in the 147...he's going to have to man up and throw his hat in.....

[El Gamo]

Well if Ricky really wants the big names,then after he fights Castillo,he should move up and call out Cotto and Floyd because I don't see them comng back down to fight him. 147 is the best division in boxing right now bar none so it would not make sense for Cotto to struggle back to 140..he looked so gaunt at the weigh ins,it was bound to catch up with him somewhere.

[cockey cockney]

Well if Ricky really wants the big names,then after he fights Castillo,he should move up and call out Cotto and Floyd because I don't see them comng back down to fight him. 147 is the best division in boxing right now bar none so it would not make sense for Cotto to struggle back to 140..he looked so gaunt at the weigh ins,it was bound to catch up with him somewhere.

Yeah i like that mate, Cotto will be a big force at 147 IMO. Very very good boxer, Margarito would be beaten by Cotto IMO, Floyd would take him however. Cotto vs Hatton or PBF or Margarito or Collazo even all make for very exciting fights.

[El Gamo]

Well if Ricky really wants the big names,then after he fights Castillo,he should move up and call out Cotto and Floyd because I don't see them comng back down to fight him. 147 is the best division in boxing right now bar none so it would not make sense for Cotto to struggle back to 140..he looked so gaunt at the weigh ins,it was bound to catch up with him somewhere.

Yeah i like that mate, Cotto will be a big force at 147 IMO. Very very good boxer, Margarito would be beaten by Cotto IMO, Floyd would take him however. Cotto vs Hatton or PBF or Margarito or Collazo even all make for very exciting fights.

I hope you are right bro,Cotto needs to be a force at 147,I don't see anything particularly exciting for him at 140 except Hatton and Castillo. At 147,he has:

Margarito-I think Cotto would lose this. I love both these guys but Tony would trap Cotto on the ropes and beat on him.

Collazo-would be a great fight!

Quintana-talk about tough test for a first fight. IF Cotto wins,it would make a BIG BIG statment to the rest at 147.

PBF- Give him a couple of years and Miguel would be a good challnege for Floyd! I'd like to see him make Floyd come to him and also,the fact that Cotto likes working head and body,everyone apart from maybe Castillo and Chavez was exclusively head hunting. I'd still probably fancy Mayweather

Then there are other guys like Cintron,Williams,Suarez,Julio,PLUS Gatti said he wants Cotto before he retires,a fight that I think will certainly be made somwhere down the line and you can see why 147 is the plce to be!

Oh and I forgot Mosley!!!!!

What a fwocking great division!

[cockey cockney]

Well if Ricky really wants the big names,then after he fights Castillo,he should move up and call out Cotto and Floyd because I don't see them comng back down to fight him. 147 is the best division in boxing right now bar none so it would not make sense for Cotto to struggle back to 140..he looked so gaunt at the weigh ins,it was bound to catch up with him somewhere.

Yeah i like that mate, Cotto will be a big force at 147 IMO. Very very good boxer, Margarito would be beaten by Cotto IMO, Floyd would take him however. Cotto vs Hatton or PBF or Margarito or Collazo even all make for very exciting fights.

I hope you are right bro,Cotto needs to be a force at 147,I don't see anything particularly exciting for him at 140 except Hatton and Castillo. At 147,he has:

Margarito-I think Cotto would lose this. I love both these guys but Tony would trap Cotto on the ropes and beat on him.

Collazo-would be a great fight!

Quintana-talk about tough test for a first fight. IF Cotto wins,it would make a BIG BIG statment to the rest at 147.

PBF- Give him a couple of years and Miguel would be a good challnege for Floyd! I'd like to see him make Floyd come to him and also,the fact that Cotto likes working head and body,everyone apart from maybe Castillo and Chavez was exclusively head hunting. I'd still probably fancy Mayweather

Then there are other guys like Cintron,Williams,Suarez,Julio,PLUS Gatti said he wants Cotto before he retires,a fight that I think will certainly be made somwhere down the line and you can see why 147 is the plce to be!

Oh and I forgot Mosley!!!!!

What a fwocking great division!

man whatta fooking division!

[El Gamo]

CC back my man,it's the best division I have ever seen since I've been a boxing fan(lol 2 years but hey,it must be up there all time wise!)

[Andre]

Its always been a great division to watch ;the balance of all boxings weights styles and skills is found there for my money, you can get a mixture of the best things off every weight can all still happen at 147.
I hope Ricky moves up and goes for it for our sake and his own;
To not do so would be to retire with a question never answerable within himself.

[Pugilistic]

Well if Ricky really wants the big names,then after he fights Castillo,he should move up and call out Cotto and Floyd because I don't see them comng back down to fight him. 147 is the best division in boxing right now bar none so it would not make sense for Cotto to struggle back to 140..he looked so gaunt at the weigh ins,it was bound to catch up with him somewhere.

yeah your right. mayweather or cotto are the best opponents for hatton

[DaxxKahn]

This one should have been no suprise...It was getting hard to make the weight and the $$$$ is at 147

[Preme]

hehe thught he moved up already. Was quite gutted hatton moved back down 'coz there is like 1 or 2 fights there with castilo and corales, other than that he neds to be at WW where there mayweathers and cottos are,