2010 Official Boxing Thread: Soto/Antillon, 2010 Fight of the Year.
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Audley???Originally Posted by Proshares
Haye is still running away and what not so it looks like it'll be Wlad/Povetkin in the fall and Haye/Audley Harrison
Even people in England aint trying to see that fight.... my man beeeeeeeeeeen washed up! Hayes an idiot if he makes the fight. He don't deserve a shot at all.
[h4]
[/h4][h4]Klitschko fighting Sosnowski but thinking Haye[/h4]
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Lars Baron/Getty ImagesDoes this look like a man who wants to share the ring with Vitali Klitschko?
Since ending a nearly four-year retirement in 2008, Vitali Klitschko has been doing the same thing as his younger brother and fellow heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko -- cleaning out the division in dominant fashion.
Vitali ended his injury-induced retirement by crushing Samuel Peter to take back his old title, forcing Peter to quit after the eighth round. In his four fights since ending the retirement, Klitschko has faced quality opponents and scarcely lost a round.
He drilled Juan Carlos Gomez in the ninth round, overpowered Cris Arreola until his corner threw in the towel after 10 rounds and then won a shutout decision against Kevin Johnson in December.
With virtually no major name available -- the brothers have vowed never to fight each other -- Klitschko (39-2, 37) will make his fourth defense Saturday (Integrated Sports PPV, 3 p.m. ET, $24.95) at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where a crowd of more than 60,000 is expected for his fight with Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs).
Sosnowski, a native of Poland based in England, is a virtual unknown who four fights ago lost a shutout eight-round decision to journeyman Zuri Lawrence. But Sosnowski is getting the opportunity of a lifetime because the division is bereft of top contenders the Klitschko brothers haven't already destroyed.
The brothers, of course, would like to face titleholder David Haye in what would surely be the biggest fight the division has to offer. However, Haye has continually talked up fights against them only to go in another direction. Another possibility is Tomasz Adamek, the former cruiserweight champ making a splash at heavyweight.
"I am ready to fight anyone. We are ready to fight everyone to show we are the strongest boxers in the world in the heavyweight division," Vitali Klitschko said. "Wladimir knocked out the best American, Eddie Chambers, in the last fight. I just fought against Kevin Johnson. Who else? There are no big names. Sosnowski doesn't have so big [a] name as Muhammad Ali, so we wait on the new generation.
"There is no Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson anymore. We have to wait and be ready to fight anyone. I hope there are big names coming and that I am still fighting. If the new generation grows up fast, let's see. We need to see some new names with interest of the public."
So Klitschko, 38, did his best to talk up Sosnowski, 31, as a legitimate opponent during a conference call with the American media this week to promote the pay-per-view.
"I know Sosnowski is hungry. He's tough. He has nothing to lose," Klitschko said. "This is a big chance and opportunity for him to win [a] world title. I know it will be not easy to fight against him. I see in his eye that he is hungry for the fight and hungry to take the world title. It will be a real battle."
Sosnowski did his best to make his case as well.
"I realize that all the experts consider me a long shot, but Klitschko will regret having given me this opportunity," Sosnowski said. "He's already passed his prime. Many of his fights have been against living punching bags who had already lost in the locker room. You only have an opportunity like this once in a lifetime and I want to use it. I'll show Vitali and become be the first Polish heavyweight champion."
Although Klitschko was intent on talking about Sosnowski, the discussion eventually turned to Haye, who has taunted both brothers relentlessly and angered them by wearing a T-shirt to a news conference depicting an image of himself holding the bloody severed heads of the brothers.
Haye drew their ire again last summer when he pulled out of a fight with Wladimir just a couple of weeks ahead of time claiming an injury and later refused to sign a deal that had been negotiated for him to fight Vitali.
"I want to fight David Haye very much," Vitali said. "Wladimir wants to fight against him also but he told me that the title doesn't interest him. I want to fight David Haye because I want to [have] a double world title. Wladimir wants to fight him because it's personal. He wants to close his mouth inside the ring. David Haye understands that a fight against one of the Klitschko brothers will be the end of his career. I promise David Haye that a fight with me will be much shorter than one with my brother, because Wladimir will beat him badly for all 12 rounds and then knock him out. I give proposal to David Haye. I will make it easier for him. I will knock him out in three, maximum four rounds. The fight against Klitschko will mean the end of his career. It's why he tries to use every excuse to jump away.
"Nobody believe his injuries a few weeks before the fight with Wladimir. Then we were ready to sign a contract for my fight, and he jumped away. He has to fight. All boxing audience want to see the fight -- David Haye against one of the Klitschko brothers. David Haye, we give him the opportunity. He can decide [which brother] he wants to fight."
In a rarity, Integrated Sports is also offering a second pay-per-view card on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, $34.95). This one, titled "Undefeated Champions" from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, features two Puerto Rican titleholders making defenses.
Junior featherweight titlist Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (18-0-1, 15 KOs) makes his first defense against Germany-based mandatory challenger Zsolt Bedak (14-0-1, 12 KOs) of Hungary, and junior lightweight titlist Rocky Martinez (22-0-1, 14 KOs) makes his second defense against Gonzalo Mungia (17-6-3, 13 KOs). Also featured will be the Arroyo twins, bantamweight McJoe (2-0, 1 KO) and junior bantamweight McWilliams (2-0, 2 KOs), both former Puerto Rican Olympians.
[h4]Judah fight on FNF[/h4]
Marty Rosengarten/Ringsidephotos.com Zab Judah is hooking up with some old friends in hopes of jumpstarting his career.
Former welterweight champ Zab Judah's return at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., is set for July 16 and will headline on "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2), Main Events promoter Kathy Duva said.
Judah (38-6, 26 KOs), who returned to his original promoter this week to co-promote his career with his own company, Super Judah Promotions, faces former interim lightweight titlist Jose Armando Santa Cruz (28-4, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder at 143 pounds, Duva said.
"It's never going to get dull," she said of working with Judah, 32, eight years after they split. "We've known Zab for a long time," Duva said of the New Yorker. "He wants to build his company, which a lot of fighters have been doing lately. He wanted a situation where he could work with someone that would not dictate to him, and he is comfortable with us. He has a good relationship with the people here, especially [longtime Main Events employee] Jolene [Mizzone]. We're going to work together and hopefully it's for the rest of his career.
"We're approaching this as a partnership and we'll give him a chance to learn this end of the business. We have the same idea -- that he needs to get busy, get in the ring few times and be in his home area. He has a lot of mileage left on him. He's decided he wants to do it right and we can do it right."
Duva said Judah would also fight Oct. 2 in Newark unless a significant opportunity arose. "We're not here to wait for television dates," she said. "We have a plan."
[h4]Power struggle[/h4]
AP Photo/Hans Deryk It might be a while before we see Guillermo Rigondeaux doing this to someone again.
An ongoing dispute over junior featherweight Guillermo Rigondeaux's contract has him sidelined and unlikely to appear in a scheduled ESPN2 fight June 4 in Miami. Rigondeaux (5-0, 4 KOs), the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Cuban defector, was supposed to face Reynaldo Lopez in a bout that was rescheduled from April. But Rigondeaux's manager, Gary Hyde, and his promoter, Luis DeCubas, are embroiled in a power struggle over control of his career.
Rigondeaux left Hyde and later signed with DeCubas. But Hyde, who would like to place Rigondeaux with another promoter, went to court and won a judgment for his managerial contract to be upheld. That means Rigondeaux can't fight unless Hyde signs off on any bout.
Hyde also wants Rigondeaux to get back together with trainer Freddie Roach, whom he split with before the April bout was postponed.
"Misinformation and false accusations against Roach were made by people who have been controlling Rigondeaux," Hyde said. "The truth is Rigo left Freddie because Roach said he wasn't in proper condition to fight April 10, because he'd been training only two weeks. They said Freddie didn't have the authority to prevent Rigo from fighting, so, as his manager, I stopped him from taking that fight. Then they instructed Rigo to leave Freddie and return to Miami."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
[h4]QUICK HITS[/h4]
Adamek
• After heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek beat Cristobal Arreola on April 24, the ex-cruiserweight champ's most significant win in three fights since moving up in weight, there was talk of a title bout with David Haye, one of the Klitschkos, or an Arreola rematch. But Adamek and trainers Roger Bloodworth and Ronnie Shields, who have worked with him for only one fight, are taking it slow. Instead of facing a big name, Adamek will fight ex-title challenger Michael Grant (46-3, 34 KOs), who has won eight straight against low-level opponents and hasn't been regarded as a serious contender for nearly a decade. Poland's Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs), now living in Jersey City, N.J., will face Grant Aug. 21 at the Prudential Center in Newark, Main Events' Kathy Duva said. Adamek has become a major draw there because of the large Polish community. Duva said she spoke with HBO, which aired the Arreola bout, about Adamek's next fight but it wouldn't commit to a date. "Tomasz wanted to fight soon and we couldn't wait for HBO," Duva said. She said the 6-foot-5 Grant was selected to give Adamek experience against a tall opponent. "If he's going to have a career at heavyweight he's going to fight guys 6-5. Might as well get used to it," she said. "Roger and Ronnie want him to learn about fighting a big guy and they want to have time to work with him on things." If Adamek wins, Duva said he'd return to Newark in November, unless a significant fight came up.
Darchinyan
• After junior bantamweight champ Vic Darchinyan won a bantamweight bout in Australia on May 20 and featherweight Rafael Marquez stopped Israel Vazquez in their fourth bout two days later, the winners mentioned the possibility of fighting each other. Darchinyan wants to move up in weight for a big fight and he and Marquez are both promoted by Gary Shaw. While the match is possible, it probably won't be next. Shaw told ESPN.com he's planning a Showtime doubleheader in September that would feature them in separate bouts. Shaw said he'll meet with Showtime to discuss the particulars.
Chavez Jr.
• It took awhile for him to show up, but middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is in Hollywood, Calif., training with Freddie Roach at his Wild Card gym in preparation for his June 26 bout against John Duddy, which headlines Top Rank's "Latin Fury 15" pay-per-view card from San Antonio. So far, Roach likes what he sees. "He has good skills, has a nice pop on his punch and does everything I ask for in the ring," Roach said. "I am working with him to sit down on his punches, not move so much while throwing."
• Light heavyweight titlist Beibut Shumenov (9-1, 6 KOs), a native of Kazakhstan based in Las Vegas, makes his mandatory defense against Ukraine's Vyacheslav Uzelkov (22-0, 14 KO) July 23 at a site to be determined on "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2), promoter Dan Goossen told ESPN.com. Goossen signed Shumenov earlier this month. Fighting in Kazakhstan, Shumenov lost a majority decision challenging Spain's Gabriel Campillo for the belt last summer. However, in the January rematch in Las Vegas, Shumenov claimed the title via controversial split decision.
Arce
• Jorge Arce suffered a cut over his right eye while sparring and will need a few weeks to heal, forcing him to withdraw from his June 26 bout with interim bantamweight titlist Eric Morel. The fight had been slated for Top Rank's "Latin Fury 15" pay-per-view. "The cut was bad enough to push him off the card," Top Rank's Carl Moretti said. Arce, who claimed a vacant junior bantamweight belt in January, relinquished it in order to move up in weight to challenge Morel. No replacement fight is set for the pay-per-view, but Top Rank has fights on the show involving junior welterweight prospect Mike Alvarado and featherweight prospect Salvador Sanchez. Only one was ticketed for television, but now both likely will make air.
Ponce De Leon
• One of the possible fights for the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz II HBO PPV undercard July 31 at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay was a featherweight scrap between former junior featherweight titlist Daniel Ponce De Leon and ex-bantamweight titlist Jhonny Gonzalez. However, Gonzalez was cut in a recent win, so he's out. Golden Boy also offered the bout to Antonio Escalante, but his manager, Lester Bedford, told ESPN.com he turned it down because Escalante is coming off injuries to both elbows, which forced him out of a recent ESPN2 fight. Bedford said he would like Escalante to have a fight or two with new trainer Louie Burke "before jumping into a big fight." Golden Boy is also exploring undercard fights involving middleweight Daniel Jacobs, the 2009 ESPN.com prospect of the year, and former featherweight and junior lightweight titlist Jorge Linares.
Green
• Showtime's "Fight Camp 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic" documentary series, which has been following the tournament inside and outside of the ring, returns for its sixth episode June 2 (11 p.m. ET/PT). The 30-minute episode goes behind the scenes at Mikkel Kessler's dramatic title-winning victory against Carl Froch on April 24 and previews the June 19 bout between titlist Andre Ward and Allan Green, the final fight of Group Stage 2. If you have missed any of the previous five episodes, they can be viewed at www.WorldBoxingClassic.com.
Gomez
• Germany-based heavyweight contender Juan Carlos Gomez (46-2, 36 KOs) goes for his third consecutive victory since Vitali Klitschko knocked him out in the ninth round of a March 2009 title bout when he faces Turkey's Oezcan Cetinkaya (17-6-1, 11 KOs) on June 4 in Germany. Gomez laments the state of the division. "I know that I lost to Vitali clearly and I also know that I am not in the shape of my life at the moment," Gomez said. "But still I am a better boxer than all of the [Ruslan] Chagaevs, [Nikolai] Valuevs, [Albert] Sosnowskis and [David] Hayes out there. The Klitschkos are good fighters without a doubt but they mainly look so strong and dominant because they lack good competition. The other problem of the division is that the so-called world-class fighters don't fight each other. I would take on anybody. But instead of fighting a name I have to step into the ring with a guy like Cetinkaya, who isn't close to my league. I surely don't underestimate any opponent and I give him props for challenging me. But I would rather fight a big name. The only problem is there are no big names out there instead of the Klitschkos."
• Juan Carlos Burgos (24-0, 17 KOs) is one step closer to a featherweight title shot against Elio Rojas. Burgos, who was so impressive in a 12th-round knockout of Juan Carlos Martinez on ESPN2 in January, just needs to defeat Ricardo Castillo (38-7-1, 25 KOs), the younger brother of former two-time lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo, Saturday night in Guadalajara, Mexico, in a title eliminator. "I love to participate in a real fight, where many of you wonder who will win," said Burgos, the nephew of former junior flyweight titlist Victor Burgos. "Castillo doesn't have enough attributes to beat me. I am the younger of the two and I am very disciplined. Those are some of my advantages."
Froch
• Showtime is planning to move the Super Six fight between Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham, originally planned for Aug. 21, to a date in the fall. No reason has been given, but the conflict between the camps over where to hold the bout -- in Froch's hometown of Nottingham, England, or on Abraham's turf in Germany -- is an issue. … Welterweight Alfonso Gomez, who polished off Jose Luis Castillo in March on the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey undercard, returns July 17 in Mexico to headline "Top Rank Live" (FSN en Espanol). … Also scheduled for "Top Rank Live" is junior flyweight titlist Giovanni Segura, who is slated to defend July 31. No opponent yet.
[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]
Foreman
"After winning the title nothing really changed. I still take out the garbage every night when my wife asks. I still ride my bike to the gym. Still train at Gleason's. However, it was nice having a car service pick me up [for a news conference]." -- junior middleweight titlist Yuri Foreman, on his life since winning a title in November, as he prepares for his first defense against Miguel Cotto on June 5 (HBO) at Yankee Stadium.
Wheaton, Ill., native Mike Lee graduated from Notre Dame with a 3.8 grade point average and a finance degree, but instead of a career wheeling and dealing in a pinstriped suit, he's going with the trunks, glove and robe look.
Lee, 22, who won a 2009 Chicago Golden Gloves title in his limited amateur career, makes his pro debut at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Saturday night. His light heavyweight bout against Emmitt Woods (0-3-1) is scheduled to be televised on "Top Rank Live" (FSN en Espanol, 10 ET).
What sets Lee apart from your average pro debuter, besides his college degree, is his immediate financial impact. According to Top Rank, which signed Lee in February, he sold on consignment about $110,000 worth of tickets to the card. That is a staggering amount for such a novice fighter. According to Top Rank, that is so far the biggest gate the company has done for the series, which began in January. And that's only from the 1,200 or tickets Lee was responsible for selling.
If Lee, who is trained by Ronnie Shields and worked with him for the past couple of months in Houston, develops into a quality fighter, he could be an economic force. But right now, Lee is focused on his debut, from which he'll donate a portion of his purse to the Holy Cross Missions of Bangladesh.
While at Notre Dame, Lee, who transferred from Missouri after his freshman year, boxed in the Bengal Bouts, which was founded by the legendary Knute Rockne in 1920 and raises money for the Bangladesh charity.
"Going to Notre Dame was always a dream of mine and I was grateful to have the opportunity to transfer and complete my education at such an esteemed university," Lee said. "Notre Dame gave me so many opportunities and changed my life forever. Going to Bangladesh and witnessing the simple things we take for granted, like running water and a clean place to sleep, are not so simple for the natives in Bangladesh and that forever changed my view on life. The Bengal Bouts and Notre Dame opened my eyes to another world. I may have left Notre Dame, but Notre Dame will never leave me. That is why it is very important to give back and help fund the Holy Cross Missions of Bangladesh."
Lee, who is Irish and Italian, discovered boxing at 16 when a friend took him to a gym.
"I had just been cut by my high school basketball team, which I really wanted to play for," Lee said. "I was hooked on boxing right away. At Notre Dame, I joined the boxing team and won three championships in three years. I then went into the Chicago Golden Gloves and won all five fights, including two by stoppages, to win a gold medal."
Said Top Rank's Bob Arum, "Mike Lee is a great example of the graduates who Notre Dame produces. We at Top Rank hope we can fulfill Mike's ambitions as a professional boxer. We know Mike will enhance the sport of boxing and we look forward to promoting his professional career."
In the immediate aftermath of his lopsided 11th-round TKO loss to junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan on May 15, Paulie Malignaggi considered retirement, but now he's decided to fight on.
Although only 29, the former titleholder has been in some tough fights, he admitted after the loss to Khan that he wasn't as quick as he once was. Considering Malignaggi relies on his speed and reflexes because he has almost no prayer of a knockout, and the fact he has a persistent nerve problem in his neck, the retirement talk wasn't a surprise.
Nor is it a surprise that Malignaggi decided to carry on with his career, but he will do it by moving up to the welterweight division.
Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KOs) and promoter Lou DiBella are constructing a plan for Malignaggi to fight in Italy. Malignaggi is a dual citizen of the United States and Italy, where his family is from and where he lived from the time he was a few months old until he was 6.
"Now that I need a fight for my comeback, why not do it in Italy? I know a lot of people want to see me fight in Italy," Malignaggi said. "This would be a chance for people there to see me live. Maybe I can get the Italian welterweight title, make it interesting.
"Financially, I don't have to fight again. I've done well for myself. I don't have to fight, but you wonder what will you do with yourself? I'm a fighter. That's what I do. I am a fighter to the core. It's something you miss if you stay away from it, so while I still have the option, let's see what I can do. It might be fun to go the European route."
"He's not ready to hang 'em up and he's never fought in Italy and he always wanted to fight there," DiBella said. "There is interest in him fighting in his hometown, Siracusa. He said, 'I don't want to end on that note.' He would like to go out better than he did in the Khan fight. Paulie wouldn't mind spending a little bit of time fighting over in Italy, going for the Italian title, maybe the European title."
DiBella said he has been in touch with Salvatore and Christian Cherchi of OPI 2000, the leading promoter in Italy. He said the Cherchis are interested in putting something together.
Malignaggi said he'd like to fight as soon as late summer or early fall. Eventually, Malignaggi said he wants to fight for the European title, which is held by Matthew Hatton, the brother of Ricky Hatton, who stopped Malignaggi in the 11th round in 2008 in defense of the junior welterweight championship.
LVIV, Ukraine -- WBC and IBF light-welterweight champion Devon Alexander will defend his titles against former champion Andreas Kotelnik on Aug. 7 in St. Louis.
[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]
Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.
Boxing promoter Don King was in Lviv, Kotelnik's hometown, for the contract signing Tuesday.
"He has a great camaraderie [with] the people here," King said. "I said, 'You're part of this community, and they're all looking up to you. You got to reach out there and get these two titles and bring back the fame and acclaim and applause to your community.' "
King said it took a while to get the Ukrainian Kotelnik to agree to the fight against the American champion.
"We stayed up for a straight 24 hours talking about all the different things, and he had his lawyers," King said.
The 32-year-old Kotelnik, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist, won the WBA light-welterweight title in March 2008 by beating Gavin Rees. He had two successful defenses, outpointing Norio Kimura and Marcos Rene Maidana, but lost the title to Amir Khan in July 2009.
The contract signed Tuesday holds Kotelnik to six fights in the next three years.
caponecartels
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Might be a week late, but really?
Vasquez is clearly not the same fighter we saw in the first 3 fights.
I should have known when he fought the tune up fight against Priolo, he might have won
but he was struggling against a fighter he should have decimated.
Against Marquez he looked sluggish, was not getting shots off, and his eyes will never
let him be a force at the elite level again.
Fight was just sad.
caponecartels
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Friday Night Fights started.
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Andrade is classy
caponecartels
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anybody got a stream?
caponecartels
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Anybody?
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caponecartels
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Vitali KO in the 10th.
SO boring though.
SO boring though.
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Damn, that has gotta suck. Dude dropped his hands, too.
Vitali again
Vitali again
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[table][tr][th=""]Saturday at Gelsenkirchen, Germany [/th][/tr][tr][td]Heavyweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Klitschko, 40-2, 38 KOs; Sosnowski, 45-3-1, 27 KOs
Vitali Klitschko TKO10 Albert Sosnowski
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: The Klitschko domination of the heavyweight division continued, not that anyone should be at all surprised. While Wladimir Klitschko has won 12 in a row in dominant fashion and made eight title defenses (while also unifying two alphabet belts and claiming the Ring magazine title), older brother Vitali Klitschko, 38, has been dominating as well. After ending a nearly four-year injury-induced retirement in 2008, he regained a title by crushing Samuel Peter and has now made four defenses, barely losing a round along the way. His latest victim was the Poland-born, England-based Sosnowski, who stood almost no chance of winning. But the division is so weak right now, and there were few available contenders, that Sosnowski, 31, got the opportunity of a lifetime. Fighting in Klitschko's adopted home country and in front of a crowd of about 50,000, Sosnowski at least tried to win, which is more than can be said for Klitschko's previous victim, Kevin Johnson, who wanted only to survive in their December fight. Klitschko, with a five-inch height advantage (6-foot-7 to 6-1) and a 23-pound weight advantage (247 to 224), used his long reach to keep Sosnowski on the outside most of the time until he started cranking up his nasty right hand. Although Sosnowski, the former European champion who got the world title shot without having ever scored a signature victory, got through with a few decent right hands, the only real chance he had was to land a lucky haymaker. But Klitschko is too smart for that to happen and had his way with Sosnowski all the way. Sosnowski's legs were beginning to go after taking so many hard shots when Klitschko backed him into a corner and unleashed a brutal overhand right in the 10th round. It landed on the side of Sosnowski's face and dropped him to his rear end against the corner pad. Referee Jay Nady immediately called off the fight without a count with 30 seconds left in the round. It was a good call.
Now the question will be, simply, who is next? Klitschko (as well has his brother) would like a unification match with England's David Haye, although Haye has done his best to duck both brothers despite calling them out constantly. Klitschko could also possibly meet former titlist Nikolai Valuev, which would be a spectacle between two huge men. Whoever is next, it seems that the Klitschko freight train will roll on.
[/td][/tr]
[/table][table][tr][th=""]Saturday at Bayamon, Puerto Rico[/th][/tr][tr][td]Junior featherweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Vazquez Jr., 19-0-1, 16 KOs; Bedak, 15-1, 5 KOs
Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. TKO10 Zsolt Bedak
Retains a junior featherweight title
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: In February, Vazquez, 25, looked great knocking out Marvin Sonsona in the fourth round to win a vacant 122-pound title. In his first defense, again fighting at home in Puerto Rico and headlining an Integrated Sports pay-per-view card, Vazquez looked excellent turning back a spirited challenge from Bedak, who was the mandatory contender and fighting outside Europe for the first time. With his father in his corner, former three-division titlist Wilfredo Vazquez Sr., the younger Vazquez steadily broke Bedak down in a mature performance. Bedak, 26, a native of Hungary living in Germany, was in the fight for the first few rounds, but Vazquez was too quick and accurate with his punches. They brawled throughout the fifth round, but Bedak was getting the worst of it. By the seventh round, Bedak's right eye was swelling and Vazquez buckled him with a right hand. He hurt him again in the eighth, snapping his head back with another right hand. It was only a matter of time until Vazquez, who makes very good fights, got rid of him. He finally did in the 10th. He was in total control when he dropped Bedak with a right hand, and although he made it to his feet, his corner mercifully threw in the towel.
[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][/tr]Junior lightweight[tr][td]Records: Martinez, 24-0-1, 15 KOs; Mungia, 17-7-3, 13 KOs
Roman "Rocky" Martinez KO4 Gonzalo Mungia
Retains a junior lightweight title
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael's remark: It was quick but exciting as Martinez, of Puerto Rico, successfully defended his 130-pound belt for the second time with a strong performance against Nicaragua's Mungia, 30. Martinez, 27, won his title on the road in England by knocking out Nicky Cook in four rounds in March 2009. He routed Feider Viloria in nine rounds, also in Puerto Rico, in his first defense in September and then took out Mungia in style. The fight will best be remembered for an outstanding, all-action third round, which should go down as a round of the year candidate. Martinez and Mungia spent virtually the entire round standing in the center of the ring and trading bombs. Martinez's blows seemed to be heavier, but Mungia showed a surprisingly good chin by sopping up all the shots and continuing to march forward. Martinez took several shots, too, but he staggered Mungia just before the bell ended the blazing round. The round obviously took a lot out of Mungia when they picked up where they left off in the fourth round. Martinez, who had predicted a knockout, caught him with a right uppercut that knocked him to his backside. As a spent Mungia rested with his back against one of the corner pads, he took the full count from referee Roberto Ramirez Jr., who reached 10 at one minute, 48 seconds. Good performance from Martinez, who has risen to the top of the weak junior lightweight division.
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr]Junior bantamweight[tr][td]Records: Arroyo, 3-0, 3 KOs; Gutierrez, 5-7-1, 0 KOs
McWilliams Arroyo TKO2 Samuel Gutierrez
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Rafael's remark: Arroyo, 24, half of the twin brother tandem of 2008 Puerto Rican Olympians who are among the island's best prospects, had an easy night putting away Mexico's Gutierrez, 21. Arroyo was in total command in the opening round. A low blow hurt Gutierrez in the second round before a left hook/right hand combination knocked him to his knees. Although Gutierrez got to his feet by eight, referee Ramon Pena called it off. Arroyo will be in action quickly. He's scheduled to box June 12 at the Madison Square Garden Theater on the undercard of Ivan Calderon's junior flyweight title defense against Jesus Iribe on the eve of the annual National Puerto Rican Day parade in New York.
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr]Bantamweight[tr][td]Records: Arroyo, 3-0, 1 KO; Delgado, 3-7, 3 KOs
McJoe Arroyo W4 Jairo Delgado
Scores: 40-36 (three times)
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Rafael's remark: Like his twin brother, McWilliams, McJoe, 24, was a standout amateur and 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian. He looked good and against Delgado, displayed fast hands and nice combination punching. Although he couldn't stop Denver's Delgado, 29, or even knock him down, Arroyo landed a lot of punches and easily won each round in an entertaining bout that opened the pay-per-view card.
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[table][tr][th=""]Saturday at Chicago [/th][/tr][tr][td]Welterweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Soto-Karass, 24-4-3, 16 KOs; Martinez, 24-1-1, 13 KOs
Jesus Soto-Karass No-Contest 1 Gabriel Martinez
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Rafael's remark: After a 2005 decision loss to future junior middleweight titleholder Yuri Foreman in 2005, Soto-Karass went on a 15-fight unbeaten streak (13-0-2). Now, he's winless in his last two fights after the disappointing end to this "Top Rank Live" main event. Soto-Karass, 27, of Mexico but living in Los Angeles, was coming off a six-round technical decision loss to Alfonso Gomez in November in which Gomez was severely cut by an accidental head butt in the third round. This bout went down as a no-contest as Soto-Karass leaned far inside while throwing a punch and he and Martinez had a nasty accidental clash of heads. It left Martinez with a gaping cut under his left eye. They finished the round and then the bout was stopped. Too bad, because it was shaping up as entertaining fight.
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[tr][td][/td][/tr]Light heavyweight[tr][td]Records: Lee, 1-0, 0 KOs; Woods, 0-4-1, 0 KOs
Mike Lee W4 Emmitt Woods
Scores: 40-36 (three times)
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Rafael's remark: Decked out in alma mater Notre Dame's blue and gold colors, Lee, 22, turned pro in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. He had sold about $110,000 worth of tickets, a stunning amount for a guy making his pro debut as he packed 'em in for his bout on "Top Rank Live." Lee graduated with a finance degree, but decided to pursue a pro boxing career after a limited amateur career in which he won his weight class in the 2009 Chicago Golden Gloves and also boxed in Notre Dame's Bengal Bouts, which raise money for the Holy Cross Missions of Bangladesh. He didn't disappoint all those supporters. Lee, who is being trained by Ronnie Shields, one of the best in the business, won easily against Woods, 38. That was expected, but what was nice to see was that Lee's fundamentals were so sound. He looked in great shape and displayed a crisp jab, which he kept working throughout the fight. He also kept his hands nice and high and threw a lot of combinations. For a pro debut, it was a fine performance. With his popularity, all-American back story and potential, he's a guy to keep an eye on. Top Rank has scheduled him to return July 24 in Las Vegas on the undercard of featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa's next bout.
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[tr][td][/td][/tr]Junior welterweight[tr][td]Records: Benavidez, 6-0, 6 KOs; Peterson, 2-2, 2 KOs
Jose Benavidez KO1 Ronnie Peterson
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Rafael's remark: We can call this a late birthday present. Benavidez, of Phoenix, turned 18 on May 15, and got himself his fourth first-round knockout in his six fights since turning pro in January after a standout amateur career. Top Rank considers Benavidez perhaps its most important prospect, and he continues to hone his skills as a pro. Peterson, of Minnesota, tried to make it a fight but was outgunned. Benavidez put his punches together well and finished him off with a left hook to the body that sent Peterson to a knee in a corner, where he took the full count while trying to catch his breath. Benavidez is slated to return in San Antonio on June 26, where Top Rank is putting on its "Latin Fury 15" pay-per-view card.
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[/table][table][tr][th=""]Saturday at Mar del Plata, Argentina [/th][/tr][tr][td]Junior flyweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Lazarte, 47-9-1, 18 KOs; Tamara, 21-5, 15 KOs
Luis Lazarte W12 Carlos Tamara
Wins a junior flyweight title
Scores: 116-112, 115-113 Lazarte, 115-113 Tamara
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Rafael's remark: The sixth time was finally the charm for Lazarte, the unlikely winner of a world title in his sixth -- yes, sixth -- try. He's 39, so this was probably going to be the last hurrah, and he made it count. The sheer elation on his weathered face after receiving the decision could have brought a lump to anyone's throat. And although the 5-foot-1 Lazarte was the hometown fighter, it didn't seem as though he got a hometown nod in the split decision. He had done enough to win the fight, overcoming a 4-inch height deficit and all those years. Tamara didn't seem to have any beef when the scores were read either. Tamara had been outpunched and outhustled throughout the fight, in which an accidental head butt had opened a cut over his left eye in the first round and seemed to bother him throughout the bout.
Lazarte had previously lost in five world title bouts on his long road. In 1999, he lost a split decision for a strawweight belt to Kermin Guardia. In 2001, he was stopped in the second round challenging Pongsaklek Wonjongkam for a flyweight title. In 2002, he was disqualified in the 10th round challenging countryman Omar Narvaez for a flyweight belt. In 2007, he was also disqualified in the 10th round challenging Edgar Sosa for a junior flyweight title. And in 2008, he dropped a majority decision to Daniel Reyes for an interim strawweight title. Tamara, 27, a 2004 Colombian Olympian now living in New Jersey, was making his first defense after pulling a big upset in January. That's when he went to the Philippines and knocked out prohibitive favorite Brian Viloria in the 12th round to win the belt.
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[/table][table][tr][th=""]Saturday at Windhoek, Namibia[/th][/tr][tr][td]Lightweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Acosta, 26-9-2, 20 KOs; Moses, 25-1, 17 KOs
Miguel Acosta KO6 Paulus Moses
Wins a lightweight title
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Rafael's remark: Venezuela's Acosta upset Urbano Antillon via ninth-round knockout 10 months ago to win a vacant interim belt, and he was the underdog again going into his bout with titleholder Moses in Moses' home country. Again, Acosta pulled the upset, stopping Moses at 2 minutes, 17 seconds of the sixth round of his second title defense. According to Teddy Singleton, who was on hand representing Moses promoter Don King, Acosta, 32, pressured Moses, 31, from the start of the fight before a right hand did him in and he took the full count while sitting on the canvas. One word of note on Acosta's title: It's one of those pointless WBA "regular" belts. Juan Manuel Marquez is the WBA's "super" champion and the legitimate, lineal lightweight world champion.
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[/table][table][tr][th=""]Friday at Quebec City[/th][/tr][tr][td]Super middleweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Andrade, 29-3, 22 KOs; Lucas, 39-8-3, 15 KOs
Librado Andrade TKO8 Eric Lucas
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Rafael's remark: It was not exactly a great birthday for Lucas, who turned 39 the day after the fight. The former super middleweight titlist from Montreal saw his career come to a likely end at the hands of Andrade, 31, the former three-time title challenger who kept alive his chances for another shot. Lucas, who held a belt from 2001 to 2003, had retired in early 2006 after being stopped in the 10th round of a title fight by Mikkel Kessler. But Lucas returned for a fourth-round knockout of Ramon Moyano in December. The second bout of his comeback, which headlined on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights," didn't go nearly as well. They put on a competitive action fight, but Andrade, stronger and fresher, was just too much for Lucas. Andrade, who is from Mexico and living in La Habra, Calif., bloodied Lucas' nose, opened a cut over his right eye in the fourth round and a much worse cut over his left eye in the fifth round. By the end of the eighth round, the cut over Lucas' left eye was particularly severe and spewing blood, and the fight was rightly called off. Lucas said afterward that he didn't want to become a stepping-stone opponent and would probably go back into retirement. For Andrade, it was a nice bounce-back victory after he had been stopped in the fourth round of a rematch with titleholder Lucian Bute in the same building on HBO in November.
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[/table][table][tr][th=""]Friday at Santa Fe, Argentina[/th][/tr][tr][td]Welterweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Lujan, 33-5-2, 21 KOs; Berrio, 13-7, 7 KOs
Sebastian Lujan KO5 Jailer Berrio
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Rafael's remark: For the past couple of years, Golden Boy has promoted monthly cards in Mexico, Central America and South America that have only been televised on the HBO Plus service in those regions. But thanks to Golden Boy's new deal with Telefutura, those cards will also be televised in the United States as part of the relaunch of "Solo Boxeo Tecate." This was the first of those broadcasts as Lujan, 30, of Argentina, knocked out Colombia's Berrio, 22, who has lost every time he's stepped up his competition. This was no different as Lujan, a former two-time title challenger, notched his seventh win in a row. Lujan dropped Berrio twice in the fourth round, including a digging left hook to the body. What appeared to be another clear knockdown in the round was not called by referee Jorge Basile. It hardly mattered because in the fifth, Lujan pounded him the mat early in the round and finished him during a follow-up flurry seconds later. In his two title bouts, Lujan suffered a memorable 10th-round TKO loss to then-welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito on ESPN2. That was the one in which Lujan's ear nearly came off the side of his head in a one of the most disgusting ring injuries you will ever see. In 2006, Lujan dropped a decision to junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk.
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[/table][table][tr][th=""]Friday at Norfolk, Va.[/th][/tr][tr][td]Heavyweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Briggs, 51-5-1, 45 KOs; Calloway, 70-12-2, 57 KOs
Shannon Briggs TKO1 Rob Calloway
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Rafael's remark: One week after New York's Briggs, a former heavyweight champ, needed only 20 seconds to knock out Dominique Alexander, the 38-year-old was in the ring again. And this time Briggs needed 98 seconds to dust Calloway, who has lost to many top names but has never been stopped in the first round before. Briggs, still angling for a shot at either Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko, dropped Calloway three times en route to the victory. He dropped in the first seconds with a body shot, and it got no better for Calloway, 40, of St. Joseph, Mo., who lost for the fourth time in his last five bouts with each defeat coming via knockout. Since losing a version of the title to Sultan Ibragimov in 2007, Briggs is 3-0 with a no-contest, which came about because he tested positive for a banned substance after a December fight with Marcus McGee.
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[/table][table][tr][th=""]Friday at Levallois-Perret, France[/th][/tr][tr][td]Welterweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: M'Baye, 39-3-1, 21 KOs; Decarie, 27-1, 7 KOs
Souleymane M'Baye W12 Antonin Decarie
Wins a vacant interim welterweight title
Scores: 116-113 (twice), 116-112
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Rafael's remark: M'Baye, 35, of France, briefly held a lightweight belt in 2006 and 2007, and won his third in a row. He dropped Canada's Decarie, 27, in the fourth round on his way to the win. M'Baye, who got the shot as part of a settlement of a protracted lawsuit with the WBA, picked up the organization's interim belt. Typical WBA nonsense. It was only last week that the WBA had finally recognized only one titleholder in the 147-pound division after stripping Shane Mosley of his "super champion" designation after he had lost to Floyd Mayweather at the weight but not in an official title fight. That left the obscure Vyacheslav Senchenko as the lone WBA titleholder in the division. Alas, he now has unwelcome company. And the beat goes on.
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[table][tr][th=""]Thursday at Los Angeles [/th][/tr][tr][td]Junior welterweight[/td][/tr][tr][td]Records: Gomez, 3-0, 3 KOs; Akinbode, 1-3-1, 1 KO
Frankie Gomez TKO1 Akeem Akinbode
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Rafael's remark: Gomez is a heralded Golden Boy prospect from East Los Angeles. Just 18, Gomez was a silver medalist (when he was 17) in the 2009 World Amateur Championship and a favorite to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team. However, he took a big signing bonus and turned pro in April. Fighting on Golden Boy's monthly "Fight Night Club" show at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, Gomez needed a mere 48 seconds to blow away the Nigeria-born, Los Angeles-based Akinbode. Gomez pretty much rushed at Akinbode and was unloading punches as Akinbode cowered along the ropes until referee Jerry Cantu called it off during the shellacking. Gomez undoubtedly gets better work in the gym -- this so-called fight proved nothing, since his opponent didn't seem as though he had any idea how to fight. In any event, Gomez is supposed to return June 24 on "Fight Night Club" and followed by an appearance on the July 31 Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz II undercard. Big things are expected from Gomez, and he'll fight about once a month for at least the rest of the year as he adjusts to the pro game.
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[tr][td][/td][/tr]Bantamweight[tr][td]Records: Navarro, 27-5, 12 KOs; Garcia, 14-15-3, 1 KO
Jose Navarro W6 Benji Garcia
Scores: 60-54 (three times)
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Rafael's remark: Navarro, a 2000 U.S. Olympian, has been beset by hard luck during his career. Four of his losses came in junior bantamweight title fights, including a split-decision loss to Katsushige Kawashima in Japan in 2005. Navarro, 28, of Los Angeles, was blatantly robbed in a hometown decision in that one. After losing three fights in a row -- decisions in title bouts to Dmitry Kirilov (2007) and Cristian Mijares (200and an eighth-round knockout to journeyman Michael Domingo in Philippines in October -- it looked as though Navarro might call it a career. But Navarro decided he wasn't ready to go out just yet and made his comeback on Golden Boy's "Fight Night Club" card in his hometown. He easily halted his three-fight losing streak by winning every round against Garcia, 27, who dropped his fourth fight in a row and fifth of his last six.
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Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez was feted in a ceremony at the WBO's Puerto Rican headquarters on May 11, when he was presented with his new title belt. Those good feelings did not last long.
Martinez, who took apart Kelly Pavlik to win a unanimous decision and the lineal championship on April 17, has been stripped of his WBO version of the 160-pound title.
In a letter Saturday to Martinez and his handlers, WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcárcel informed him of the sanctioning organization's decision.
"I learned a while ago that these organizations don't give you a belt," Martinez said. "They loan it to you. When they elect to take it back, they take it back. I thank them for the opportunity to win it and to hold it, but there is nothing I can do about it if they want to take it back. They can match whoever they want below me [for the vacant belt], but in my view, that winner can't truly call himself a champion."
[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]
Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.
Lou DiBella, Martinez's outspoken promoter, wasn't as diplomatic as his fighter about the decision.
"My attitude is f--- 'em. F--- 'em. He is the people's champion at 160 pounds," DiBella said. "He is the lineal and only legitimate champion."
Martinez still holds the Ring magazine middleweight title and WBC belt at middleweight, as well as the WBC's version of the 154-pound junior middleweight title. He has not yet determined in which weight class he will fight.
However, the WBO said it would no longer wait for him to decide and cited its rule governing the situation: "A WBO champion who wins a non-WBO championship in a weight class that is different than the weight class in which he holds his WBO championship must decide within 10 days of the non-WBO championship which title in which weight class he will retain. No WBO champion may hold a non-WBO championship in a weight class that is different from the weight class of his WBO championship."
"We have so many bad decisions in the ring and now we have another bad one outside the ring," said Sampson Lewkowicz, Martinez's adviser. "I understand they have bylaws, but there must be an exception for an exceptional champion like Sergio 'Maravilla' Martinez."
The rule in section 15 of the WBO's bylaws is one for which there has typically been an exception made when a fighter asks for one in order to allow more time to decide which title he will keep.
"What's troubling is that they have a rule that gives them the right to make an exception, but here, for whatever reason, they elected to strip Sergio even though there is no contender who has been sitting there waiting and waiting for his chance," DiBella said. "A lot of the guys in their top 10 aren't even available to fight for the title. I don't know what their rush was.
"Look at their ratings and try to rationalize their behavior. All you can do is conclude that this is another ratings organization who doesn't give a s--- about boxing and shoots itself in the foot."
Lewkowicz said the WBC has not forced the issue yet. He added that Martinez's decision about which weight class title to keep will depend on his next opponent and HBO, which has backed Martinez's recent fights, although the network has not made his next fight a priority.
Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs), who is from Argentina and lives in California, has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the event that he does not fight Manny Pacquiao.
Gamboa and his team have officially rejected a Caballero fight (that HBO wants) and Casamayor is looking like a likely opponent for Khan in July.
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its will be a great move for berto if he moved down in weight for a few fights. its big names and big money that would fight him. him and his team is right he will not get a big fight at 147 soon.
which leads me to why the %!%% is paul williams and is team wasting time trying to set up a fight at 147? stay at 154 or 160 for now
which leads me to why the %!%% is paul williams and is team wasting time trying to set up a fight at 147? stay at 154 or 160 for now
Berto/Alexander is one of those match-ups I was looking forward to way down the road when Devon finally decided to move up. Really hope that happens down the road.
Berto would wreck Khan.
Berto would wreck Khan.
Cruel sport, this fight racket. Miguel Cotto is just 29, but there are many who whisper about him like he's a middle-aged dude who just got a nose ring and tatt and thinks he's all current and cool.
He's done, they chatter, speculation dressed as certainty. No tread left on the tires. He's taken too much punishment, it's just about time to hang up the gloves.
What a cruel concept this fight racket is, for a man pronounced elderly before he reaches his third decade on this planet. Sure, that may be gettin' up there for a supermodel. But an athlete? In this day and age, with the superior training methods and supplementations? Cotto should be entering his prime.
Cotto has heard the rumblings. He knows what people are saying about him. Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) knows he gets to answer all the questions Saturday night when he takes on Brooklyn's Yuri Foreman (28-0, 8 KOs) in a much hyped junior middleweight fight at Yankee Stadium. It is the first fight at the Stadium, old or new, since Muhammad Ali beat Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976.
"I don't know what is going to happen on that night," Cotto said, "but I'm pretty sure, no matter what, when it is over, I'm going to be the winner of the fight."
http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5230825&story=5230871">http://sports.espn.go.com...230825&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/news/story?id=5230871#">[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIMany believe Miguel Cotto (right, against Shane Mosley in 2007) has to keep Yuri Foreman close in order to control the fight -- and the outcome.
Boxing isn't mere sport. You don't "play" boxing. Boxing plays you. Problem is most fighters don't get it until they take on a younger, stronger, hungrier opponent who is just plain fresher and better. Foreman presents that type of challenge to Cotto.
"I think Cotto's damaged goods," ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas said. "He's a little shopworn. The fight for Foreman could be even easier than people think."
Atlas says Foreman's size -- he's 5-foot-11 with a 72-inch reach -- will be too much for the 5-7 Cotto and his 67-inch reach. Five years ago, Cotto's size would never even be contemplated as a weakness. The Puerto Rican's ferocious style of hammering body blows with slick uppercuts chopped down bigger opponents. But Atlas and others believe Cotto has taken too much punishment. He's shown shown signs of wear and tear. In July 2008, Antonio Margarito had Cotto looking to his corner for help in Round 11. In June 2009, Cotto won a close decision over Joshua Clottey that many felt demonstrated how far he had deteriorated. His "downfall" was cemented in November when a sustained assault by Manny Pacquiao left Cotto bleeding in his corner. Cotto dodged questions about the Pacquiao bout and how much it took out of him. He may not admit it, but his actions say a lot. Cotto brought in legendary trainer Emanuel Steward to prepare him for Foreman.
"I have never trained Miguel before but all I can go by are the comments from people in the gym since we are training in the exact same gym where he trained before the Pacquiao fight," Steward said. "The people that are watching say he looks totally different from what they have seen before. I feel very good about it. I'm always going to be honest with you. Miguel's boxing and energy level have been fantastic."
Cotto knows this fight is his chance to prove he's still a legitimate contender. That is the question he gets to answer, but he has to beat Foreman handily. The Israeli born Foreman is drawing a lot of attention because of his unique back story. He is Jewish. He is training to be a Rabbi while also boxing. He will probably have the crowd behind him -- although Cotto will have a solid contingent because many Puerto Ricans are huge fight fans. But Foreman has yet to step into the ring against a fighter of Cotto's pedigree. ESPN Friday Night Fights play-by-play man Joe Tessitore sees the Puerto Rican rising to the occasion in the Bronx. "I think Cotto wins by a closer-than-expected decision," he says. "Foreman will give Cotto some difficulties in being an elusive target and picking his spots to get in and out, but in the end Yuri won't keep Cotto off of him and the later rounds it will start to fall in line with the stronger, more effective fighter."
As a boxer, Cotto understands the significance of this fight being held at Yankee Stadium. When asked about fighting in the Stadium, in the first bout in any Yankee Stadium since Ali-Norton III, Cotto talks about being "part of history" in that "legendary place." An avid baseball fan, Cotto said he goes to a lot of Yankees games whenever he is New York.
"I go to that place every year and I am proud of their fans," Cotto said. "I am going to feel like a Yankee on this night. I am going to feel like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter."
Asked about fighting for the first time as a junior middleweight at 154 pounds, Cotto says it'll be no different than when he jumped from junior welterweight at 140 pounds to 147 to fight as a welterweight. "There are not worries," he said, "because he is a boxer."
His main concern is preparing for Foreman's style. Foreman is the sort of fighter who can make a guy go gray in 36 minutes. He's the same age as Cotto but has taken only a fraction of the punishment. He will move laterally all night and will make Cotto work way too hard to find him."
"Right now, the way Miguel has been looking, it is going to be very hard for Yuri to stay away from Miguel for 12 rounds," Steward said.
Foreman could well potshot his way to a points win, hitting Cotto early and often, then moving to stay away. But ultimately, he may get his biggest assist from an invisible but omnipotent ally -- Father Time.
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I hope cotto can get back on track, i feel like he isn't done yet, but is on the brink with a loss to Yuri.....
Tired of my fam saying he's washed up, not even worth watching, typical Puerto Ricans
This is PPV right?
Tired of my fam saying he's washed up, not even worth watching, typical Puerto Ricans
This is PPV right?
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naw regular HBO
darealbigmeech
Banned
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sergio stripped of his belt at 154 , smh
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Cory Spinks needs to get away from King ASAP this fight has been postponed at least three times.
Cotto shouldn't have a problem with Yuri but I do expect Yuri to bring his A game and give Cotto fits.
Cotto shouldn't have a problem with Yuri but I do expect Yuri to bring his A game and give Cotto fits.
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Dont fret for Sergio, He is on to bigger better things. and he was stripped of his Middleweight crown not the 154 title he holds.
He is confirmed as HBO & Mayweather's back up plan if the Pacman fight cant be made.
Sergio's athleticism will keep him around vs Mayweather but his deficiency in skill will get him chopped up. even still, I wanna see that fight!
He is confirmed as HBO & Mayweather's back up plan if the Pacman fight cant be made.
Sergio's athleticism will keep him around vs Mayweather but his deficiency in skill will get him chopped up. even still, I wanna see that fight!
