merce77's Classic Boxing Thread, tape them hands up before you enter!!!!
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Mosley vs. Judah is goin down on 5/31...I want to go to the fight as I like both fighters...
But Judah better watch out or this might happen to him...
Man that was a classic left hook, Shane won me some bread with both fights. My money is on him in this one. I think Zab will start out great like he always does and then implode like he always does. But if the Zab who ko'ed Spinks shows up we could be in for a classic. Nice .gif's by the way!!
Judah's a 4-round fighter. Yeah, he'll hang around til the late rounds, but he's never as dangerous late as he is early.
Zab's injury sounds too serious though. It'll probably be another year til this fight gets going again. Shane's gonna have to settle for somebody else.
He could always fight the winner of the Quintana/Williams rematch. Williams is overrated, Quintana will probably school him once again anyway. That dude Quintana is mad awkward.
A good fight would be Judah/Hatton. The interviews alone would make for comedy, and Hatton would have a legit chance of beating him.
The way that Judah has finished his last few big fights, I would favor Hatton...however if it was at 147, Judah could get him...
Cotto/Hatton is a dream fight for promoters, because it's a guaranteed sellout...
And I'm pissed that Casamayor is fighting Diaz instead of Campbell. They are the two best fighters in the division and the true lightweight champ would be decided if those two fought...
Now you see why my theme this year is "Make the fuckin fight"?
Cotto/Hatton is a dream fight for promoters, because it's a guaranteed sellout...
And I'm pissed that Casamayor is fighting Diaz instead of Campbell. They are the two best fighters in the division and the true lightweight champ would be decided if those two fought...
Now you see why my theme this year is "Make the fuckin fight"?
The way that Judah has finished his last few big fights, I would favor Hatton...however if it was at 147, Judah could get him...
Cotto/Hatton is a dream fight for promoters, because it's a guaranteed sellout...
And I'm pissed that Casamayor is fighting Diaz instead of Campbell. They are the two best fighters in the division and the true lightweight champ would be decided if those two fought...
Now you see why my theme this year is "Make the fuckin fight"?
Co-fuckin-sign. That should be every fightfans theme this year. Cotto would utterly destroy that boy, he's a midget at 147 and has zero skills and no chin, lest we forget Luis Collazo almost ko'ed his azz(and had the fight robbed from him).
Where'd you hear about this fight gettin made?
boxrec.com
Check the schedule or look up Casamayor and it will show that he's fighting Diaz on Sep. 13th in Houston...
Diaz got his ass beat by Nate and Joel is fighting Juan Diaz?! gtfooh
Glen Johnson was lookin for a rematch against Dawson, but Dawson and/or the WBC won't immediately allow it...
Glen Johnson Kept in Line For Chad Dawson
By James Blears
Following his very competitive fight with Chad Dawson for the Light Heavyweight belt, the WBC is keeping Glen Johnson as the number one contender.
The WBC now wants Chad to fight Interim-Champion Adrian Diaconu, and for Glen to fight an eliminator against second-ranked Silvio Branco, to decide who’ll take on the winner.
In his ring career, Gentleman Glen, who’s also known as the Road Warrior has lost to Bernard Hopkins, drawn, defeated and lost to Clinton Woods, KO’d Roy Jones Jr, and split-decisioned Antonio Tarver. But time is not on his side as he’s thirty-nine.
Glen’s Manager Henry Foster says that he’s confident that Glen will get another opportunity to fight for the title this year, but the likely way to it will be via a mandatory ruling, explaining: “Chad Dawson in no uncertain terms said that he didn’t want any part of Glen. We are hoping for a re-match, but the possibility exists that Dawson will go for bigger money if the WBC doesn’t mandate the re-match. But we don’t care who we fight, as long as we get an opportunity to fight for the title.”
Henry Foster also paid tribute to Chad's fighting heart against Glen commenting: “Chad is a twenty-five-year old guy who showed remarkable recovery ability. He took harder shots from Glen and stayed up than he took from guys like Eric Harding and Tomasz Ademek that put him down. So I give him props for standing up and taking a licking. But that’s about it, and in his heart he knows he lost the fight with Glen, and if he doesn’t give us a re-match, he can never really call himself a champion.”
Glen Johnson Kept in Line For Chad Dawson
By James Blears
Following his very competitive fight with Chad Dawson for the Light Heavyweight belt, the WBC is keeping Glen Johnson as the number one contender.
The WBC now wants Chad to fight Interim-Champion Adrian Diaconu, and for Glen to fight an eliminator against second-ranked Silvio Branco, to decide who’ll take on the winner.
In his ring career, Gentleman Glen, who’s also known as the Road Warrior has lost to Bernard Hopkins, drawn, defeated and lost to Clinton Woods, KO’d Roy Jones Jr, and split-decisioned Antonio Tarver. But time is not on his side as he’s thirty-nine.
Glen’s Manager Henry Foster says that he’s confident that Glen will get another opportunity to fight for the title this year, but the likely way to it will be via a mandatory ruling, explaining: “Chad Dawson in no uncertain terms said that he didn’t want any part of Glen. We are hoping for a re-match, but the possibility exists that Dawson will go for bigger money if the WBC doesn’t mandate the re-match. But we don’t care who we fight, as long as we get an opportunity to fight for the title.”
Henry Foster also paid tribute to Chad's fighting heart against Glen commenting: “Chad is a twenty-five-year old guy who showed remarkable recovery ability. He took harder shots from Glen and stayed up than he took from guys like Eric Harding and Tomasz Ademek that put him down. So I give him props for standing up and taking a licking. But that’s about it, and in his heart he knows he lost the fight with Glen, and if he doesn’t give us a re-match, he can never really call himself a champion.”
Straight up and down, Chad got beat, that fight was an obvious robbery, like Whitaker/DeLaHoya or Mayweather/Castillo I. This shit is getting kind of crazy. First they hand Casamayor a gift against SantaCruz and now they won't even make it a mandatory to fight Campbell? Shit is fucking ridiculous
Cotto-Margarito fight will be held in Las Vegas
Miguel Cotto's welterweight unification title fight with Antonio Margarito will be held in Las Vegas on July 26, The Associated Press learned Tuesday.
Cotto, the undefeated WBA champion from Puerto Rico, will headline a Las Vegas card for the first time when he meets IBF champion Margarito at the MGM Grand Garden, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because the completed deal won't be announced until next week.
Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs) hasn't fought in Las Vegas since Dec. 11, 2004, on the undercard of Vitali Klitschko's bout with Danny Williams. His last 10 bouts were held in Atlantic City, Puerto Rico or New York, where he usually performs before loud, enthusiastic crowds.
Promoter Bob Arum recently said he was interested in holding the fight in Las Vegas to promote Cotto to a new audience while also playing to Margarito's Mexican-American fans in California.
The Las Vegas notion gained momentum last month when the Nevada Athletic Commission amended its provisional rules on glove size, allowing welterweights to wear 227-gram (8-ounce) gloves instead of the previously mandated 284-gram (10-ounce) gloves. Nearly every other boxing jurisdiction in the United States allows welterweights to fight with 227-gram (8-ounce) gloves, and both Cotto and Margarito both likely would have refused to fight in Las Vegas without their usual gloves.
Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs) earned his chance against Cotto by taking Kermit Cintron's IBF title with a sixth-round knockout on April 12, moments before Cotto stopped Alfonso Gomez on the same card in Atlantic City. Margarito, who lost his WBO welterweight title to Paul Williams last year, dominated Cintron for the second time in their careers to claim another belt.
Cotto's powerful punching and tenacity have made him the biggest threat to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the WBC welterweight champion who's more interested in reality television and big paydays than the primitive perils of a matchup with Cotto. Though Arum repeatedly has called out Mayweather on behalf of his client, Cotto hasn't joined the chorus, remaining content to fight whomever Arum puts in front of him.
With Mayweather still apparently headed toward a rematch of his tedious split-decision win over Oscar De La Hoya in the richest fight in boxing history, Cotto's meeting with Margarito likely is the most enticing fight coming up in the loaded welterweight division.
De La Hoya, who beat Steve Forbes on May 3, has said he would be interested in closing out his career with a fight against Cotto in December.
Miguel Cotto's welterweight unification title fight with Antonio Margarito will be held in Las Vegas on July 26, The Associated Press learned Tuesday.
Cotto, the undefeated WBA champion from Puerto Rico, will headline a Las Vegas card for the first time when he meets IBF champion Margarito at the MGM Grand Garden, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because the completed deal won't be announced until next week.
Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs) hasn't fought in Las Vegas since Dec. 11, 2004, on the undercard of Vitali Klitschko's bout with Danny Williams. His last 10 bouts were held in Atlantic City, Puerto Rico or New York, where he usually performs before loud, enthusiastic crowds.
Promoter Bob Arum recently said he was interested in holding the fight in Las Vegas to promote Cotto to a new audience while also playing to Margarito's Mexican-American fans in California.
The Las Vegas notion gained momentum last month when the Nevada Athletic Commission amended its provisional rules on glove size, allowing welterweights to wear 227-gram (8-ounce) gloves instead of the previously mandated 284-gram (10-ounce) gloves. Nearly every other boxing jurisdiction in the United States allows welterweights to fight with 227-gram (8-ounce) gloves, and both Cotto and Margarito both likely would have refused to fight in Las Vegas without their usual gloves.
Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs) earned his chance against Cotto by taking Kermit Cintron's IBF title with a sixth-round knockout on April 12, moments before Cotto stopped Alfonso Gomez on the same card in Atlantic City. Margarito, who lost his WBO welterweight title to Paul Williams last year, dominated Cintron for the second time in their careers to claim another belt.
Cotto's powerful punching and tenacity have made him the biggest threat to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the WBC welterweight champion who's more interested in reality television and big paydays than the primitive perils of a matchup with Cotto. Though Arum repeatedly has called out Mayweather on behalf of his client, Cotto hasn't joined the chorus, remaining content to fight whomever Arum puts in front of him.
With Mayweather still apparently headed toward a rematch of his tedious split-decision win over Oscar De La Hoya in the richest fight in boxing history, Cotto's meeting with Margarito likely is the most enticing fight coming up in the loaded welterweight division.
De La Hoya, who beat Steve Forbes on May 3, has said he would be interested in closing out his career with a fight against Cotto in December.
For some reason, I knew that fight would be in Vegas...
Too bad I will be in D.C. though
I got that Tarver/Woods fight and now I will get that Dawson/Johnson fight...I heard that most folks thought that Glen won, but I think Dan Rafael said that Dawson had too big of a lead...
Can't wait to check it out
Too bad I will be in D.C. though
I got that Tarver/Woods fight and now I will get that Dawson/Johnson fight...I heard that most folks thought that Glen won, but I think Dan Rafael said that Dawson had too big of a lead...
Can't wait to check it out
For some reason, I knew that fight would be in Vegas...
Too bad I will be in D.C. though
I got that Tarver/Woods fight and now I will get that Dawson/Johnson fight...I heard that most folks thought that Glen won, but I think Dan Rafael said that Dawson had too big of a lead...
Can't wait to check it out
Naw man, Johnson was hurting this kid all throught the fight, I know I was in a room full of boxingheads and we all thought Glen pulled it out 115-113. Gotta give Dawson props tho, he's got maad heart. I'd love to see him and Pavlik go at it in the future.
Here's last weeks fight.
Oscar DeLaHoya vs Steve Forbes
http://rapidshare.com/files/112467728/De.La.Hoya.vs.Forbes.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/112470421/De.La.Hoya.vs.Forbes.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/112473018/De.La.Hoya.vs.Forbes.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/112475726/De.La.Hoya.vs.Forbes.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/112478355/De.La.Hoya.vs.Forbes.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/112479778/De.La.Hoya.vs.Forbes.part6.rar
or
http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=08X4MQFQ
http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=J1Z397MF
I gotta diasgree, he won the fight but he didn't beat Bernard. You can't win a fight throwing one punch at a time.
You might be able to if that one punch connects harder and better than the many punches that the opponent throws...
I kind of go by that "hit and not get hit" mentality for boxing. I don't care how many punches you throw, as long as you are actually connecting, that's what counts. Calzaghe got way too much credit for what he actually did in the ring against B-Hop...It's like that knockdown didn't even exist...
I kind of get discouraged a lot in boxing because most of my favorite fighters are/were defense based (Toney, Wright, Hopkins, Whitaker, Floyd). The majority of fight fans love the guys who are/were offense based (Tyson, Oscar, Gatti, Corrales, Cotto, Pavlik, Duddy) and the judges sometimes feed off that rather than looking at how bad they look against defensive fighters...
First i'll say that im GLAD to see there are at least TWO brothas in here that know alittle sumptin about boxing..the SWEET Science
You are sooooo RIGHT when you say styles make fights..which brings me to the question WHY has'nt OSCAR NOR Pretty boy Floyd fought Vernon Forest..
i think his style would give floyd HELL...as well as Oscar.IMO Shane mosley has more HEART than any of them..he was the ONLY guy that would fight ANY fighter. and your right...Shane at Light weight was a BEAST. Shane was always fighting BIGGER TALLER and linkier fighters.That fight Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito is gona be BRUTAL for as long as it last.Let me let you in on a little secret about that fight.DON'T SLEEP ON MARGARITO in that fight..SURE i too feel Cotto is a better "Skilled" fighter..BUT..Margarito has a MUCH better chin and takes a hell of a punch..thus you KNOW for most of this fight it's gona be a Slugfest..IF Cotto gets caught by one of Margarito's Haymakers it might be a BIG up set that night so he had better beware! Margarito is a very good finisher.If cotto gets staggerd in that fight 
I don't usually do this but im gona go out on a limb and say that in this fight COTTO WILL go down at LEAST once in this fight..whats YOUR opinion..
Cotto/Margarito has fight of the year potential...
If Torres can knock Cotto down, I wouldn't put it past Margs to catch Cotto with one...
Viper is a tough dude to gauge...he's like the Winky Wright of his division (almost). Not only De La Hoya won't fight him, but Spinks won't either...Sugar Shane will fight anybody and that's part of the reason why he's one of my favorites...He's never made the business side of things get in the way of making a matchup (now what if him and Tito fought at welterweight between 2000-2002...That would've been off the chain)
I'd like to see Forrest have one big fight this year against Spinks or go up to middleweight to fight Pavlik...And don't sleep on Miranda/Abraham 2 on June 21st
If Torres can knock Cotto down, I wouldn't put it past Margs to catch Cotto with one...
Viper is a tough dude to gauge...he's like the Winky Wright of his division (almost). Not only De La Hoya won't fight him, but Spinks won't either...Sugar Shane will fight anybody and that's part of the reason why he's one of my favorites...He's never made the business side of things get in the way of making a matchup (now what if him and Tito fought at welterweight between 2000-2002...That would've been off the chain)
I'd like to see Forrest have one big fight this year against Spinks or go up to middleweight to fight Pavlik...And don't sleep on Miranda/Abraham 2 on June 21st
First i'll say that im GLAD to see there are at least TWO brothas in here that know alittle sumptin about boxing..the SWEET Science
First we cannot forget that Cotto was a future 147-154 fighter when he fought Torres(who hits HARD), he was sapped making that weight, he was also staggerred against Corley, but let's not forget that Mayweather had his chin rocked by Corley as well. Cotto has been hit well at welterweight, by Judah(who's more a sharp puncher than a hard puncher) and by Mosley(who's ko'ed guys with one punch) and he hasn't hit the deck yet as a welterweight. His style dictates that he takes more shots than a Mayweather, who is a purely defensive fighter, even his offense is generated by a great defense. Cotto has the ability to slip and dodge punches even when hurt and while moving backwards, which means he has superb conditioning. I haven't seen Margarito fight with an elite fighter yet, where he wasn't losing or lost(Clottey,Williams), with that being said, you're right, this is going to be a great fight, and a slugfest could go either way. Cotto is most definitely an improved version of the fighter who beat Mosley, he relies much more on his jab now, and his defense is much more subtle, he's smooth but explosively fast when attacking.
I just think that Margarito has too many holes in his game. First of all, no matter what his power is, it doesn't last past the fourth o fifth round because he's a volume puncher, and in the second half of the bout tends to start slapping with his punches, and he also does not throw his punches short like Cotto, he has a wide swing on his punches that will favor Cotto. He also tends to bruise up and cut easily, and Cotto like I said, bruises and cuts whatever he hit solidly, it only took him a round and a half to rearrange Quintana's whole grill. Now, the man is relentless though and he does jump on dudes early, I feel the only way he can really beat Cotto, who starts slowly, is to jump on this dude early while he's cold and put relentless pressure on him and hope to KO him or get the ref to stop the fight if he staggers him. I don't believe he can outbox Cotto, and I also believe that by fighting inside, Margarito will negate his own arm reach and height advantages. Either way, it's going to be a great fight though.
Vernon is my man, and his style would give ANYBODY nightmares from 147-154, he's long, can box, can brawl, great jab, uses his height and reach to his advantage, it's no wonder that alot of dudes ducked him throughout his career. Sugar Shane would've beaten Tito for the first 6 or 7 like David Reid di, until Tito got to that azz, Shane was never known for his defense, and if he ate the kind of shots from Tito that Cotto gave him, it was a wrap. Too close to even speculate though. You guys know that I don't think many fighters in history could beat Tito in his prime at 147, that mofo was a killer robot who only got stronger as the fight got longer.
The only way that I would've gave Tito a shot against Mosley was that Shane isn't known much for defense...Other than that, I'd say Shane would have the advantage because he's faster than Trinidad in his hand speed and more importantly his foot speed. All he'd have to do his stay on his toes and he would circle Tito all day...
And co-sign on the Margarito analysis...He is a volume puncher, but that may not work against a guy who likes to pursue and can take a punch pretty well at 147. If the fight goes to later rounds with Margs having a lower punch output than in earlier rounds, the edge would go to Cotto.
I like Viper better at 154 because he could carry his weight better in that division. Even though he would give a lot of 147ers fits with his height and reach, and I think he's a better defender than the well-known 6 footer in the division (Williams), I see more intriguing matchups for him at the 154-160 range...
And co-sign on the Margarito analysis...He is a volume puncher, but that may not work against a guy who likes to pursue and can take a punch pretty well at 147. If the fight goes to later rounds with Margs having a lower punch output than in earlier rounds, the edge would go to Cotto.
I like Viper better at 154 because he could carry his weight better in that division. Even though he would give a lot of 147ers fits with his height and reach, and I think he's a better defender than the well-known 6 footer in the division (Williams), I see more intriguing matchups for him at the 154-160 range...
Agreed on Vernon, it's just he ain't gettin any younger and most of the good 154 fighters are still not ready to fight the elite. Yo, what do you think about that 154lb'er Kirkland, saw him fight Saturday and homie is a beast. I didn't know that Anne Wolfe was training homie, I remember when she ko'ed that white gurl, I thought she was going to be Laila Ali's Joe Frazier, but the fight never happened and I guess she's retired now. I agree partially with Mosley/Tito but sooner or later Shane would stand toe-to-toe with Tito and at 147 Tito's hand speed was much better and I just don't think Shane could stand up to his power and Shane was never a guy to get on his toes and box like Floyd or Oscar, which is really the only way to beat Tito.
This is the fight that needs to happen, Floyd is picking and choosing easy money fights while Cotto has been beating the guys Floyd never wanted to fight. If Cotto whups on Margarito, and Floyd beats Oscar and still won't fight Cotto then he should be stripped of his belt straight up and down, because no other fighter at 147 deserves a shot at Mayweather like Cotto.
WTF IS THIS NINJA SMOKIN - CAN I GET SOME????
Juan Lazcano is banking on faith to win the fight of his life. The Hispanic Causing Panic climbs back in to the ring for the first time in 15 months when he takes on Ricky Hatton in front of a record crowd of 55,000 at the City of Manchester Stadium.
His last fight was a points defeat at the hands of Vivian Harris but Lazcano, who landed in England on Saturday, says he is now a different man. "It will be a battle of wills, a battle of attrition and it will be about hunger," he told skysports.com. "I know I am a little older. I turned 33 this year but it's a symbolic meaningful year for me being that my birthday fell on Easter Sunday. You'll be like 'Okay, so what?', well, I turned 33 and there was actually a resurrection within my being. I am a spiritual individual, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the power of the resurrection and I believe that power is within me and I will use that power to move forward and make the most of a wonderful opportunity."
Lazcano refused to single out any areas where he thinks he has the upper hand over the Hitman, who is coming off the back of his first defeat in 44 paid contests. The 33-year-old admits he has never boxed in front of anything like the 55,000 crowd on May 24, which will set a new record in British boxing. But, he refuses to be intimidated and says he is ready to go to war to fulfil his destiny.
"I've evolved not only as a person and I just think that more than anything, it's a mental thing," he said. "I'm ready to enter the promised land. I'm ready for greatness now. I'm taking this challenge seriously, the best fighter will win and believe me, I am the best fighter. I'm an athlete and a professional fighter and I'm coming to fight. I'm focused and I'm coming to fight. Ricky Hatton is a truly great warrior and it's an honour for me to fight a great warrior. I'm a gentleman as well and I acknowledge if someone has a tremendous heart like Ricky Hatton, so it's an honour for me to do battle with him. That's something as fighters we enjoy, the thrill the challenge and I just want it to be a great fight, a great night of boxing, a great night for everyone, very exciting. The best man will prevail."
Lazcano also turned one eye towards Floyd Mayweather Jr, the man responsible for that one Hatton defeat. And although he has barely been linked with the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, he believes victory in The Homecoming could set him up for a crack at the Pretty Boy. "For so long Floyd Mayweather was there, for so long Floyd Mayweather was there and for different reasons the fight never came about," he said. "Floyd knows it too - if there is someone out there who can defeat him, believe me, it's Juan Lazcano."
Juan Lazcano is banking on faith to win the fight of his life. The Hispanic Causing Panic climbs back in to the ring for the first time in 15 months when he takes on Ricky Hatton in front of a record crowd of 55,000 at the City of Manchester Stadium.
His last fight was a points defeat at the hands of Vivian Harris but Lazcano, who landed in England on Saturday, says he is now a different man. "It will be a battle of wills, a battle of attrition and it will be about hunger," he told skysports.com. "I know I am a little older. I turned 33 this year but it's a symbolic meaningful year for me being that my birthday fell on Easter Sunday. You'll be like 'Okay, so what?', well, I turned 33 and there was actually a resurrection within my being. I am a spiritual individual, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the power of the resurrection and I believe that power is within me and I will use that power to move forward and make the most of a wonderful opportunity."
Lazcano refused to single out any areas where he thinks he has the upper hand over the Hitman, who is coming off the back of his first defeat in 44 paid contests. The 33-year-old admits he has never boxed in front of anything like the 55,000 crowd on May 24, which will set a new record in British boxing. But, he refuses to be intimidated and says he is ready to go to war to fulfil his destiny.
"I've evolved not only as a person and I just think that more than anything, it's a mental thing," he said. "I'm ready to enter the promised land. I'm ready for greatness now. I'm taking this challenge seriously, the best fighter will win and believe me, I am the best fighter. I'm an athlete and a professional fighter and I'm coming to fight. I'm focused and I'm coming to fight. Ricky Hatton is a truly great warrior and it's an honour for me to fight a great warrior. I'm a gentleman as well and I acknowledge if someone has a tremendous heart like Ricky Hatton, so it's an honour for me to do battle with him. That's something as fighters we enjoy, the thrill the challenge and I just want it to be a great fight, a great night of boxing, a great night for everyone, very exciting. The best man will prevail."
Lazcano also turned one eye towards Floyd Mayweather Jr, the man responsible for that one Hatton defeat. And although he has barely been linked with the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, he believes victory in The Homecoming could set him up for a crack at the Pretty Boy. "For so long Floyd Mayweather was there, for so long Floyd Mayweather was there and for different reasons the fight never came about," he said. "Floyd knows it too - if there is someone out there who can defeat him, believe me, it's Juan Lazcano."
Fight of the summer signed/sealed, Cotto-Margarito July 26th
The fight of the summer is signed, sealed and delivered. Welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto will face Antonio Margarito on July 26 in an HBO PPV bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas now that both have signed for the much-anticipated fight, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com on Thursday.
"I get really excited about a fight like this because I know it can't be anything but great," Arum said. "That's why we're calling it 'The Battle.' It's a tough-ass fight. Two real men fighting. There won't be any playing around. No ducking or dodging. These are two guys who will go at it. That is their style. And don't forget the element that it is Mexico vs. Puerto Rico, which is the great rivalry in boxing."
The fight matching two of boxing's most exciting fighters has been on track since April 12, when they both knocked out opponents on the same card. Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs), of Puerto Rico, stopped "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez in the fifth round to retain his 147-pound belt for the fourth time and Margarito blew out Kermit Cintron via sixth-round knockout in a rematch.
"These guys both have great chins, great determination and great power," Arum said. "It's going to be some battle. I just hope that they are not ruined from a fight like this."
Mexico's Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs) won a world title from Cintron, but he will relinquish it in order to face Cotto rather than fight Joshua Clottey in a far less lucrative mandatory match. Arum said Margarito would officially renounce his title "within the next week."
"Before Margarito, 30, defeated Cintron, he had already agreed to terms for the Cotto fight as long as they both won on April 12," Arum said. "Cotto, 27, was also committed to the fight, but did not sign until Wednesday night," Arum said. "Margarito signed off before his fight with Cintron," Arum said. "Cotto wanted the fight but we were going over terms and minutia, and finally Miguel and his team agreed on everything last night."
Arum would not divulge their purses, which will eventually be public when the contracts are filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. However, Arum said each would receive "by far the biggest purse they have ever gotten." Besides the purse, each fighter will receive a percentage of the profits from the pay-per-view revenue. Cotto's biggest purse was $3.2 million for his November victory against Shane Mosley. Margarito earned a $1.2 million purse when he lost a version of the title to Paul Williams last summer.
The fight will officially be announced during a four-city media blitz next week. They'll kick off the promotion with a news conference Monday in Mexico City followed by a stop Tuesday in Los Angeles, Thursday in New York and Friday in San Juan. The fight will mark Cotto's first bout in Las Vegas since he knocked out Randall Bailey in a junior welterweight title defense on the December 2004 undercard of the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams heavyweight fight. Since then, Cotto has fought either in Puerto Rico, New York or Atlantic City, N.J. Arum said he felt it was important to establish Cotto on the West Coast, where Margarito has a following.
"Based on Cotto's fights with Zab Judah and Mosley, he has established a good East Coast base on pay-per-view," Arum said. "We felt his base would be loyal and we needed a big West Coast presence. We think the great Mexican fans will come out for Margarito, so it made sense to do the fight in the West rather than the East. We couldn't do it in Las Vegas until they changed the rule on the gloves."
A few weeks ago, the Nevada commission amended its rule on glove size. It had in place a provisional rule that mandated welterweights wear 10-ounce gloves rather than the traditional 8-ounce gloves worn in virtually every other jurisdiction in the world. Cotto and Margarito both prefer the 8-ounce gloves and Arum refused to put the fight on in Nevada until the temporary rule, which was up for review, was changed. Arum said he has not set the undercard yet but said he wanted to include rising junior welterweight contender Mike Alvarado on the card.
"Alvarado is one guy I really want on the card in a good fight," Arum said. "After that, we're open. I'll be discussing it with my matchmakers."
The fight of the summer is signed, sealed and delivered. Welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto will face Antonio Margarito on July 26 in an HBO PPV bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas now that both have signed for the much-anticipated fight, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com on Thursday.
"I get really excited about a fight like this because I know it can't be anything but great," Arum said. "That's why we're calling it 'The Battle.' It's a tough-ass fight. Two real men fighting. There won't be any playing around. No ducking or dodging. These are two guys who will go at it. That is their style. And don't forget the element that it is Mexico vs. Puerto Rico, which is the great rivalry in boxing."
The fight matching two of boxing's most exciting fighters has been on track since April 12, when they both knocked out opponents on the same card. Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs), of Puerto Rico, stopped "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez in the fifth round to retain his 147-pound belt for the fourth time and Margarito blew out Kermit Cintron via sixth-round knockout in a rematch.
"These guys both have great chins, great determination and great power," Arum said. "It's going to be some battle. I just hope that they are not ruined from a fight like this."
Mexico's Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs) won a world title from Cintron, but he will relinquish it in order to face Cotto rather than fight Joshua Clottey in a far less lucrative mandatory match. Arum said Margarito would officially renounce his title "within the next week."
"Before Margarito, 30, defeated Cintron, he had already agreed to terms for the Cotto fight as long as they both won on April 12," Arum said. "Cotto, 27, was also committed to the fight, but did not sign until Wednesday night," Arum said. "Margarito signed off before his fight with Cintron," Arum said. "Cotto wanted the fight but we were going over terms and minutia, and finally Miguel and his team agreed on everything last night."
Arum would not divulge their purses, which will eventually be public when the contracts are filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. However, Arum said each would receive "by far the biggest purse they have ever gotten." Besides the purse, each fighter will receive a percentage of the profits from the pay-per-view revenue. Cotto's biggest purse was $3.2 million for his November victory against Shane Mosley. Margarito earned a $1.2 million purse when he lost a version of the title to Paul Williams last summer.
The fight will officially be announced during a four-city media blitz next week. They'll kick off the promotion with a news conference Monday in Mexico City followed by a stop Tuesday in Los Angeles, Thursday in New York and Friday in San Juan. The fight will mark Cotto's first bout in Las Vegas since he knocked out Randall Bailey in a junior welterweight title defense on the December 2004 undercard of the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams heavyweight fight. Since then, Cotto has fought either in Puerto Rico, New York or Atlantic City, N.J. Arum said he felt it was important to establish Cotto on the West Coast, where Margarito has a following.
"Based on Cotto's fights with Zab Judah and Mosley, he has established a good East Coast base on pay-per-view," Arum said. "We felt his base would be loyal and we needed a big West Coast presence. We think the great Mexican fans will come out for Margarito, so it made sense to do the fight in the West rather than the East. We couldn't do it in Las Vegas until they changed the rule on the gloves."
A few weeks ago, the Nevada commission amended its rule on glove size. It had in place a provisional rule that mandated welterweights wear 10-ounce gloves rather than the traditional 8-ounce gloves worn in virtually every other jurisdiction in the world. Cotto and Margarito both prefer the 8-ounce gloves and Arum refused to put the fight on in Nevada until the temporary rule, which was up for review, was changed. Arum said he has not set the undercard yet but said he wanted to include rising junior welterweight contender Mike Alvarado on the card.
"Alvarado is one guy I really want on the card in a good fight," Arum said. "After that, we're open. I'll be discussing it with my matchmakers."
So Ricky thinks other than Oscar, HE'S the only dude who Floyd can fight - WTF is up with ninjas disrespecting Cotto like that. This crakkka already got ko'ed and bounced off a turnbuckle by Floyd, go home lil' Ricky!
Ricky Hatton says only Floyd Mayweather is likely to get him boxing back in Britain.
The Hitman has revealed that The Homecoming against Juan Lazcano will probably be his last on these shores before he sees out his career back in America. But having held initial talks with the Pretty Boy about a rematch, Hatton says he would be looking for home advantage if it comes off - at Wembley Stadium.
"As far as fighting in England again, this could be my last fight," he told skysports.com. "But we'll have to wait and see. "I would love a rematch with Floyd. It's very easy to say that but first the key is to re-establish myself and get back to winning ways by putting on a fantastic show against Juan Lazcano, to show fight fans and critics that Ricky Hatton has got a lot more to offer. Maybe Floyd would like to come over here to England should I get past Lazcano and Malignaggi."
"He's done so much in his career so far, there's not really much more he can do. He's got his fight coming up against Oscar and if he were to beat Oscar, there really isn't anything more he can do. Maybe it appeals to Floyd to come and fight outside the United States for the first time and come across to England to fight me. I have no doubt that for Floyd Mayweather, a fight in England could get 100,000 people, probably at Wembley Stadium. Floyd is wanting to build his fanbase, his popularity and appeal to the people and I think he would go right up in people's estimations if he came over to fight me in my backyards - like I fought him in his backyard. If his profile can go any higher, he would get plenty of fans if he could do that, so it's a possibility, fighting in England."
Mayweather first has to come through another rematch, this time with Oscar de la Hoya who, as Lazcano's promoter, will be flying into Manchester for the fight next week. Golden Boy Promotions have also signed Hatton on a three-fight deal - after this one - and chief executive Richard Schaeffer admits that Hatton is now big box office in the States. The Mayweather fight did exceptionally well on pay-per-view and with three more fights to come on HBO, including a likely New York showdown with Paulie Malignaggi, America's gain is likely to be Britain's loss.
"The fans know that when Ricky Hatton is going to enter the ring, they're going to get entertained, get their money's worth and have one heck of an exciting fight," Schaeffer told skysports.com. "The fact is, fight fans might have heard about Ricky, but with the 24/7 shows (screened on HBO and Sky Sports) and then his performance against Floyd, he really has captured the hearts of American fight fans and sports fans period. I have no doubt Ricky Hatton today is bigger than he was before and more appreciated and loved over here in the United States and around the world. The American fight fans can't wait to see him live on Versus (who are screening the fight in America) and then hopefully in the Fall, back here in the United States. That is a testament to Ricky. No other fighter even comes close to selling 55,000 tickets for a fight."
Ricky Hatton says only Floyd Mayweather is likely to get him boxing back in Britain.
The Hitman has revealed that The Homecoming against Juan Lazcano will probably be his last on these shores before he sees out his career back in America. But having held initial talks with the Pretty Boy about a rematch, Hatton says he would be looking for home advantage if it comes off - at Wembley Stadium.
"As far as fighting in England again, this could be my last fight," he told skysports.com. "But we'll have to wait and see. "I would love a rematch with Floyd. It's very easy to say that but first the key is to re-establish myself and get back to winning ways by putting on a fantastic show against Juan Lazcano, to show fight fans and critics that Ricky Hatton has got a lot more to offer. Maybe Floyd would like to come over here to England should I get past Lazcano and Malignaggi."
"He's done so much in his career so far, there's not really much more he can do. He's got his fight coming up against Oscar and if he were to beat Oscar, there really isn't anything more he can do. Maybe it appeals to Floyd to come and fight outside the United States for the first time and come across to England to fight me. I have no doubt that for Floyd Mayweather, a fight in England could get 100,000 people, probably at Wembley Stadium. Floyd is wanting to build his fanbase, his popularity and appeal to the people and I think he would go right up in people's estimations if he came over to fight me in my backyards - like I fought him in his backyard. If his profile can go any higher, he would get plenty of fans if he could do that, so it's a possibility, fighting in England."
Mayweather first has to come through another rematch, this time with Oscar de la Hoya who, as Lazcano's promoter, will be flying into Manchester for the fight next week. Golden Boy Promotions have also signed Hatton on a three-fight deal - after this one - and chief executive Richard Schaeffer admits that Hatton is now big box office in the States. The Mayweather fight did exceptionally well on pay-per-view and with three more fights to come on HBO, including a likely New York showdown with Paulie Malignaggi, America's gain is likely to be Britain's loss.
"The fans know that when Ricky Hatton is going to enter the ring, they're going to get entertained, get their money's worth and have one heck of an exciting fight," Schaeffer told skysports.com. "The fact is, fight fans might have heard about Ricky, but with the 24/7 shows (screened on HBO and Sky Sports) and then his performance against Floyd, he really has captured the hearts of American fight fans and sports fans period. I have no doubt Ricky Hatton today is bigger than he was before and more appreciated and loved over here in the United States and around the world. The American fight fans can't wait to see him live on Versus (who are screening the fight in America) and then hopefully in the Fall, back here in the United States. That is a testament to Ricky. No other fighter even comes close to selling 55,000 tickets for a fight."
May 17th, 2008 - Primm, Nevada
James Kirkland (21-0) vs Eromosele Albert (21-1)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DB7ZVJF0
Kirkland is a beast.
James Kirkland (21-0) vs Eromosele Albert (21-1)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DB7ZVJF0
Kirkland is a beast.