Brad O
06-07-2007, 10:31 AM
The following is off the AP Newswire:
Cotto has Madison Square Garden star quality
June 6, 2007
By Mark Staniforth PA Sport Boxing Writer
Steeped in boxing history stretching back more than a century and encompassing the eras of Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey, it has always taken a special kind of fighter to sell out Madison Square Garden.
Among today's generation of largely anonymous champions, boasting claims to world titles which are often tenuous at best, those sorts of top of the bill attractions can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
One of them is Miguel Cotto, the hard-punching, 26-year-old Puerto Rican who will defend his WBA welterweight title this Saturday in an eagerly-awaited pay-per-view match-up against former champion Zab Judah.
Judah may be a brash and popular figure from just the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, but there is little disputing Cotto is the attraction, to the point where the Garden's mezzanine level will be opened for the first time for a fight since 2001. Promoter Bob Arum and Garden officials made the decision after the initial 16,000 available tickets threatened to sell out quickly.
"Miguel Cotto has developed a tremendous following because he is a no-nonsense fighter," said Arum. "For those who have been around as long as I have, Madison Square Garden is the capital of boxing. The legendary fights that have been fought here and in its predecessor, are embedded in the history of our country and of sports."
Undefeated in 29 professional fights, Cotto is increasingly emerging as a worthy successor to the headliners who have gone before, and has underlined his status as a phenomenal 147-pound fighter despite initial fears about his size.
Having made six successful defenses of his World Boxing Organization light-welterweight title, Cotto moved up to dispatch the previous undefeated Carlos Quintana after five rounds of relentlessly accurate boxing in December.
In March, he dispatched the tough Turk, Oktay Urkal, via 11th round stoppage in front of a sold-out arena in San Juan.
Cotto is big news back home where the fans covet another in a proud line of Puerto Rican boxing legends.
"I've always dreamed of being one of the greatest champions from Puerto Rico, like Wilfred Benitez and Felix Trinidad" said Cotto, who has improved his English enough to conduct interviews without a translator. "I am on my way."
Cotto faces his most difficult challenge in the fast-footed, sharp-punching Judah, a former undisputed champion who has the added incentive of needing a win to maintain his marketability.
Judah has failed to win any of his last three fights, although points defeats to Floyd Mayweather and Carlos Baldomir are hardly career-threatening. Nor was a one-round no-contest against journeyman Ruben Galvan due to cuts.
But Judah does still need to prove he can wrap a major belt back around his waist, and he could hardly impress more than if he dethroned Cotto.
"Cotto has never faced anyone with my fast hands or my pretty face," Judah warned.
Cotto, however, has come through enough significant tests to know what it takes. He was badly rocked on his way to beating DeMarcus Corley, and had to climb off the floor to stop Ricardo Torres.
Yet Cotto's struggles to make the 140-pound limit were well documented. He had little option to move up, raising fears for his chin and, standing at 5-7, his overall effectiveness against naturally bigger opponents.
But unlike prospective rival Ricky Hatton, who returned to 140 pounds after an ill-advised scrape home against slippery Luis Collazo at welterweight, Cotto has flourished with his new freedom on the scales.
Cotto has been hard at work in his homeland preparing to do justice to another night in the spotlight.
"I have had the best training camp I have ever had in my life and I am going to destroy Zab Judah," Cotto said. "Judah talks too much. He may be a great fighter but he is not the best fighter and I will teach him that difference when we meet in the ring. I promise I will be more focused and show all my power.
"I feel really good and I hope Zab did the same things in his camp to make it a real show with real fighters. That is the only thing the fans want to see. And that is what Miguel Cotto is going to bring to the world."
British fans can watch Cotto versus Judah on Setanta Sports for $20 (Sky) or $15 (Freeview). The price represents a one month subscription charge, covering Ricky Hatton's fight on June 23, plus two additional months for free.
Sultan Ibragimov did not look like a man who had just claimed a portion of the so-called richest prize in sport when his arm was raised in victory over Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City.
Ibragimov had just outpointed Briggs to wrest his WBO title in one of the worst heavyweight fights, even in these fractured times. But the glum-faced Russian is unlikely to bring much charisma to his reign.
"I'm happy that I won, but I am not happy that I didn't knock him out," huffed Ibragimov.
Asked about future plans, he exclusively revealed, "I just want to go to sleep and wake up as world heavyweight champion."
Peter Manfredo is wasting no time attempting to get his career back on track following his comprehensive third round defeat to WBO super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in April.
Having already rebounded with a ninth round win over Ted Muller the following month, Manfredo is now preparing to face David Banks at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut on June 20.
"These are the steps I have to take to become a world champion," Manfredo said. "When you don't get a chance to fight, or lose, you have to start all over again to get back there. It's not like the Red Sox losing a game then playing the next night."
Cotto has Madison Square Garden star quality
June 6, 2007
By Mark Staniforth PA Sport Boxing Writer
Steeped in boxing history stretching back more than a century and encompassing the eras of Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey, it has always taken a special kind of fighter to sell out Madison Square Garden.
Among today's generation of largely anonymous champions, boasting claims to world titles which are often tenuous at best, those sorts of top of the bill attractions can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
One of them is Miguel Cotto, the hard-punching, 26-year-old Puerto Rican who will defend his WBA welterweight title this Saturday in an eagerly-awaited pay-per-view match-up against former champion Zab Judah.
Judah may be a brash and popular figure from just the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, but there is little disputing Cotto is the attraction, to the point where the Garden's mezzanine level will be opened for the first time for a fight since 2001. Promoter Bob Arum and Garden officials made the decision after the initial 16,000 available tickets threatened to sell out quickly.
"Miguel Cotto has developed a tremendous following because he is a no-nonsense fighter," said Arum. "For those who have been around as long as I have, Madison Square Garden is the capital of boxing. The legendary fights that have been fought here and in its predecessor, are embedded in the history of our country and of sports."
Undefeated in 29 professional fights, Cotto is increasingly emerging as a worthy successor to the headliners who have gone before, and has underlined his status as a phenomenal 147-pound fighter despite initial fears about his size.
Having made six successful defenses of his World Boxing Organization light-welterweight title, Cotto moved up to dispatch the previous undefeated Carlos Quintana after five rounds of relentlessly accurate boxing in December.
In March, he dispatched the tough Turk, Oktay Urkal, via 11th round stoppage in front of a sold-out arena in San Juan.
Cotto is big news back home where the fans covet another in a proud line of Puerto Rican boxing legends.
"I've always dreamed of being one of the greatest champions from Puerto Rico, like Wilfred Benitez and Felix Trinidad" said Cotto, who has improved his English enough to conduct interviews without a translator. "I am on my way."
Cotto faces his most difficult challenge in the fast-footed, sharp-punching Judah, a former undisputed champion who has the added incentive of needing a win to maintain his marketability.
Judah has failed to win any of his last three fights, although points defeats to Floyd Mayweather and Carlos Baldomir are hardly career-threatening. Nor was a one-round no-contest against journeyman Ruben Galvan due to cuts.
But Judah does still need to prove he can wrap a major belt back around his waist, and he could hardly impress more than if he dethroned Cotto.
"Cotto has never faced anyone with my fast hands or my pretty face," Judah warned.
Cotto, however, has come through enough significant tests to know what it takes. He was badly rocked on his way to beating DeMarcus Corley, and had to climb off the floor to stop Ricardo Torres.
Yet Cotto's struggles to make the 140-pound limit were well documented. He had little option to move up, raising fears for his chin and, standing at 5-7, his overall effectiveness against naturally bigger opponents.
But unlike prospective rival Ricky Hatton, who returned to 140 pounds after an ill-advised scrape home against slippery Luis Collazo at welterweight, Cotto has flourished with his new freedom on the scales.
Cotto has been hard at work in his homeland preparing to do justice to another night in the spotlight.
"I have had the best training camp I have ever had in my life and I am going to destroy Zab Judah," Cotto said. "Judah talks too much. He may be a great fighter but he is not the best fighter and I will teach him that difference when we meet in the ring. I promise I will be more focused and show all my power.
"I feel really good and I hope Zab did the same things in his camp to make it a real show with real fighters. That is the only thing the fans want to see. And that is what Miguel Cotto is going to bring to the world."
British fans can watch Cotto versus Judah on Setanta Sports for $20 (Sky) or $15 (Freeview). The price represents a one month subscription charge, covering Ricky Hatton's fight on June 23, plus two additional months for free.
Sultan Ibragimov did not look like a man who had just claimed a portion of the so-called richest prize in sport when his arm was raised in victory over Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City.
Ibragimov had just outpointed Briggs to wrest his WBO title in one of the worst heavyweight fights, even in these fractured times. But the glum-faced Russian is unlikely to bring much charisma to his reign.
"I'm happy that I won, but I am not happy that I didn't knock him out," huffed Ibragimov.
Asked about future plans, he exclusively revealed, "I just want to go to sleep and wake up as world heavyweight champion."
Peter Manfredo is wasting no time attempting to get his career back on track following his comprehensive third round defeat to WBO super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in April.
Having already rebounded with a ninth round win over Ted Muller the following month, Manfredo is now preparing to face David Banks at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut on June 20.
"These are the steps I have to take to become a world champion," Manfredo said. "When you don't get a chance to fight, or lose, you have to start all over again to get back there. It's not like the Red Sox losing a game then playing the next night."