RSSMiguel Cotto
Thursday, February 08, 2007
EEC - February 8, 2007
If you enjoyed yesterday’s rankings, I’m sure you will also like the fight predictions we will be coming out with in the next few weeks…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- As of right now, the June 9th showdown between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto is apparently off...
So what exactly is happening here? Mark Vester breaks it down better then I can:
Last week, the WBO held a purse bid for a bout between their welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (34-4, 24KOs) and the mandatory challenger, Paul “The Punisher” Williams (32-0, 24KOs). Dan Goossen of Goossen-Tutor Promotions beat out Golden Boy Promotions for the right to promote the fight. Goossen bid $1.5 million to secure the promotional rights to stage the bout in either late May or early June, in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
Arum told scribe Robert Morales of the Press-Telegram that he did not participate in the purse bid because Margarito and his team told him that he was going to fight Cotto in June. Earlier this week it was revealed that Margarito signed to face Williams, instead of Cotto. Arum, who owns full promotional rights to Margarito, says that he never gave him permission to sign a contract for the fight.
Goossen-Tutor Promotions isn’t permitted to sign a contract making a Margarito-Williams bout since Margarito is under an exclusive contract with Arum and Top Rank…
“He has a contract with us, an exclusive contract with us,” Arum said of Margarito. “We didn’t participate in the purse bid because they (Margarito’s co-managers) told us not to because they were fighting Cotto. It (Margarito-Williams) may be a done deal as far as (Goossen) is concerned, but these people have no authority to sign a contract because they’re under an exclusive promotional agreement with us.”
You know what that means. Arum says he will be filing litigation by the end of the week, meaning he will now be in separate legal battles with Goossen-Tutor and Golden Boy Promotions at the same time.
- IC Wales is reporting that WBO Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli wants to come over to America and take on WBA, WBC, and IBF Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell in an attempt to unify all four major cruiserweight titles.
Maccarinelli will defend his WBO title against Vincenzo Cantatore on April 7th. Because Bell fights the month before, a summer fight could work out great for the both of them:
“Bell is the one recognized as the undisputed champion, but he can’t call himself that until he beats me,” Maccarinelli told IC Wales. “That’s the fight I’m aiming for. He’s said he’s got a lot of admiration for me and that he wants my belt. I want to fight the best straight away and I definitely feel that I’ll get him.”
“He’s got a fight in March and I’m fighting in April, so it could work out. There’s talk about Joe going over to the States in July or there’s a lovely stadium (Liberty) down in Swansea which would be happy to hold the event. Home or away doesn’t bother me whatsoever. When that bell goes it’s only me against him, the crowd’s not going to help either of us.”
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: Greatness demands political incorrectness
The Sweet Science: Is Boxing Dead? Ask Mr. Computer
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
EEC - February 6, 2007
After a little hiatus that extended into the beginning of the week, we are back once again with the Early Eight Count…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The April fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jin Chi has been postponed until at least October according to Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum yesterday.
Arum informed ESPN that Pacquiao would still be fighting in April, but now he would be lacing up the gloves on April 21st against an opponent that has yet to be named. The fight will take place in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“Manny will fight in San Antonio and we’ll have an announcement on the opponent in a couple of days,” Arum said.
Arum also announed that Jorge Arce and Jose Navarro will face off in the co-main event. Other fighters who could also possibly be added to the card in the near future are Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Brian Viloria, and Edgar Sosa.
So what was the reason for the change? It’s hotel problems…
“We found out that because of certain delays there are only about 4,000 decent hotel rooms in Macau, and that is not enough to handle demand for this event,” Arum said. “They have a whole group of properties that are coming on line that we were expecting to be open by the end of April, but they aren’t going to make it. By the fall there will be 10,000 rooms. There will be plenty to handle the people in the fall.”
- Yet another boxer arrested…
Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell was arrested in Big Bear, California after assaulting his training partner, Larry Slayton.
37-year-old Larry Slayton, was helping Bell train for his March 17 rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris, France. Slayton claims that Bell became angry with him during a workout session in the woods, and threw a hatchet at him. Bell was carrying the hatchet for protection against bears. At that point Slayton ran as Bell allegedly began to pelt him with large rocks. Arden Wiltshire, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said that Deputies found Slayton with cuts from running through the brush and “fearful for his life.”
He is currently out on bail…
- Miguel Cotto has been named fighter of the year by the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: From gridiron to ring, Rossy’s rising fast
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Margarito-Cotto Set for June
Bob Arum and Top Rank announced earlier today that WBO Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito will challenge Miguel Cotto for his WBA Welterweight Title on June 9th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“This is the biggest fight out there for me,” Margarito said. “I am anxious to get into the ring against Cotto.”
One interesting thing to note about this fight: Cotto is scheduled to make a mandatory title defense against Oktay Urkal on March 3rd. Will this fight still go on as planned even if Cotto loses?
Even more important: Will Cotto overlook Urkal in a big way? I’m sure that Urkal is loving the fact that his opponent has scheduled two fights in the next five months…
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Monday, January 22, 2007
EEC - January 22, 2007
A little bit of news for you as we start a brand new week. For those who haven’t read up on the results of this weekend’s fights, be sure to scroll down and check our latest posts to find out for yourself…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Controversial promoter Dan Goossen sent out a press release last week that ripped Bob Arum and Antonio Margarito because Magarito did not give Paul Williams his mandatory title shot, instead choosing for a showdown against Miguel Cotto on June 9th.
Arum said that he is willing to setup the mandatory fight between the two, but the fight cannot happen before June unless Cotto loses when he takes on Oktay Urkal on March 3rd.
Margarito was originally supposed to return to the ring on the undercard of Cotto-Urkal but he is still recovering from a wrist injury that will keep him out of action for a few more weeks.
“(Margarito) can’t fight until (May at the earliest), and why should he fight Williams for no money when he’d have a big-money fight with Cotto there for him in June?” Arum said to Iole. “But if Cotto loses (to Oktay Urkal on March 3), then, sure, (Margarito) wouldn’t blow the title. He’d fight him then.”
Williams can still become the champion however. How? The WBO may decide to strip Margarito of his belt for not meeting Williams in the coming months.
- Former Manny Pacquiao manager Shelley Finkel is apparently warning his former client that the result of the lawsuit between Top Rank and Golden Boy over his contract may not have the result he is hoping for…
- The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that Kelly Pavlik and Edison Miranda may take on each other this summer in a matchup that would bring together two of the hardest-hitting middleweights in boxing.
The fight will only go down however if Pavilk sucessfully defeated Jose Luis Zertuche on January 27th as part of an HBO televised card.
Both Top Rank and Warriors Boxing have had several meetings discussing a possible matchup between the two and everything seems to be set in stone if Pavlik wins this weekend.
“I really believe Kelly Pavlik is going to be the next big thing in the middleweight division,” he said. “... He’s exciting. People want to see that,” Arum said.
There is another unusual reason why this fight could also not happen - If Jermain Taylor wants to challenge Miranda this summer according to Miranda’s camp. Why they think Taylor would want him when he still has other top middleweights to rid of in beyond me…
Some Good Reads:
Doghouse Boxing: The Re-Education of the Boxing Fan
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Sunday, January 14, 2007
EEC - January 14, 2007
Early Eight Count - It’s catchy isn’t it?
Basically this is going to be a daily morning post focusing on a variety of boxing news, gossip, articles, videos, and whatever interesting things myself or David will be able to find.
I’m going to try my best to post it every morning at 8:00 AM, genius I know… However if you don’t see it up one day for some reason, please don’t uppercut me too hard.
We’re doing something similar over on our sister site, MMA on Tap as well.
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Ricky Hatton seems to be taking Floyd Mayweather Jr. off of his radar screen because of Mayweather’s future plans for this year which include a superfight with Oscar De La Hoya in May and possible retirement right after the bout. That didn’t stop Hatton from discussing alternate plans for this year however…
“I have no problem with fighting up at welterweight again. But the only fight I’ll probably look at that might tempt to me to welterweight would be certainly Floyd Mayweather, maybe Miguel Cotto. I’m not soon to be back on the welterweight division even though I’ve made back down to junior welterweight. I have got to put on an exciting performance against Juan Urango. Hopefully win my title back which I’m confident that I can do, and hopefully lead to a fight against José Castillo and then if Floyd is still fighting, if he chooses not to retire then that would another fight I’d love.”
I’m sure that Hatton won’t be the only one voicing their displeasure about Floyd opting to retire soon, crushing the hopes of many welterweights out there that wanted a crack at him.
- Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer will be traveling to Florida next week to visit with Roy Jones Jr. and attempt to get him to sign a contract that will allow him to fight Bernard Hopkins in July. According to Hopkins, he is already signed for the fight and it is now up to Jones Jr. to make the fight happen.
- Just like I reported yesterday, Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent will most likely be Jin Chi as Top Rank’s Bob Arum is supposed to be finalizing the contract for the fight at some point this week.
One thing I’m considering is moving the usual ‘Weekend Fights’ and ‘Weekend Results’ posts to the EEC post for that day. I think it will work out a lot better and allow more time for news and events that occur which deserve more coverage. As always, feel free to leave a comment or contact us with your opinion about this decision or anything else that your little heart desires…
Weekend Results:
- Travis Simms won the WBA Super Welterweight Title on Saturday night, stopping Jose Antonio Rivera in the 9th round. Simms was in control for the entire fight, dominating Rivera in every aspect until the referee halted the bout in the middle of the 9th round after Rivera was knocked to the canvas for a second time.
Simms actually held the WBA Super Welterweight belt from December 2003 until June 2005 when he was stripped of the belt due to inactivity. Simms was holding out because he wanted a fight with Winky Wright who obviously had other plans. However Simms now guarantees that his mind is set on defending his title:
“I’m coming back, and I’m looking to get back in the mix with the top champions in the divison,” Simms said. “I cannot be denied. I stayed in the gym, stayed diligent, stayed focused.”
Don’t believe in newspapers? Don’t worry, I have you covered…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Dan Rafael’s January Division Rankings
I actually plan on starting some rankings of our own by next month possibly so stay tuned…
FOX Sports: Unified heavyweight title can save boxing
MaxBoxing: When to Hold and When to Fold: Toney’s March Memorable, but Uphill from Here
The Sweet Science: Looking For More In The New Year
Last but not least, Jim Amato (neverlast on this site) will have a new piece being posted at some point this afternoon for those of you looking to check back in later on for new material…
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Friday, January 12, 2007
Zab Judah to Fight on April 27th; Wants Mayweather Again in Near Future
In an interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Zab Judah announced that he will make his return to the ring on April 27th at the DeSoto Civic Center in Memphis. An opponent has not yet been named.
Judah also announced that he is no longer affilated with Don King.
As always, Judah was very vocal about the Mayweather brawl and also said that he wanted to fight him again some time in the near future:
“I really want Mayweather,” Judah said. I know I got a raw deal. The whole Mayweather camp, they were back eligible to do what they got to do already, and we’re still suffering for something we didn’t start?
I think we definitely got a raw deal. Me and my Dad (are) still suffering, you know what I’m saying? But we still got a little upliftment, knowing that April’s right around the block and we’ll be right back at it.”
Is upliftment even a word?
Anyway, Judah also said that he would be interested in fighting Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto as well.
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Thursday, January 11, 2007
HBO to Televise Cotto-Urkal
Miguel Cotto will make his return to HBO for the first time in almost a year as the network will televise his first ever WBA Welterweight title defense against Oktay Urkal on March 3rd.
The bout will take place in Puerto Rico, Cotto’s native country where he also happens to be presently be the most popular fighter as well.
HBO won the right to televise the fight when Showtime decided to not match HBO’s offer by the Monday afternoon deadline…
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Cotto Stops Quintana, Margarito Wins Decision
In an incredibly brutal battle, the unbeaten Cotto captured the vacant WBA welterweight title with a spectacular fifth-round TKO over Carlos Quintana. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
ATLANTIC CITY – Showtime Championship Boxing closed out its 20th anniversary year with a brilliant welterweight doubleheader Saturday from Boardwalk Hall. In the main event, Miguel Cotto won the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) 147-pound crown by disposing of fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana by technical knockout at the end of the fifth round. In the co-main event, dynamic power puncher Antonio Margarito retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) title with a unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey.
Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc., in association with Northeast Promotions and Caesars Atlantic City, promoted the stellar night of boxing on Showtime. The bouts aired at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Cotto and Quintana, both Puerto Rican, both unbeaten and ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively by the WBA, engaged in a fierce battle right from the opening bell. The opening rounds featured numerous, fast-paced exchanges with both fighters doing effective work.
Continue reading "Cotto Stops Quintana, Margarito Wins Decision"
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Cotto-Quintana and Margarito-Clottey Quotes
Four of the world’s most talented welterweights (left to right) Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Carlos Quintana and Joshua Clottey pose after Tuesday’s press conference in New York. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
In 2006, Showtime continues to live up to its billing as America’s No. 1 Boxing Network by televising the most compelling championship fights on the first Saturday of every month. The memorable 20th anniversary year of Showtime Championship Boxing will conclude in sensational style on Saturday, Dec. 2, with an outstanding world championship doubleheader featuring two of boxing’s most dynamic performers, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, live at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
In the first of the two co-featured main events on Showtime, Margarito (33-4, 1 NC, 24 KOs), the exciting, hard-hitting, World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound champion will defend his crown against WBO No. 5 contender Joshua Clottey (30-1, 1 NC, 20 KOs).
The second championship bout of the night will pit undefeated Cotto (27-0, 22 KOs) against fellow undefeated Puerto Rican, southpaw Carlos Quintana (23-0, 18 KOs), for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title. Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc., in association with Northeast Promotions and Caesars Atlantic City, will promote the twin bill.
Continue reading "Cotto-Quintana and Margarito-Clottey Quotes"
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Miguel Cotto Quotes
Miguel Cotto hit the mitts during a two-hour workout Monday in New York. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
In 2006, Showtime continued to live up to its billing as America’s No. 1 Boxing Network by televising the most compelling championship fights on the first Saturday of every month. The memorable 20th anniversary year of Showtime Championship Boxing will conclude in sensational style on Saturday, Dec. 2, with an outstanding world championship doubleheader.
The telecast’s opening bout on Showtime (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) will feature exciting, hard-hitting Antonio Margarito (33-4, 1 NC, 24 KOs) defending his WBO welterweight title against dangerous WBO No. 5 contender Joshua Clottey (30-1, 1 NC, 20 KOs). In the second half of the co-featured main events, Puerto Ricans Miguel Cotto (27-0, 22 KOs) and southpaw Carlos Quintana (23-0, 18 KOs) collide for the vacant WBA 147-pound crown.
Top Rank Inc. will promote the doubleheader from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.