The Army Boxing Thread

[binnie]

This fight is Saturday, right?

How do you guys see it going? I really don't know how to call it, and to me it seems to depend on which Judah gets in the ring: the one with flashes of brilliance; or, more likely it would seems, the one who lacks concentration and consistency.

Thoughts, opinions?

I'd really like Cotto to win this one.....

[binnie]

From sportinglife.com

COTTO HAS MADISON STAR QUALITY
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By Mark Staniforth, PA Sport

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 took 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 147lbs fighter despite initial fears about his size.

Having made six successful defences of his WBO 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" says 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 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 140lbs limit were well documented. He had little option to move up, raising fears for his chin and, standing at 5ft 7ins, his overall effectiveness against naturally bigger opponents.

But unlike prospective rival Ricky Hatton, who returned to 140lbs 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 £15 (Sky) or £10.99 (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.



Manfredo said: "These are the steps I have to take to become a world champion. 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."

[binnie]

From Southoasttoday.com

COTTO GETS NOD
It hasn't got the publicity of the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight, but the Cotto-Zab Judah showdown Saturday night on HBO PPV could be a better fight.

Cotto and Judah are two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, and unlike the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout, both fighters are in their prime. (Though Judah is coming off a year suspension for his part in the brawl that erupted during his loss to Mayweather.)

In raw speed and talent, Judah is probably second to none despite four losses, two of which were to future Hall-of-Famers Kostya Tszyu and Mayweather. Give Judah the edge in hand speed, but Cotto is the tougher fighter mentally, which could be the difference.

Judah hasn't responded well to pressure (as evidenced in his loss to Carlos Baldomir), and Cotto, one of the best body punchers in the business, will apply relentless pressure. But Cotto has been hurt before by lighter hitting fighters, so give Judah a puncher's chance.

But a knockout by Judah will have to come early. The longer the fight goes, the stronger Cotto will get. Look for a late TKO win for Cotto.

[binnie]

From Blackathlete.net

NEW YORK -- Zab Judah's back is against the wall. He hasn't won a fight in more than two years. Judah is coming off perhaps the worst year of his professional career. Judah could hit the top of the food chain and send shockwaves throughout the boxing community if he defeats unbeaten two-division world champion Miguel Cotto.





Judah (34-4, 25 KOs) will challenge Cotto (29-0, 24 KOs) for his WBA welterweight championship on June 9, at Madison Square Garden . Although the bout will be in Judah's hometown of New York City , Cotto will be fighting at the Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade for the third consecutive year.





"I am going to rain on his parade -- literally," Judah said after the official announcement was made. "On June 9, I'm going to sink his boat and on June 10, me and Tito (Trinidad) are going to ride Cotto's float in the Puerto Rican Parade. The Latinos already know it. I will have more Latino fans than he will at The Garden. There's a new Grand Marshall in town and his name is Zab Judah!"





"Cotto vs. Judah: X-Plosive" will be promoted by Top Rank, Inc., Prize Fight Promotions, and broadcast on HBO Pay-Per-View at a suggested retail of $44.95.





Cotto will have overwhelming support through out NYC and Judah could be the decisive underdog. This bout is such a "hot ticket" that promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank recently announced that an additional 3,000 tickets will be released for sale to the general public.





"Naturally we are ecstatic, but not totally surprised," said Arum. "We have been grooming and showcasing Miguel Cotto at The Garden and on national television for years in preparation for exactly this circumstance. New York has embraced Miguel and this fight as proven by the action at the box office."






This fight will mark the first time since 2001 that tickets in the upper mezzanine section at The Garden will be sold for a boxing match. More than 18,000 will be in attendance to see whether Judah can bounce back from a tumultuous 2006.





Last year was a pretty rough year for Judah , a 29 year-old from Brooklyn , NY . He squandered the undisputed world welterweight in a homecoming defense in a 12-round decision loss to Carlos Baldomir in January 2006.





Judah remained the IBF 147-pound champion, but lost that title to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Judah risked disqualification when he blatantly fouled Mayweather that led to a tenth round melee. The result: a $250,000 fine and a one-year ban by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.





Judah returned in April. Ruben Galvin, an overmatched welterweight who was supposed to have been slaughtered. Instead, a cut on his head in the first round was ruled an unintentional foul and led to a no-contest.





A victory over Cotto, 26, Caguas , Puerto Rico, will be the biggest victory of Judah's career and it couldn't have come at a better time. The last time Judah's back was pressed against the wall entering a fight was when he traveled to St. Louis , MO to face hometown hero Cory Spinks for the undisputed world welterweight championship in February 2005.





Judah pressed Spinks and unleashed a one-sided beating that catapulted Judah straight to the top of the welterweight division.





Cotto Awaits





Judah will be in the ring against a very focused and a very strong champion in Cotto. While Judah has struggled, Cotto has made continuous strides toward becoming one of boxing's bigger marquee names.





Cotto unleashed a merciless 12-round beating against previously unbeaten Paul Malignaggi in June 2006. Cotto moved up from the junior welterweight division and became welterweight champion after pummeling Carlos Quintana through five rounds.





In Cotto's last fight, he successfully defended the WBA 147-pound title for the first time against a solid Oktay Urkal. The relentless power and pressure of Cotto's punches to Urkal's body raised a question that will be answered on June 9th.





Can Cotto breakdown a fighter as fast and as aggressive as Judah?





Cotto will clearly be the puncher in this fight. Judah maybe the underdog, but he is a live underdog that shouldn't be underestimated. Throughout his boxing career, Judah has never been out-of-shape for a fight. Judah is extremely quick.





He throws punches from various angles. Judah's power comes from his speed. When Judah hits an opponent square in their face, they become dazed. Add three-four more quick punches and Judah has his opponent in serious trouble.





Cotto has a tough chin and is very relentless. If an opponent swings and misses Cotto, the champion is young enough, quick enough, and sharp enough as a puncher to make them pay.





Judah has to make sure that when he throws a punch, it may not land flush but it must at least touch Cotto. Judah has been hit on his chin and planted on tasted the canvas before.





The stunning second round knockout loss Judah suffered against Kostya Tszyu in November 2001 maybe distant, but not forgotten. The consensus belief is that Judah is vulnerable and once Cotto hits him flush on the chin, it will mark the beginning of the end.





"I know I am ready to go 12 hard rounds and to destroy Zab Judah ," Cotto said during a recent conference call. "I just hope he's ready as well. I want to give the fans a great fight and that's why I prepare so hard for this fight."





An Action-Packed Fight





One thing is for sure. Cotto vs. Judah will be an action-packed fight. Cotto's brute power matched against Judah's hand speed. Both fighters have technique and are well trained.





Both can be very aggressive, especially Cotto, who likes to come straight forward. Judah can box, move around the ring well, and likes to apply relentless pressure when he has an opponent in trouble.






Styles make fights. Cotto and Judah both have styles that can make their encounter one of the most memorable in recent memory. Cotto vs. Judah could be the 2007 "Fight of the Year."






Cotto's Path Toward Greatness





At 26, Cotto is on a path toward becoming a great fighter. Cotto's rise toward the top is similar to Oscar De La Hoya's path to fame after wining a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.






Cotto started his professional career in February 2001. Cotto has already won the WBO junior welterweight and WBA welterweight championships. Recognizable names such as former world champions John Brown, Cesar Bazan, Randall Bailey, DeMarcus Corley, and current IBF junior welterweight champion, Lovermore N'dou have all been beaten by Cotto.





N'dou, on June 16 will meet Paul Maliginaggi, who suffered a brutal 12-round loss to Cotto last year on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade.





Cotto at 147 could be the start of the next dominant eras in boxing. A number of attractive opponents that include interim WBC champion Sugar Shane Mosley, IBF champion Kermit Cintron, WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, and unbeaten Paul Williams are in the same division with Cotto.





South of the boarder at 140 is Ricky Hatton, a former unified WBA welterweight and unified WBA/IBF junior welterweight champion, who will meet Jose Luis Castillo in a highly anticipated 12-round fight on June 23 in Las Vegas. Also, Junior Witter, Kendal Holt, and Demetrius Hopkins are some of the bigger names at 140.






Cotto vs. De La Hoya or Mayweather -- Don't Be Surprised!





If Cotto remains unbeaten against the upper echelon welterweights, don't be surprised if a Cotto vs. De La Hoya or a Cotto vs. Mayweather fight is discussed. Cotto is only one weight class below De La Hoya (154).





Mayweather, who beat De La Hoya on May 5, in the highest grossing fight in boxing history, has to decide whether he will retain WBC junior welterweight championship or resume is reign as WBC welterweight champion.






De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, seems to be enjoying his hectic schedule of fighting only once a year. De La Hoya appears to be in tremendous shape, as he proved against Mayweather that he is strong enough and fast enough to last twelve durable rounds against anyone he challenges.






Mayweather, an unbeaten world champion in five separate weight divisions, is going to need marquee opponents (other than De La Hoya) if he wishes to develop into a leading boxing pay-per-view entity. Mayweather vs. Cotto is an attractive match that can generate the interest outside of the boxing world once if promoted properly.





There is so much at stake for both Judah and Cotto. Only one will emerge victorious.

[ALinChainz]

I say Cotto wins handily, Judah may pose some difficulty as far as his southapw stance, but I say Cotto blows his doors off.

[binnie]

That's what I'd like to see.

I just wonder how Cotto will cope with the southpaw stance, plus Judah's speed and his ability to throw punches from unorthodox angles.

Judah could be a really, really dangerous fighter if he got his head together and put in the effort. I hope he actually puts his best on show, otherwise Cotto will walk it.

A Judah at his best could beat Cotto if he fights a smart fight, but on his past four performances, I can't see it happening...

[ALinChainz]

Cotto-Judah round-by-round

By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports

June 9, 2007

In looking to create a more "radical" atmosphere of music and sound for Saturday's world championship boxing pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden, promoters Bob Arum and Todd duBoef of Top Rank knew there was only one man for the job – world-famous DJ JUSTIN HOFFMAN, nephew of radical activist and Chicago seven alumnus Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman, a native of the Boston area, is the DJ at Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas, where he spins the Las Vegas night life until dawn.

NEW YORK — The arena is electric and the sellout crowd of 20,658 is heavily pro-Miguel Cotto and is loudly chanting his name.

Whenever Zab Judah appears on the television screens, he is resoundingly booed. Everyone is on their feet as Judah begins to walk to the ring. A DJ asks the crowd to welcome Judah and he is met with an ear-splitting chorus of boos.

Judah is pacing in his corner as Cotto begins to walk to the ring to a tremendous ovation. Cotto goes to a neutral corner upon getting into the ring and falls to a knee in a silent prayer.

ROUND 1

Cotto lands a straight right early. Judah is flicking a jab that is short. First minute is very slow. Good left to body by Judah backs up Cotto. Judah rocks Cotto with a straight left. Judah goes down face first and is writhing in agony form a low blow with about a minute left in the round. Fight resumes after a 90-second wait. Judah pops a jab. Cotto doubles his jab. Judah’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 2

Cotto lands a hook and a jab. Judah keeps flicking his jab, but most of them are short. Judah’s speed advantage is apparent. Cotto goes to the body for a combination. Good right to the body by Cotto. Judah lands a left to the body. Crowd urges Cotto on. Judah is circling as Cotto stalks. Judah easily blocks Cotto’s hook to the head. Double left hook by Cotto lands. Cotto lands a combination. Judah lands a big left in the center of the ring that wobbles Cotto. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 3

Crowd begins to chant for Judah. Judah goes down again from a low blow. There is 1:40 left. Judah is laying on his face and now is rolling around. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. deducts a point from Cotto. Cotto’s mouth is bleeding and he has blood on his chest. Hard exchange in the center of the ring that Cotto gets the best of. Judah lands a body shot. Judah connects on an uppercut and Cotto responds with a body shot. Cotto lands a short left hand. Left uppercut by Judah lands. Judah is much quicker. Judah complains about a low blow. Judah’s round and with the point off, it’s 10-8.

ROUND 4

Cotto lands a couple of body shots. Judah has blood by his right eye. Good right hand by Cotto, maybe his best punch. Judah crouches low and then dances away. Cotto lands three jabs. Judah is not punching as much now. Cotto lands a combination, though it doesn’t appear to hurt Judah. Judah is taking a more defensive posture. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 5

Judah backs into the corner and Cotto fires. Good right hand by Cotto inside. Cut on Judah’s eye is in a bad spot on his right eyebrow, but it’s not bleeding much now. Hard combination by Cotto. Short right inside by Cotto and Judah looks at referee to complain about hitting on the break. Jab by Cotto. Judah is showing little offense at this stage. There is a left to the body by Judah. Hard left inside by Judah. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 6

Right inside by Judah. Judah warned for hitting on break. Fighters embrace as Mercante warns them. Cotto is bleeding from the forehead, apparently caused by the illegal blow. Judah doubles the jab. Cotto lands a hard right that staggers Judah into a neutral corner. Many in the crowd are on their feet. Judah is talking to Cotto. Cotto is firing hard shots inside. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 7

Judah flicking jabs that land but don’t appear to bother Cotto. Cotto is the stronger fighter at this point. Uppercut by Judah lands. Cotto crouches under a Judah combination. Cotto lands a left and Judah connects with a hard three-punch combination that rocked Cotto. Judah fans begin to chant his name. Good combination by Cotto inside. Judah’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 8

Judah’s right eye is badly swollen and Cotto’s face is cut up. It’s been a grueling fight. Cotto lands a left in the corner. They trade in the center of the ring. Left by Cotto and then a right inside. Hard body shot by Cotto. Judah hurt by an uppercut and then a combination. Hook by Cotto hurts Judah. Cotto is in command. Judah appears weary. Another combination to the head by Cotto backs up Judah. Judah lands a body shot that has no impact. Cotto regained his lost momentum. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 9

Cotto comes out firing again. Judah wipes at his swollen right eye. It has to be causing him vision problems. Judah again paws at his eye. Cotto comes in winging. Right hand by Cotto backs Judah to the corner. Cotto walking forward not bothered by Judah’s punches any longer. Judah takes a knee in his corner even though there was no punch landed. There is a minute left. Cotto is pummeling Judah at this point. Cotto is taunting Judah. Judah misses wildly with a hook. Cotto’s round, 10-8.

ROUND 10

Cotto resumes attack as crowd chants, “Let’s go Miguel.” Judah throws a combination that Cotto handles. Left by Cotto, but pace has slowed a bit. Cotto has switched southpaw. Judah’s corner urging him to attack. Right uppercut by Cotto. Judah forces them to the ropes. Cotto lands an uppercut and Judah wobbles into the corner in trouble. Only 10 seconds are left. Cotto fires away. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 11

Cotto combination puts Judah down in first 30 seconds. Judah is up but wobbly. Mercante jumps in to stop it with about 50 seconds gone in the round. Miguel Cotto goes to 30-0 and retains WBA welterweight title.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AknXNBufOP2K2zQO0SAqAcGUxLYF?slug=ki-cottoround060907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[Sarge's Little Helper]

Cotto-Judah round-by-round

By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports

June 9, 2007

In looking to create a more "radical" atmosphere of music and sound for Saturday's world championship boxing pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden, promoters Bob Arum and Todd duBoef of Top Rank knew there was only one man for the job – world-famous DJ JUSTIN HOFFMAN, nephew of radical activist and Chicago seven alumnus Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman, a native of the Boston area, is the DJ at Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas, where he spins the Las Vegas night life until dawn.

NEW YORK — The arena is electric and the sellout crowd of 20,658 is heavily pro-Miguel Cotto and is loudly chanting his name.

Whenever Zab Judah appears on the television screens, he is resoundingly booed. Everyone is on their feet as Judah begins to walk to the ring. A DJ asks the crowd to welcome Judah and he is met with an ear-splitting chorus of boos.

Judah is pacing in his corner as Cotto begins to walk to the ring to a tremendous ovation. Cotto goes to a neutral corner upon getting into the ring and falls to a knee in a silent prayer.

ROUND 1

Cotto lands a straight right early. Judah is flicking a jab that is short. First minute is very slow. Good left to body by Judah backs up Cotto. Judah rocks Cotto with a straight left. Judah goes down face first and is writhing in agony form a low blow with about a minute left in the round. Fight resumes after a 90-second wait. Judah pops a jab. Cotto doubles his jab. Judah’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 2

Cotto lands a hook and a jab. Judah keeps flicking his jab, but most of them are short. Judah’s speed advantage is apparent. Cotto goes to the body for a combination. Good right to the body by Cotto. Judah lands a left to the body. Crowd urges Cotto on. Judah is circling as Cotto stalks. Judah easily blocks Cotto’s hook to the head. Double left hook by Cotto lands. Cotto lands a combination. Judah lands a big left in the center of the ring that wobbles Cotto. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 3

Crowd begins to chant for Judah. Judah goes down again from a low blow. There is 1:40 left. Judah is laying on his face and now is rolling around. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. deducts a point from Cotto. Cotto’s mouth is bleeding and he has blood on his chest. Hard exchange in the center of the ring that Cotto gets the best of. Judah lands a body shot. Judah connects on an uppercut and Cotto responds with a body shot. Cotto lands a short left hand. Left uppercut by Judah lands. Judah is much quicker. Judah complains about a low blow. Judah’s round and with the point off, it’s 10-8.

ROUND 4

Cotto lands a couple of body shots. Judah has blood by his right eye. Good right hand by Cotto, maybe his best punch. Judah crouches low and then dances away. Cotto lands three jabs. Judah is not punching as much now. Cotto lands a combination, though it doesn’t appear to hurt Judah. Judah is taking a more defensive posture. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 5

Judah backs into the corner and Cotto fires. Good right hand by Cotto inside. Cut on Judah’s eye is in a bad spot on his right eyebrow, but it’s not bleeding much now. Hard combination by Cotto. Short right inside by Cotto and Judah looks at referee to complain about hitting on the break. Jab by Cotto. Judah is showing little offense at this stage. There is a left to the body by Judah. Hard left inside by Judah. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 6

Right inside by Judah. Judah warned for hitting on break. Fighters embrace as Mercante warns them. Cotto is bleeding from the forehead, apparently caused by the illegal blow. Judah doubles the jab. Cotto lands a hard right that staggers Judah into a neutral corner. Many in the crowd are on their feet. Judah is talking to Cotto. Cotto is firing hard shots inside. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 7

Judah flicking jabs that land but don’t appear to bother Cotto. Cotto is the stronger fighter at this point. Uppercut by Judah lands. Cotto crouches under a Judah combination. Cotto lands a left and Judah connects with a hard three-punch combination that rocked Cotto. Judah fans begin to chant his name. Good combination by Cotto inside. Judah’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 8

Judah’s right eye is badly swollen and Cotto’s face is cut up. It’s been a grueling fight. Cotto lands a left in the corner. They trade in the center of the ring. Left by Cotto and then a right inside. Hard body shot by Cotto. Judah hurt by an uppercut and then a combination. Hook by Cotto hurts Judah. Cotto is in command. Judah appears weary. Another combination to the head by Cotto backs up Judah. Judah lands a body shot that has no impact. Cotto regained his lost momentum. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 9

Cotto comes out firing again. Judah wipes at his swollen right eye. It has to be causing him vision problems. Judah again paws at his eye. Cotto comes in winging. Right hand by Cotto backs Judah to the corner. Cotto walking forward not bothered by Judah’s punches any longer. Judah takes a knee in his corner even though there was no punch landed. There is a minute left. Cotto is pummeling Judah at this point. Cotto is taunting Judah. Judah misses wildly with a hook. Cotto’s round, 10-8.

ROUND 10

Cotto resumes attack as crowd chants, “Let’s go Miguel.” Judah throws a combination that Cotto handles. Left by Cotto, but pace has slowed a bit. Cotto has switched southpaw. Judah’s corner urging him to attack. Right uppercut by Cotto. Judah forces them to the ropes. Cotto lands an uppercut and Judah wobbles into the corner in trouble. Only 10 seconds are left. Cotto fires away. Cotto’s round, 10-9.

ROUND 11

Cotto combination puts Judah down in first 30 seconds. Judah is up but wobbly. Mercante jumps in to stop it with about 50 seconds gone in the round. Miguel Cotto goes to 30-0 and retains WBA welterweight title.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

Oops. I wasn't paying attention. Tell me again what is going on.

[ALinChainz]

Fightin' words

By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports

June 9, 2007

NEW YORK – Miguel Cotto is ready. Bob Arum is ready.

The question that begs to be answered is whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. is ready.

Cotto set the stage for what could be the most intriguing welterweight bout since 1980 – when Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard fought in Montreal – by stopping Zab Judah in the 11th round Saturday before a raucous crowd of 20,658 at Madison Square Garden. Cotto did it with his sledgehammer punching power, brutally wearing Judah down as the fight progressed.

Cotto was pounding Judah so fiercely that Judah took the unconventional step of taking a knee in the ninth round without being hit to avoid taking more punishment.

"When you do that, it means you're getting your (butt) kicked, that's what that means," said veteran trainer Miguel Diaz, who worked as Cotto's cutman. "Don't say Zab is chicken. He showed a lot of courage because he was hit with a lot of very hard punches. After guys fight Cotto, they don't fight again."

Mayweather says he isn't fighting again after defeating Oscar De La Hoya last month in what was the biggest pay-per-view event in history. His adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said earlier in the week that the only fighter who could lure Mayweather out of retirement was De La Hoya.

Though that rematch will probably occur because of the money involved, it would come nowhere close to being the match that a fight with Cotto would be.

Cotto doesn't have Mayweather's blazing speed or mind-boggling quickness. But Mayweather doesn't possess the paralyzing power that Cotto does.

Cotto isn't a one-punch knockout artist like, say, fellow Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad, the former welterweight and middleweight champion. But Trinidad's power was like the snap of a whip. Cotto's power is like being beaten with a club.

"They're different fighters," Judah said of Cotto and Mayweather. "But (Cotto) is a great fighter. A great fighter."

Top Rank president Todd duBoef said he'll try to make a Mayweather bout, though the short-term plan is to match Cotto with the winner of the July 14 bout between Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams.

Though Ellerbe said flatly that Mayweather would never fight in a Top Rank-promoted bout again, that would only be short-changing the public, the sport and Mayweather's own legacy.

"It's a doable fight from our perspective," duBoef said. "It depends upon what Floyd's (financial) expectations are. We did 20,658 in this house. That hasn't been done since (heavyweights Evander) Holyfield and Lennox Lewis (in 1999). It was a complete sellout."

The fight, though, wouldn't be about the money. This would be a battle of styles, a struggle for supremacy. There are few who believed De La Hoya was anywhere near as good as Mayweather and those who gave De La Hoya a chance to win that bout did so only believing that Mayweather had moved up too far in weight.

But Cotto is in his prime and is proving to be the Duran to Mayweather's Leonard. Trainer Emanuel Steward, calling the bout at ringside for HBO Pay-Per-View, suggested Cotto's defensive problems would cause him problems against Mayweather.

"It would be a good fight, but (Cotto's) defense needs to get a lot sharper because he's so open to be hit," Steward said. "He just can't get hit that much at this level. He's fighting too wide."

But Mayweather was unable to stop Judah like Cotto did on Saturday. Judah had his moments early in the fight and wobbled Cotto in the first round, but Cotto never quit coming.

By the sixth round, Judah had lost the steam from his fastball and he began to resort to looking for an opening to throw a haymaker.

By the eighth, he was hanging on. Judah said he was weakened by the low blows Cotto landed, though only the second appeared to be a significant shot and he seemed to try to milk the first.

Even referee Arthur Mercante Jr. seemed to have his doubts. After the second low blow, he urged Judah to fight, he said.

"(I said), 'I'm going to give you the five(-minute break). Take it and then be ready to go. You can't win a championship like this, so let's fight,' " Mercante said of his second-round talk with Judah. "He did and it turned out to be a great fight."

As good as it was – and be assured that the bout will garner its share of votes for 2007 Fight of the Year and may be the leader in the clubhouse – it won't come close to a Mayweather-Cotto fight in terms of both suspense and strategy.

Mayweather has frequently mocked Cotto as "easy work," and there is little doubt that Cotto would have difficulty with Mayweather's fast hands and accurate punches.

But Leonard had a similar advantage over Duran and yet Duran managed to pull out a victory in a pitched battle in their first match.

Mayweather and his team seem to want to anoint themselves the greatest, but the greats have to accept the greatest challenges.

I believe – and have for more than six years – that Mayweather is the best fighter in the world. I think he would beat Cotto.

But more than anything else, I want to see him prove that in the ring.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Ai3mVp7hdr4tQ7QVpdbhL7udCIh4?slug=ki-cottonext060907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[binnie]

Cheers for those articles Al, much appreciated.

Did you see the fight? I thought it was really great, and I'd like to see a rematch.

Cotto really uped his game, and Judah was better than he had been in recent performances.

Cotto-Mayweather would be a great fight: maybe Cotto would have the intensity and hands speed to cause Mayweather serious problems, but Floyd would have to be the favourite, right?

[binnie]

It's only about two weeks to Hatton-Castilio.

Methinks that will be a WAR!

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by binnie
Cheers for those articles Al, much appreciated.

Did you see the fight? I thought it was really great, and I'd like to see a rematch.

Cotto really uped his game, and Judah was better than he had been in recent performances.

Cotto-Mayweather would be a great fight: maybe Cotto would have the intensity and hands speed to cause Mayweather serious problems, but Floyd would have to be the favourite, right?

This fight I did not buy. I will see it on HBO this weekend if the show it. The one thing that bothered me reading it is that Cotto seemed to hit low a little more than you'd think, but heavy body punchers do that.

Judah hit Floyd low and deliberate, so I guess its justice.

From what I've read, the consensus seems to be Mayweather over Cotto, but I doubt he'd ever risk it. He'd box and stay away, and Cotto does get hit a little more than you would like, but again, he takes one to deliver one. Cotto may concede the lion's share of the money to Floyd just to get a shot, but I don't see it happening.

[binnie]

No, I don't see Floyd's people risking it: Cotto is a puncher with fast hands, so there is a big risk there.

Cotto did hit a little low, but nothing major, and I'm not convinced it was deliberate.

Judah put up a good fight until the last couple of rounds, I was impressed with him. But, as always with him, it came down to heart, endurance and consistency: he was in a tough fight and he switched off. Since the Baldomir fight, he's just not been as dangerous as he used to be - but it was still a good show from him.

But he flustered Judah, and forced the pace, which is what he stands a chance (and it is a chance) of doing if he faces Mayweather.

[binnie]

Also, it seems that Kessler-Calzaghe is looking likely for Septmeber.

Calzaghe's people have accepted the deal to fight in Denmark. The contracts haven't been signed yet, as Kessler's manager is in hosptial, but it looks like this one might happen.

Fingers crossed.

[bastardog]

It was a really good figth.......Cotto never stooped doing his planned job during the rounds.
Judah in my oppinion lost hist heart at the middle but still made a good job.

To me this was Cotto's best figth and finally convinced me he is a good allaround boxer.

Waaaay better than De la Hoya/Mayweather