The Battle: Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito

The eve of boxing's biggest night of 2008 is rapidly approaching. Two warrior champions will step inside the squared-circle fueled not only by the desire to be the number one boxer in their weight class, but by the rivalry of bloodlines passed from their countryman that was animated long before either of them slipped their hands into a pair boxing gloves.

These two fistic combatants are giving us something that only happens once every so often in the sport of boxing.  Max Kellerman illustrates the significance of this bout -  "Today there is so much jockeying going on for the big money fights, that bouts between the great fighters - the ones even non-boxing fans want to see - take so long to develop that when we finally get to the bout, either one or both of the fighters are past their prime. A case in point is the 2007 De La Hoya - Mayweather match-up... But in Cotto-Margarito, we have two brilliant boxers who are at the top of their game." 

The welterweight champion of the world, Miguel Angel Cotto, has proven to everyone that he is not only the number one fighter in the division but also competing for the rank of best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. 

Cotto has welcomed all comers with a stone-cold demeanor and the actions in the ring to back it up. During his undefeated campaign, Cotto has engaged a slew of excellent fighters, including one-time world champions Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Carlos Quintana, Paulie Malignaggi, and Ricardo Torres. 

The journey was not easy by any means. He found himself in trouble a few different times throughout his career, but showed the tough chin, desire and stability to come back from it with a decisive victory every time. And that is what makes him great.

Cotto may be the best all-around fighter in the game. His solid defense is tough to wear down, but he is willing to trade punches to land his own. He works the ring like a technician, using his jab to set up an unparalleled attack to both body and head. And most importantly, he is entertaining. 

Miguel Cotto does not waste his time trash talking before his fights - he is there for only one reason - to inflict as much carnage as possible on the man standing across from him. Come Saturday night, that man will inevitably be the toughest opponent he has ever faced. 

Antonio The Tijuana Tornado Margarito envelopes the heart and soul of a true Mexican fighter. He earned his nickname by demonstrating an extraterrestrial work-rate and a crazy come-forward style, while in the process delivering punches from all angles. 

Maragrito learned the game of boxing in a rough way. With his family struggling financially, he turned pro at fifteen years old and subsequently took three early devastating losses to veterans. There is no doubt that his tough on-the-job experience has molded him into the man that he is today. 

Like many Mexican fighters before him, he has never given into pain or fatigue. And since he has never once been stopped in his career by another man's punch,  he will always stand as a true test for his opponent to overcome.

Last but not least, he has the one punch that can equalize any fight - the left hook to the body.  Margarito exhibited the gut busting power of this punch (that has left many of his opponents pissin' blood for days) in his overwhelming KO victory over then IBF champion Kermit Cintron (video below). 

There is no better match in boxing than the pairing between these to superior athletes in the prime of their careers. A Puerto Rican boxer/puncher vs. a Mexican whirling dervish brawler - a clash of styles and nations. Forget Mayweather, forget De La Hoya - these two fighters had to wait behind the big shadows that the overpaid and over-reported fighters cast. It is their turn now. 

This is the fight that should be breaking all-time pay-per-view records and discussed on daytime television, but it won't be and wether that is sad or not is up to you. Regardless if you are a boxing fan or not, this is a must see fight - go to a freind's, pay ten bucks at a bar, or even drop the 49 doll hairs to sit on your oversize love seat and tune in. This will not disappoint. And although Daniel Day-Lewis' name is nowhere to be found on the undercard - we can promise you, There Will Be Blood.

Saturday July 26th on HBO PPV - 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT

Hatton's Exit Plan

Ricky The Hitman Hatton has decided that he will only fight two more times before hanging up the mitts.

The BBC reported that Hatton will face Paulie Malignaggi in the fall as originally planned for a chance to unify light welterweight titles (IBO & IBF). "I don't want to go on forever and would have done everything I dreamed of, so two more fights and then I think I'm done," said Hatton.

After that match-up (if he wins), he has his eyes set on statistically speaking the most popular possible fights in the world, a showdown with newly crowned lightweight champion, Manny Pacquiao or a match up with, The Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya.  

"In the New Year I'm hoping to fight either Manny Pacquiao or Oscar De La Hoya at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 people..." Hatton told BBC Sports. 

Hatton, De La Hoya, and Pacquiao are the top three fighters in the sport in terms of popularity worldwide. Either of the fights will be great for the sport and its fans (especially the Pacquiao fight).

Ricky Hatton has done something that in our eyes now puts him ahead of his British counterpart, Joe Calzaghe. He has decided to end his career on the best possible fight against the best fighter, not only  for himself, but for the sport of boxing and its deserving fans.

Listen to Hatton interview

Hatton Declines Golden Boy Fight

According to BBC Sports, Ricky The Hitman Hatton, was approached by Golden Boy Promotions with an offer to fill Floyd Mayweather's newly vacant spot for the September match-up against Oscar Oscar De La Hoya.  However, The Hitman declined. 

"It would be to soon, Richard has only fought two weeks ago" said Ray Hatton, the father and manager of the IBO light welterweight champ.  

It seems that Hatton's camp is content with taking the shot at collecting another belt from the IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi in the fall.  And we can't blame him for not taking it, which would force him to move up in weight against a game fighter like De La Hoya on such short notice.  

De La Hoya's camp was no doubt looking for the largest payday in sight, taking into consideration Ricky's cult following and the pay-per-view/ticket sales from his previous fights.

The search for an opponent worth watching continues for The Golden Boy.

California Kid Timothy Bradley Upsets Witter

Timothy Bradley has never travelled across an ocean to fight. He hasn't even left the great state of California for one his bouts. And he has never been in the 12th round of any fight, let alone a major title fight.  Yet in his first significant fight on any scale, he managed to do all three of these things - and win.

After 5 rounds of messy (and fairly boring) boxing, Junior The Quitter (or Shitter; whichever you prefer) Witter seemed to have a stronghold on points for the mere fact that he looked like the better of the two sloppy fighters.  In the following round Timothy Bradley landed  an over hand right dropping Witter and changing the landscape of the fight from there on out.   

Bradley pressed Witter for the next eight rounds, while Junior continued using his very awkward tactics of switching from south paw to orthodox every 10 seconds (reminding me of a 15 yr. old amateur with very little training).  When the final bell rang it was clear to everyone at ringside, even the English contingent, that no one could give the victory to Witter.  

Clear to everyone accept on judge who had Witter ahead in the score card 115- 112.  We normally expect this when a English champion is defending his title in is home country, but I find it very hard to agree with the decision.  The other two judges saw the bout the same as the majority and although not overly impressive, Timothy Bradley got the win and the WBC light welterweight title that he deserved.

Before this fight Junior Witter loudly proclaimed he was the best junior middleweight in the world (better than both Hatton or Malignaggi) and that Ricky Hatton was ducking him.  Good thing he was overmatched by Bradley, the fairly unknown #1 mandatory challenger,  so we didn't have to see The Hitman waste a fight whipping this chump around the ring. 

De La Hoya Tuned up

Last night the Golden Boy honed his skills against the over-matched Steve 2 Pound Forbes.  If it were a movie script, there were very few moments in which the fight failed to follow the plot-line that the writers would have intended,  for the most part we all witnessed what was expected.

Forbes, fighting up in weight and giving three inches in height and arm length, gave De La Hoya everything he could muster.  Although losing every round but two (by my count) Forbes was absorbing some of Oscar's best shots and never really found him self in any danger of being KO'd. This could be either a testament to Forbe's tough chin or the fading power of the Golden Boy's once devastating left hook.  With that said, De La Hoya did look faster and more agile than we have seen in years.  But it is time to face reality.  

In this decade De La Hoya has done two notable things:

1.) He has become the most popular boxer of his era, transcending the sport as we know it; a boxer and a business mogul   2.) He has lost nearly every major fight in which he faced a top opponent.  

De La Hoya is not the fighter he used to be or maybe ever was.  It is possible that his immense popularity coupled with a few signature wins have led both

the boxing media and the general public to rank him higher than his abilities would suggest. Since 1999, he has suffered defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Felix Trinidad, twice by Shane Mosley, was KO'd by Bernard Hopkins, and we can consider his fight with the previously undefeated Felix Sturm a loss as well, because it seemed as though the only reason he was given the decision was due to the Golden Boy's impending super-fight already scheduled for the coming months with Hopkins.  Which leads me to a point... tune-up fights.  

The excitement (or lack there of) leading up to this fight and others like them recalls memories of how I felt when I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, driving to my great aunt and uncle's to have dinner at one of California's finest barbecue chains (which actually isn't that bad except for the fact that every time I visit they tell me I have to try this new place to eat - I think they forget that they have taken me there the last three times.) That bad. 

Let face it, nothing short of knocking De La Hoya cold through the ropes would have propelled Steve Forbes to a victory last night.  There are hundreds of millions of dollars that would not have been spent and subsequently made if The Golden Boy lost the bout.  For instance, two months ago I happened to catch a glimpse of a not yet released fight poster (I may or may not be fairly close with the artist) depicting an illustration of Mayweather and De La Hoya for a promotion waiting to be distributed by a major company.  Two months ago!  The contract for the fight has yet to be officially signed and sanctioned, yet these people are making posters. That sheds some light on how this fight was going to turn out from the start, no matter what happened. Not cool.  

Last but not least, I found it very interesting to watch The Golden Boy's selection process for his opponent in this fight.  He seemed to be searching for small, quick, intelligent boxers to simulate a fight between his upcoming adversary.  After tossing around many names, he narrowed it down to three, one of them being the junior welterweight IBF champion, Paulie Malignaggi.  Now that got me excited.  Malignaggi would have with out a doubt been a perfect simulation of Mayweather's style. Such a close simulation in fact, it would have been too close to the real thing and  The Golden Boy would have found a big L next to his name after the final bell.

Of course Oscar's intelligence and business savvy prevailed once again, and now instead of watching a truly great fight (Malignaggi vs. De La Hoya) with a chance of a De La Hoya loss that would create the possiblity for Mayweather to have take on a different fighter (say Miguel Cotto), we are now subjected to two fights that (I think it is safe to say) you and I could have done without.