- Sep 28, 2003
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He is not signed with any promoter, well technically he has his own promotion outfit I believe. But he MIGHT have some type of multiple fighht deal with HBO.
Please lock.
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
- Start date
He is not signed with any promoter, well technically he has his own promotion outfit I believe. But he MIGHT have some type of multiple fighht deal with HBO.
- Oct 16, 2012
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Miguel fights under his 'Cotto Promotions' banner, but he's really a free agent that is currently working with Bob Arum.
- Oct 8, 2003
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Cotto isn't signed with anybody and if he works with Arum/HBO it's probably on a fight to fight basis. Before he got Martinez, the Canelo camp had offered Cotto the fight so I don't think there are any network barriers that would prevent the fight.
Canelo could potentially lose against Lara and I think he still fights Cotto regardless of the outcome TBH.
Canelo could potentially lose against Lara and I think he still fights Cotto regardless of the outcome TBH.
Yes, he works with them fight to fight it's the relationship they've had for a while. The Trout fight was handled by GBP. So yes, there's no issue with him working for either company or either network.
Cotto just beat the guy considered to be the top dog at 160 for the last few years, why should he avoid GGG? I know everyone is super high on him and he's very hyped up right now. What fighter has GGG fought that is close to the pressure or power Cotto showed? I don't think anyone should be of the mindset that it's some kind of layup for a guy who, as impressive as he has looked, has fought one top borderline top 10 contender at MW.
Cotto just beat the guy considered to be the top dog at 160 for the last few years, why should he avoid GGG? I know everyone is super high on him and he's very hyped up right now. What fighter has GGG fought that is close to the pressure or power Cotto showed? I don't think anyone should be of the mindset that it's some kind of layup for a guy who, as impressive as he has looked, has fought one top borderline top 10 contender at MW.
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- Jul 23, 2007
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Tell'em Pro!
GGG got to live up to this hype. Stop with the Bums already too. Please.
GGG got to live up to this hype. Stop with the Bums already too. Please.
- Oct 8, 2003
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There's a reason they picked Martinez. They felt he was close to the end and needed to be retired. As soon as Cotto feels GGG's power, he will be reminded why he shouldn't be at 160.
I hope that's truly and option for him, as it will answer two questions. Is GGG really the goods? Is Cotto a legitimate fighter at 160?
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- Oct 8, 2003
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I mean, I don't disagree with what you're saying 100%. Part of picking Sergio definitely was that. But there really was no other option for the fight and the time frame he wanted it. Wanted the 160 belt. Quillin is still impressively beating up low level comp and he just fought in April. Sturm never leaves Germany and GGG wanted to fight Andy Lee's corpse before his father passing. So that played into it as well.
Who knows, what's to say GGG feels Cotto's power and cowers? Rosado has some pillow fists and look what he did in that fight. IMO, I can't go out and say one unproven prospect will destroy and proven, tried and true vet who possibly survived 11 rounds getting hit by bricks
we've all been watching this a while and we've seen countless power prospects with all the talent in the world taste power for the first time and never recover. Ortiz and David Lemuiex are fresh examples of that. I've always been in the corner of "Let's see what happens when this kid gets hit with something serious". I think we're still at that stage with Canelo FWIW.
Who knows, what's to say GGG feels Cotto's power and cowers? Rosado has some pillow fists and look what he did in that fight. IMO, I can't go out and say one unproven prospect will destroy and proven, tried and true vet who possibly survived 11 rounds getting hit by bricks
we've all been watching this a while and we've seen countless power prospects with all the talent in the world taste power for the first time and never recover. Ortiz and David Lemuiex are fresh examples of that. I've always been in the corner of "Let's see what happens when this kid gets hit with something serious". I think we're still at that stage with Canelo FWIW.
- Sep 1, 2004
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did someone say peter Quillin? cotto would wash his ***, and cotto is only going to fight a huge name on PPV at this point.
Weekend wrap up.
A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world:
Saturday at New York
Miguel Cotto TKO10 Sergio Martinez
Wins world middleweight title
Records: Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs); Martinez (51-3-2, 28 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Many years from now this will still be thought of as a very special night at Madison Square Garden, where a near boxing-record crowd of 21,090 witnessed history in one of the sport's most historic venues.
Cotto, the Puerto Rican star and favorite son of the Garden, where he is now 8-1, filled the place yet again on Puerto Rican Day parade weekend and put on a memorable performance -- perhaps the very best of his now-certain Hall of Fame career.
Cotto, 33, had already won world titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight and become the most popular active fighter from the island during a career filled with exciting and significant fights. But in laying a beating on Martinez and forcing trainer Pablo Sarmiento to correctly stop the fight six seconds into the 10th round, Cotto achieved one of his goals, which was to become the first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four weight divisions. In claiming the legitimate and lineal middleweight crowd, not to mention an alphabet title to go with it, Cotto surpassed his all-time great countrymen and three-division titleholders Wilfred Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez and Felix Trinidad, all International Boxing Hall of Famers, as Trinidad was inducted on Sunday. Now it is Cotto who has surpassed them in a shockingly dominant performance.
Even those who thought Cotto would beat the 39-year-old Martinez, who was making his seventh defense of the lineal title, would never have predicted such an overwhelming wipeout. Cotto weighed in at only 155 pounds, just one over the junior middleweight limit, and was clearly the smaller man. But it made no difference. Cotto was in exceptional condition and said he had literally the best training camp of his 13-year pro career as he prepared with trainer Freddie Roach for the second time. It was obvious that Roach and he have clicked because Cotto has looked awesome in their two fights together. Cotto believes in Roach's program and followed the plan to perfection, which was to get back to his old relentless pressure style, never take a backward step and fire as many powerful left hooks as he can, stick the jab and look for spots to land the right hand. That is exactly what Cotto did.
He nearly ended the fight in the opening round as he badly hurt Martinez, returning from a 14-month layoff and right knee surgery following his two previous bouts, with a left hook almost immediately. Cotto wound up dropping Martinez three times in the first round and Martinez was never the same. Cotto, meanwhile, was patient, poised and ferocious. He took his time and broke Martinez down in a brilliant performance.
Martinez, of Argentina, never landed a single punch of serious consequence. Cotto's dominance was also illustrated by the landslide CompuBox punch statistics. He landed 212 of 395 blows (a very high 54 percent) while Martinez connected on just 100 of 322 punches (31 percent).
Martinez, his right eye cut and swelling, was fighting on instinct and heart when Cotto brutalized him in the ninth round. He hurt him to the head and body and buckled him so badly that Martinez's knee touched the canvas and referee Michael Griffin ruled it a knockdown. When the round was over, there was a heated exchange between Sarmiento and Martinez. Sarmiento wanted to stop the fight, and Martinez begged for another round. In the end, Sarmiento won out and he compassionately stopped the fight, saving Martinez, who was having knee issues but did not make excuses after the fight, from even more punishment.
While Cotto celebrated the biggest win of his career, Martinez's career very well could be over. It's hard to see how he could rebound from this and what kind of significant fight would be in his future. He's been a credit to boxing but his time at the top is over. Cotto's, however, seems reborn as there are now all kinds of possibilities.
Top Rank expects Cotto to return to Madison Square Garden in December, although it's too soon to lock in an opponent. But promoter Bob Arum mentioned all kinds of names, including a possible mega fight with former junior middleweight titlist Canelo Alvarez, now a makeable fight given that Arum and Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya have reconciled and are willing to work together (although Alvarez fights Erislandy Lara on July 12). Whomever Cotto fights next, it'll be a big deal, but it will be hard to match the significance and domination of what he did to a great champion in Martinez.
Marvin Sonsona W10 Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.
Featherweight
Scores: 96-92 (twice) Sonsona, 96-92 Vazquez
Records: Sonsona (19-1-1, 15 KOs); Vazquez Jr. (23-4-1, 19 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The fact that this mess was the co-feature of a major main event just shows you how absolutely pathetic the HBO PPV undercard was. The fight was a sloppy eyesore that had fans in the arena restless just hoping it would end already.
The fight was a rematch of Vazquez's fourth-round knockout of Sonsona in 2010 to win a vacant junior featherweight world title. But the 23-year-old Sonsona, a former junior bantamweight titlist from the Philippines, gained revenge with the split decision victory in a fight that featured a lot of holding, grabbing, grappling, falling to the canvas and fouling. Sonsona, a southpaw, scored the only knockdown of the bout, dropping Vazquez in the opening round with a left hand to the body. But Vazquez, 29, of Puerto Rico, quickly shook it off.
Sonsona, now 5-0 since the loss to Vazquez, hit him behind the head a number of times, and he was penalized one point by referee Steve Willis for the infraction in the sixth round. There were accidental head butts also, including in the seventh round when one of them was bad enough to drop Sonsona to the canvas after he was hit by one in the nose. Vazquez, who is just 3-4 in his last seven fights, and in his first fight since signing with Miguel Cotto Promotions, also hit Sonsona low, including eliciting a warning from Lillis for the foul later in the seventh round.
After nine tough to watch rounds, it was even worse in the 10th when they tumbled to the canvas after getting their feet tangled and Vazquez, as the fight ended, threw a wild shot that seemed to graze Willis.
Javier Maciel W10 Jorge Melendez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 96-92, 96-91, 94-94
Records: Maciel (29-3, 20 KOs); Melendez (28-4-1, 26 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In October 2013, Maciel, 29, of Argentina, lost a split decision to England's Brian Rose in England in an elimination bout to become the mandatory challenger for 154-pound titlist Demetrius Andrade. Maciel bounced back with an April win against a low-level opponent and then this fight -- a huge opportunity -- dropped in his lap.
Melendez, 25, of Puerto Rico, was due to face former titlist Yuri Foreman (in a dreadful matchup) but Foreman, in a beef with his manager, pulled out about 10 days before the fight. Maciel, the third choice of Miguel Cotto Promotions as a replacement, wound up with the fight on super short notice and once again exposed the vast limitations of Melendez in an entertaining scrap.
Maciel opened his lead in the fourth round after referee Harvey Dock docked a point from Melendez for a low blow and then Maciel dropped him with a right hand. Maciel had him in trouble and Melendez was lucky that the round ended.
Although the fight was competitive, Maciel, who lost a decision in a 2011 middleweight title bout to Dmitry Pirog, always seemed to be out in front. He landed a lot of overhand rights and looked quicker than Melendez. In the end, Maciel, clearly tiring in the last round, earned a decision that probably should have been unanimous rather than majority. Melendez dropped to 2-2 in his last four fights and proved once again he is not going to become a serious contender.
Andy Lee KO5 John Jackson
Junior middleweight
Records: Lee (33-2, 23 KOs); Jackson (18-2, 15 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Lee, of Ireland, will turn 30 on Wednesday and gave himself a bit of an early birthday present in the form of a come-from-behind victory and a sensational knockout of the year contender.
Since getting stopped by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 2012 middleweight world title bout, Lee has won five fights in a row, none more dramatically than this one against Jackson, 25, of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jackson, the son of former middleweight and junior middleweight titlist Julian Jackson, had dominated Lee (who was moving down in weight) for almost the entire fight before the stunning conclusion. Jackson knocked Lee down with an overhand right in the first round and had him in big trouble. He also had him in trouble in the second round. It was all Jackson, who badly wobbled Lee in the fifth round, sending him staggering into the ropes. Jackson jumped on him and got into an exchange and just as it looked like Jackson was going to hammer Lee, he got caught clean on the chin with a counter right hand. Jackson went down face-first, his arm outstretched, as referee Benjy Esteves waved it off without a count at 1 minute, 7 seconds. It was a great knockout and a miracle comeback for Lee, who looked awful other than the final moment of the fight. Jackson saw his five-fight winning streak come to an end and showed that, like his father, he has good power but a poor chin.
Felix Verdejo TKO1 Engelberto Valenzuela
Lightweight
Records: Verdejo (12-0, 9 KOs); Valenzuela (9-2, 3 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: If you could buy stock in a fighter, Verdejo, the 21-year-old Puerto Rican sensation, would be near the top of the list. He has a good amateur background (2012 Olympian), has charisma, power and skills. And even without ever having yet faced a serious opponent or boxed in a fight scheduled longer than six rounds, the kid is already a popular fan favorite in Puerto Rico and New York. He was on Cotto's undercard because promoter Top Rank -- and everyone else -- views him as his eventual successor as the next Puerto Rican star.
Although this was strictly a showcase fight, he gave the fans what they came for -- a dominating, electrifying performance that lasted all of 73 seconds as he annihilated Valenzuela, 30, of Mexico. Verdejo blasted him with ease, nailing him with clean shots from both hands. He dropped him early on, had him wobbly and as he was taking more punishment referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in and stopped it.
Also on the undercard, Puerto Rican junior lightweight prospect Jose Pedraza (17-0, 10 KOs), 25, blew out Mexico's Arturo Uruzquieta (15-7, 5 KOs) in a first-round knockout; junior middleweight hopeful Willie Nelson (22-1-1, 13 KOs), 27, of Cleveland, returned from a year layoff after elbow surgery, to drop Darryl Cunningham (29-7, 11 KOs), 39, of Detroit, twice in the first-round knockout; and 19-year-old flyweight Jantony Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO), a 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian, made his pro debut in a first-round knockout of Elio Ruiz (1-5, 2 KOs), of Plainview, Texas.
Saturday at Chihuahua, Mexico
Miguel "Mickey" Roman TKO9 Daniel Ponce De Leon
Junior lightweight
Records: Roman (46-11, 35 KOs); Ponce De Leon (45-7, 35 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In a battle between Chihuahua, Mexico fighters, former featherweight and junior featherweight titlist Ponce De Leon, 33, likely saw his career as a legitimate title contender come to an end with a rough loss Roman, 28, a tough journeyman able to spring the occasional upset. In fact, Ponce De Leon claimed after the fight that he was retiring, although that was perhaps said in the heat of the difficult moment.
The raucous crowd was treated to an exciting, tough fight. In the third round, Ponce De Leon nailed Roman with a left uppercut while he was down after slipping when they got tangled in an exchange, but the referee did not warn him -- when he would have been right to at least deduct a point. Ponce De Leon got away with it but paid later. He had Roman in trouble in the fourth round as he bucked him with a left hand. But Roman came back to drop Ponce De Leon in the sixth round when he landed a counter left hand to the jaw and then broke into an Ali shuffle.
An accidental head butt opened a bloody gash over Ponce De Leon's right eye in the seventh round that the ringside doctor examined. The eye bled for the rest of the fight.
Roman nailed a fading Ponce De Leon with a right hand in the ninth round and backed him into a corner, where he unloaded roughly 28 unanswered punches, many of which landed, including a hard uppercut and left hook. With Ponce De Leon covering up and getting creamed, the referee jumped in and stopped the fight at 1 minute, 50 seconds.
It was a huge win for Roman, who won his eighth fight in a row and a bad loss for Ponce De Leon, who dropped to 1-3 in his last four bouts.
Saturday at Newcastle, England
Paul Butler W12 Stuart Hall
Wins a bantamweight title
Scores: 117-111, 115-113 Butler, 115-113 Hall
Records: Butler (16-0, 8 KOs); Hall (16-3-2, 7 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Hall, 34, of England, won a vacant belt by outpointing Vusi Malinga of South Africa in December and fought to a second-round technical draw in his first defense against British rival Martin Ward in March. He was making his second defense against countryman Butler, 25, who was fighting in only his second bantamweight bout since moving up in weight.
The two put on a hotly contested, terrific, crowd-pleasing fight that was razor-close all the way and could have gone either way. Hall seemed to land the bigger punches but Butler was the busier fighter who threw a lot of combinations and closed strong. There was not much difference between them and it probably came down to the style of fighting each judge preferred.
An accidental head butt in the fifth round opened a cut over Hall's left eye. Listening to the decision being read was extremely tension-filled. Naturally, Hall thought he had done enough to pull out the win. Butler was overjoyed to win the belt but said he was open to a rematch, which would make a lot of sense considering how good the fight was and how close it was.
Saturday at Schwerin, Germany
Juergen Braehmer W12 Roberto Feliciano Bolonti
Retains a light heavyweight title
Scores: 119-108 (twice), 118-109
Records: Braehmer (44-2, 32 KOs); Bolonti (35-3, 24 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Braehmer, 35, of Germany, retained his secondary belt with a one-sided decision in his second defense. This was about as routine as it could be for Braehmer, a southpaw, who was in control of the fight all the way. Bolonti landed some decent shots here and there, but Braehmer, who was fighting in his hometown, dominated.
In the eighth round, referee Erkki Meronen took a point away from Bolonti for hitting Braehmer behind the head. Bolonti, 35, of Argentina, who never seemed in any great hurry to make it into a fight, tried to pick up the pace in the final round -- obviously knowing he needed a knockout to win -- but it way too little, way too late. When it was over, Bolonti didn't complain and gave Braehmer credit for the victory. Bolonti saw a five-fight winning streak come to an end. The two times he stepped up against a quality opponent he lost -- to Braehmer and to British contender Tony Bellew in 2012. Braehmer, in his second title reign, has a sweet record and a second-tier belt, but still has never faced a top opponent.
David Price W10 Yaroslav Zavorotnyi
Heavyweight
Scores: 100-90, 98-92, 97-93
Records: Price (18-2, 15 KOs); Zavorotnyi (16-7, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Price, 30, of England, was a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and the 2012 ESPN.com prospect of the year. Then came a disastrous 2013, during which he was stopped by American Tony Thompson in back-to-back fights in major upset, causing Price to make wholesale changes to his team. Now fighting under the banner of German promoter Sauerland Event and working with American trainer Tommy Brooks, Price won his third fight in a row since the debacles against Thompson.
In his first two comeback fights, Price scored early knockout victories. But Zavorotnyi, 39, of Ukraine, a very experienced opponent (having lost to the likes of Nikolai Valuev, Alexander Dimitrenko and Kubrat Pulev) was able to go the distance with the powerful Price, who controlled the fight with his long jab. It was good for Price to get in the rounds and face a durable opponent. It was the first time Price had ever gone past the seventh round.
Also on the card, former cruiserweight titlist Firat Arslan (34-7-2, 21 KOs) of Germany scored an eighth-round knockdown and won an eight-round unanimous decision against Hungarian patsy Tamas Bajzath (9-11-1, 5 KOs). The fight was Arslan's first since being knocked out in the sixth round of a rematch with cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck in January.
Friday at Verona, N.Y.
Yudel Jhonson W10 Norberto Gonzalez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 97-91 (three times)
Records: Jhonson (16-1, 9 KOs); Gonzalez (20-4, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Jhonson, a 2004 Cuban Olympic silver medalist who defected and now fights out of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Gonzalez, of Mexico, both turned 33 on the day they met in the ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" main event. That's an odd coincidence but it didn't help make this an entertaining fight.
It's a shame it was such a poor fight considering it was in the same neighborhood as the International Boxing Hall of Fame and there were numerous boxing stars at ringside since the card was on induction weekend.
Jhonson dropped Gonzalez with a short left hand in the fifth round, hurt him in the sixth round and dropped him for a second time with another left hand in the ninth round. Other than that, he boxed his way to the routine decision and then called for a shot at a world title.
Ievgen Khytrov KO3 Chris Chatman
Super middleweight
Records: Khytrov (5-0, 5 KOs); Chatman (12-4-1, 5 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Khytrov, 25, was a 2012 Ukrainian Olympian and 2011 gold medalist at the world amateur championship, and recently signed a co-promotional deal with Mike Tyson's Iron Mike Productions and New York-based Fight Promotions.
Now living in Brooklyn, New York, Khytrov took a step up in competition against Chatman, a 29-year-old southpaw from San Diego, and passed the test. Chatman did knock him off balance with a clean left hand in the first round, but Khytrov quickly recovered. He began to get to Chatman in the second round and ended it in the third when he laid Chatman out with a clean left hook to the chin. Chatman did beat the count, but was in no condition to continue and referee **** Pakozdi waved it off at 2 minutes, 18 seconds. Let's see more of Khytrov please.
Friday at Indio, California
Hugo Centeno Jr. W10 Gerardo Ibarra
Middleweight
Scores: 100-90, 99-91 (twice)
Records: Centeno Jr. (21-0, 11 KOs); Ibarra (14-1, 8 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Centeno, 23, of Oxnard, California, was due to face Domonique Dolton in the "ShoBox" main event but a hand injury forced Dolton out of the fight and he was replaced on a few days' notice by Ibarra, 23, of Houston.
It turned out to be a mismatch as Centeno pitched a near-shutout in his first fight under the tutelage of trainer Eric Brown. Centeno, who might go back to junior middleweight, used a strong uppercut and a long jab to do his damage and win this one going away.
Ibarra said he was not mentally prepared for the fight since he took it on such short notice. Maybe he should have thought about that before he accepted the assignment.
Francisco Santana W10 Eddie Gomez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 98-92, 97-93, 96-94
Records: Santana (20-3-1, 7 KOs); Gomez (16-1, 10 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Golden Boy Promotions has viewed Gomez, 21, of the Bronx, New York, as one of its top prospects and expected big things out him, not a clear loss to the hand-picked opponent Santana, 27, of Santa Barbara, California. But Santana pulled the upset and won his eighth fight in a row in a fast-paced tussle. He has not lost since an eight-round decision to Jermell Charlo in 2011.
Santana was busier than Gomez, outthrowing him 683 to 460, according to CompuBox statistics, and dominated the late rounds. Gomez seemed to wilt after the fifth round.
Also on the card, middleweight Terrell Gausha (10-0, 5 KOs), 26, of Cleveland, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, won a shutout 10-round decision against James Winchester (16-10, 6 KOs), 35, of Reidsville, North Carolina, and 19-year-old Mexican featherweight Diego De La Hoya (5-0, 4 KOs), the cousin of Oscar De La Hoya, stopped Rigoberto Casillas (10-13-1, 8 KOs), 28, of Mexico, 28 seconds into the third round.
Friday at Paris
Carlos Takam W12 Tony Thompson
Heavyweight
Scores: 119-109, 117-111 (twice)
Records: Takam (30-1-1, 23 KOs); Thompson (39-5, 26 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Takam, 33, a native of Cameroon living in France, fought to a draw with unbeaten rising contender Mike Perez in his previous fight in January. In his return, Takam faced 42-year-old southpaw Thompson, a two-time title challenger, who was knocked out both times by champion Wladimir Klitschko. But since his second loss to Klitschko, Thompson twice knocked out British prospect David Price in 2013, lost a decision in a title eliminator to Kubrat Pulev and then outpointed former title challenger Odlanier Solis in March to keep himself in the title picture.
But that is probably gone now that the 257-pound Takam won this fight going away. He took the fight to Thompson, who was a career-heavy 270 pounds and not nearly busy enough or accurate enough with the few punches that he did land. Takam was much busier and landed a lot of punches, including some nice uppercuts, before easing off the gas in the last two rounds with the lead well in hand. Thompson had very little.
Saturday at New York
Miguel Cotto TKO10 Sergio Martinez
Wins world middleweight title
Records: Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs); Martinez (51-3-2, 28 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Many years from now this will still be thought of as a very special night at Madison Square Garden, where a near boxing-record crowd of 21,090 witnessed history in one of the sport's most historic venues.
Cotto, the Puerto Rican star and favorite son of the Garden, where he is now 8-1, filled the place yet again on Puerto Rican Day parade weekend and put on a memorable performance -- perhaps the very best of his now-certain Hall of Fame career.
Cotto, 33, had already won world titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight and become the most popular active fighter from the island during a career filled with exciting and significant fights. But in laying a beating on Martinez and forcing trainer Pablo Sarmiento to correctly stop the fight six seconds into the 10th round, Cotto achieved one of his goals, which was to become the first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four weight divisions. In claiming the legitimate and lineal middleweight crowd, not to mention an alphabet title to go with it, Cotto surpassed his all-time great countrymen and three-division titleholders Wilfred Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez and Felix Trinidad, all International Boxing Hall of Famers, as Trinidad was inducted on Sunday. Now it is Cotto who has surpassed them in a shockingly dominant performance.
Even those who thought Cotto would beat the 39-year-old Martinez, who was making his seventh defense of the lineal title, would never have predicted such an overwhelming wipeout. Cotto weighed in at only 155 pounds, just one over the junior middleweight limit, and was clearly the smaller man. But it made no difference. Cotto was in exceptional condition and said he had literally the best training camp of his 13-year pro career as he prepared with trainer Freddie Roach for the second time. It was obvious that Roach and he have clicked because Cotto has looked awesome in their two fights together. Cotto believes in Roach's program and followed the plan to perfection, which was to get back to his old relentless pressure style, never take a backward step and fire as many powerful left hooks as he can, stick the jab and look for spots to land the right hand. That is exactly what Cotto did.
He nearly ended the fight in the opening round as he badly hurt Martinez, returning from a 14-month layoff and right knee surgery following his two previous bouts, with a left hook almost immediately. Cotto wound up dropping Martinez three times in the first round and Martinez was never the same. Cotto, meanwhile, was patient, poised and ferocious. He took his time and broke Martinez down in a brilliant performance.
Martinez, of Argentina, never landed a single punch of serious consequence. Cotto's dominance was also illustrated by the landslide CompuBox punch statistics. He landed 212 of 395 blows (a very high 54 percent) while Martinez connected on just 100 of 322 punches (31 percent).
Martinez, his right eye cut and swelling, was fighting on instinct and heart when Cotto brutalized him in the ninth round. He hurt him to the head and body and buckled him so badly that Martinez's knee touched the canvas and referee Michael Griffin ruled it a knockdown. When the round was over, there was a heated exchange between Sarmiento and Martinez. Sarmiento wanted to stop the fight, and Martinez begged for another round. In the end, Sarmiento won out and he compassionately stopped the fight, saving Martinez, who was having knee issues but did not make excuses after the fight, from even more punishment.
While Cotto celebrated the biggest win of his career, Martinez's career very well could be over. It's hard to see how he could rebound from this and what kind of significant fight would be in his future. He's been a credit to boxing but his time at the top is over. Cotto's, however, seems reborn as there are now all kinds of possibilities.
Top Rank expects Cotto to return to Madison Square Garden in December, although it's too soon to lock in an opponent. But promoter Bob Arum mentioned all kinds of names, including a possible mega fight with former junior middleweight titlist Canelo Alvarez, now a makeable fight given that Arum and Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya have reconciled and are willing to work together (although Alvarez fights Erislandy Lara on July 12). Whomever Cotto fights next, it'll be a big deal, but it will be hard to match the significance and domination of what he did to a great champion in Martinez.
Marvin Sonsona W10 Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.
Featherweight
Scores: 96-92 (twice) Sonsona, 96-92 Vazquez
Records: Sonsona (19-1-1, 15 KOs); Vazquez Jr. (23-4-1, 19 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The fact that this mess was the co-feature of a major main event just shows you how absolutely pathetic the HBO PPV undercard was. The fight was a sloppy eyesore that had fans in the arena restless just hoping it would end already.
The fight was a rematch of Vazquez's fourth-round knockout of Sonsona in 2010 to win a vacant junior featherweight world title. But the 23-year-old Sonsona, a former junior bantamweight titlist from the Philippines, gained revenge with the split decision victory in a fight that featured a lot of holding, grabbing, grappling, falling to the canvas and fouling. Sonsona, a southpaw, scored the only knockdown of the bout, dropping Vazquez in the opening round with a left hand to the body. But Vazquez, 29, of Puerto Rico, quickly shook it off.
Sonsona, now 5-0 since the loss to Vazquez, hit him behind the head a number of times, and he was penalized one point by referee Steve Willis for the infraction in the sixth round. There were accidental head butts also, including in the seventh round when one of them was bad enough to drop Sonsona to the canvas after he was hit by one in the nose. Vazquez, who is just 3-4 in his last seven fights, and in his first fight since signing with Miguel Cotto Promotions, also hit Sonsona low, including eliciting a warning from Lillis for the foul later in the seventh round.
After nine tough to watch rounds, it was even worse in the 10th when they tumbled to the canvas after getting their feet tangled and Vazquez, as the fight ended, threw a wild shot that seemed to graze Willis.
Javier Maciel W10 Jorge Melendez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 96-92, 96-91, 94-94
Records: Maciel (29-3, 20 KOs); Melendez (28-4-1, 26 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In October 2013, Maciel, 29, of Argentina, lost a split decision to England's Brian Rose in England in an elimination bout to become the mandatory challenger for 154-pound titlist Demetrius Andrade. Maciel bounced back with an April win against a low-level opponent and then this fight -- a huge opportunity -- dropped in his lap.
Melendez, 25, of Puerto Rico, was due to face former titlist Yuri Foreman (in a dreadful matchup) but Foreman, in a beef with his manager, pulled out about 10 days before the fight. Maciel, the third choice of Miguel Cotto Promotions as a replacement, wound up with the fight on super short notice and once again exposed the vast limitations of Melendez in an entertaining scrap.
Maciel opened his lead in the fourth round after referee Harvey Dock docked a point from Melendez for a low blow and then Maciel dropped him with a right hand. Maciel had him in trouble and Melendez was lucky that the round ended.
Although the fight was competitive, Maciel, who lost a decision in a 2011 middleweight title bout to Dmitry Pirog, always seemed to be out in front. He landed a lot of overhand rights and looked quicker than Melendez. In the end, Maciel, clearly tiring in the last round, earned a decision that probably should have been unanimous rather than majority. Melendez dropped to 2-2 in his last four fights and proved once again he is not going to become a serious contender.
Andy Lee KO5 John Jackson
Junior middleweight
Records: Lee (33-2, 23 KOs); Jackson (18-2, 15 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Lee, of Ireland, will turn 30 on Wednesday and gave himself a bit of an early birthday present in the form of a come-from-behind victory and a sensational knockout of the year contender.
Since getting stopped by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 2012 middleweight world title bout, Lee has won five fights in a row, none more dramatically than this one against Jackson, 25, of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jackson, the son of former middleweight and junior middleweight titlist Julian Jackson, had dominated Lee (who was moving down in weight) for almost the entire fight before the stunning conclusion. Jackson knocked Lee down with an overhand right in the first round and had him in big trouble. He also had him in trouble in the second round. It was all Jackson, who badly wobbled Lee in the fifth round, sending him staggering into the ropes. Jackson jumped on him and got into an exchange and just as it looked like Jackson was going to hammer Lee, he got caught clean on the chin with a counter right hand. Jackson went down face-first, his arm outstretched, as referee Benjy Esteves waved it off without a count at 1 minute, 7 seconds. It was a great knockout and a miracle comeback for Lee, who looked awful other than the final moment of the fight. Jackson saw his five-fight winning streak come to an end and showed that, like his father, he has good power but a poor chin.
Felix Verdejo TKO1 Engelberto Valenzuela
Lightweight
Records: Verdejo (12-0, 9 KOs); Valenzuela (9-2, 3 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: If you could buy stock in a fighter, Verdejo, the 21-year-old Puerto Rican sensation, would be near the top of the list. He has a good amateur background (2012 Olympian), has charisma, power and skills. And even without ever having yet faced a serious opponent or boxed in a fight scheduled longer than six rounds, the kid is already a popular fan favorite in Puerto Rico and New York. He was on Cotto's undercard because promoter Top Rank -- and everyone else -- views him as his eventual successor as the next Puerto Rican star.
Although this was strictly a showcase fight, he gave the fans what they came for -- a dominating, electrifying performance that lasted all of 73 seconds as he annihilated Valenzuela, 30, of Mexico. Verdejo blasted him with ease, nailing him with clean shots from both hands. He dropped him early on, had him wobbly and as he was taking more punishment referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in and stopped it.
Also on the undercard, Puerto Rican junior lightweight prospect Jose Pedraza (17-0, 10 KOs), 25, blew out Mexico's Arturo Uruzquieta (15-7, 5 KOs) in a first-round knockout; junior middleweight hopeful Willie Nelson (22-1-1, 13 KOs), 27, of Cleveland, returned from a year layoff after elbow surgery, to drop Darryl Cunningham (29-7, 11 KOs), 39, of Detroit, twice in the first-round knockout; and 19-year-old flyweight Jantony Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO), a 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian, made his pro debut in a first-round knockout of Elio Ruiz (1-5, 2 KOs), of Plainview, Texas.
Saturday at Chihuahua, Mexico
Miguel "Mickey" Roman TKO9 Daniel Ponce De Leon
Junior lightweight
Records: Roman (46-11, 35 KOs); Ponce De Leon (45-7, 35 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In a battle between Chihuahua, Mexico fighters, former featherweight and junior featherweight titlist Ponce De Leon, 33, likely saw his career as a legitimate title contender come to an end with a rough loss Roman, 28, a tough journeyman able to spring the occasional upset. In fact, Ponce De Leon claimed after the fight that he was retiring, although that was perhaps said in the heat of the difficult moment.
The raucous crowd was treated to an exciting, tough fight. In the third round, Ponce De Leon nailed Roman with a left uppercut while he was down after slipping when they got tangled in an exchange, but the referee did not warn him -- when he would have been right to at least deduct a point. Ponce De Leon got away with it but paid later. He had Roman in trouble in the fourth round as he bucked him with a left hand. But Roman came back to drop Ponce De Leon in the sixth round when he landed a counter left hand to the jaw and then broke into an Ali shuffle.
An accidental head butt opened a bloody gash over Ponce De Leon's right eye in the seventh round that the ringside doctor examined. The eye bled for the rest of the fight.
Roman nailed a fading Ponce De Leon with a right hand in the ninth round and backed him into a corner, where he unloaded roughly 28 unanswered punches, many of which landed, including a hard uppercut and left hook. With Ponce De Leon covering up and getting creamed, the referee jumped in and stopped the fight at 1 minute, 50 seconds.
It was a huge win for Roman, who won his eighth fight in a row and a bad loss for Ponce De Leon, who dropped to 1-3 in his last four bouts.
Saturday at Newcastle, England
Paul Butler W12 Stuart Hall
Wins a bantamweight title
Scores: 117-111, 115-113 Butler, 115-113 Hall
Records: Butler (16-0, 8 KOs); Hall (16-3-2, 7 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Hall, 34, of England, won a vacant belt by outpointing Vusi Malinga of South Africa in December and fought to a second-round technical draw in his first defense against British rival Martin Ward in March. He was making his second defense against countryman Butler, 25, who was fighting in only his second bantamweight bout since moving up in weight.
The two put on a hotly contested, terrific, crowd-pleasing fight that was razor-close all the way and could have gone either way. Hall seemed to land the bigger punches but Butler was the busier fighter who threw a lot of combinations and closed strong. There was not much difference between them and it probably came down to the style of fighting each judge preferred.
An accidental head butt in the fifth round opened a cut over Hall's left eye. Listening to the decision being read was extremely tension-filled. Naturally, Hall thought he had done enough to pull out the win. Butler was overjoyed to win the belt but said he was open to a rematch, which would make a lot of sense considering how good the fight was and how close it was.
Saturday at Schwerin, Germany
Juergen Braehmer W12 Roberto Feliciano Bolonti
Retains a light heavyweight title
Scores: 119-108 (twice), 118-109
Records: Braehmer (44-2, 32 KOs); Bolonti (35-3, 24 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Braehmer, 35, of Germany, retained his secondary belt with a one-sided decision in his second defense. This was about as routine as it could be for Braehmer, a southpaw, who was in control of the fight all the way. Bolonti landed some decent shots here and there, but Braehmer, who was fighting in his hometown, dominated.
In the eighth round, referee Erkki Meronen took a point away from Bolonti for hitting Braehmer behind the head. Bolonti, 35, of Argentina, who never seemed in any great hurry to make it into a fight, tried to pick up the pace in the final round -- obviously knowing he needed a knockout to win -- but it way too little, way too late. When it was over, Bolonti didn't complain and gave Braehmer credit for the victory. Bolonti saw a five-fight winning streak come to an end. The two times he stepped up against a quality opponent he lost -- to Braehmer and to British contender Tony Bellew in 2012. Braehmer, in his second title reign, has a sweet record and a second-tier belt, but still has never faced a top opponent.
David Price W10 Yaroslav Zavorotnyi
Heavyweight
Scores: 100-90, 98-92, 97-93
Records: Price (18-2, 15 KOs); Zavorotnyi (16-7, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Price, 30, of England, was a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and the 2012 ESPN.com prospect of the year. Then came a disastrous 2013, during which he was stopped by American Tony Thompson in back-to-back fights in major upset, causing Price to make wholesale changes to his team. Now fighting under the banner of German promoter Sauerland Event and working with American trainer Tommy Brooks, Price won his third fight in a row since the debacles against Thompson.
In his first two comeback fights, Price scored early knockout victories. But Zavorotnyi, 39, of Ukraine, a very experienced opponent (having lost to the likes of Nikolai Valuev, Alexander Dimitrenko and Kubrat Pulev) was able to go the distance with the powerful Price, who controlled the fight with his long jab. It was good for Price to get in the rounds and face a durable opponent. It was the first time Price had ever gone past the seventh round.
Also on the card, former cruiserweight titlist Firat Arslan (34-7-2, 21 KOs) of Germany scored an eighth-round knockdown and won an eight-round unanimous decision against Hungarian patsy Tamas Bajzath (9-11-1, 5 KOs). The fight was Arslan's first since being knocked out in the sixth round of a rematch with cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck in January.
Friday at Verona, N.Y.
Yudel Jhonson W10 Norberto Gonzalez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 97-91 (three times)
Records: Jhonson (16-1, 9 KOs); Gonzalez (20-4, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Jhonson, a 2004 Cuban Olympic silver medalist who defected and now fights out of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Gonzalez, of Mexico, both turned 33 on the day they met in the ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" main event. That's an odd coincidence but it didn't help make this an entertaining fight.
It's a shame it was such a poor fight considering it was in the same neighborhood as the International Boxing Hall of Fame and there were numerous boxing stars at ringside since the card was on induction weekend.
Jhonson dropped Gonzalez with a short left hand in the fifth round, hurt him in the sixth round and dropped him for a second time with another left hand in the ninth round. Other than that, he boxed his way to the routine decision and then called for a shot at a world title.
Ievgen Khytrov KO3 Chris Chatman
Super middleweight
Records: Khytrov (5-0, 5 KOs); Chatman (12-4-1, 5 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Khytrov, 25, was a 2012 Ukrainian Olympian and 2011 gold medalist at the world amateur championship, and recently signed a co-promotional deal with Mike Tyson's Iron Mike Productions and New York-based Fight Promotions.
Now living in Brooklyn, New York, Khytrov took a step up in competition against Chatman, a 29-year-old southpaw from San Diego, and passed the test. Chatman did knock him off balance with a clean left hand in the first round, but Khytrov quickly recovered. He began to get to Chatman in the second round and ended it in the third when he laid Chatman out with a clean left hook to the chin. Chatman did beat the count, but was in no condition to continue and referee **** Pakozdi waved it off at 2 minutes, 18 seconds. Let's see more of Khytrov please.
Friday at Indio, California
Hugo Centeno Jr. W10 Gerardo Ibarra
Middleweight
Scores: 100-90, 99-91 (twice)
Records: Centeno Jr. (21-0, 11 KOs); Ibarra (14-1, 8 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Centeno, 23, of Oxnard, California, was due to face Domonique Dolton in the "ShoBox" main event but a hand injury forced Dolton out of the fight and he was replaced on a few days' notice by Ibarra, 23, of Houston.
It turned out to be a mismatch as Centeno pitched a near-shutout in his first fight under the tutelage of trainer Eric Brown. Centeno, who might go back to junior middleweight, used a strong uppercut and a long jab to do his damage and win this one going away.
Ibarra said he was not mentally prepared for the fight since he took it on such short notice. Maybe he should have thought about that before he accepted the assignment.
Francisco Santana W10 Eddie Gomez
Junior middleweight
Scores: 98-92, 97-93, 96-94
Records: Santana (20-3-1, 7 KOs); Gomez (16-1, 10 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Golden Boy Promotions has viewed Gomez, 21, of the Bronx, New York, as one of its top prospects and expected big things out him, not a clear loss to the hand-picked opponent Santana, 27, of Santa Barbara, California. But Santana pulled the upset and won his eighth fight in a row in a fast-paced tussle. He has not lost since an eight-round decision to Jermell Charlo in 2011.
Santana was busier than Gomez, outthrowing him 683 to 460, according to CompuBox statistics, and dominated the late rounds. Gomez seemed to wilt after the fifth round.
Also on the card, middleweight Terrell Gausha (10-0, 5 KOs), 26, of Cleveland, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, won a shutout 10-round decision against James Winchester (16-10, 6 KOs), 35, of Reidsville, North Carolina, and 19-year-old Mexican featherweight Diego De La Hoya (5-0, 4 KOs), the cousin of Oscar De La Hoya, stopped Rigoberto Casillas (10-13-1, 8 KOs), 28, of Mexico, 28 seconds into the third round.
Friday at Paris
Carlos Takam W12 Tony Thompson
Heavyweight
Scores: 119-109, 117-111 (twice)
Records: Takam (30-1-1, 23 KOs); Thompson (39-5, 26 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Takam, 33, a native of Cameroon living in France, fought to a draw with unbeaten rising contender Mike Perez in his previous fight in January. In his return, Takam faced 42-year-old southpaw Thompson, a two-time title challenger, who was knocked out both times by champion Wladimir Klitschko. But since his second loss to Klitschko, Thompson twice knocked out British prospect David Price in 2013, lost a decision in a title eliminator to Kubrat Pulev and then outpointed former title challenger Odlanier Solis in March to keep himself in the title picture.
But that is probably gone now that the 257-pound Takam won this fight going away. He took the fight to Thompson, who was a career-heavy 270 pounds and not nearly busy enough or accurate enough with the few punches that he did land. Takam was much busier and landed a lot of punches, including some nice uppercuts, before easing off the gas in the last two rounds with the lead well in hand. Thompson had very little.
- Jan 7, 2004
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- Sep 28, 2003
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The winner for this weekend's fight is misspelled in the title.
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- Sep 28, 2003
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The 5'11 lightweight who has the reach of a welter but uses absolutely none of it? I'll take my chances with Provo
It's corrected.
I still think Marquez would've undressed Provodnikov. If Algieri gets the job done, Marquez might have a little bit of regret.
- Jan 27, 2012
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Provodnikov taking a L this weekend 
... Hard to see that happening.
... Hard to see that happening.
- Dec 28, 2003
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Responses like these were being written before the fight even happened.
I'm curious as to what the train of thought is on this?
Do you believe that Martinez rehabbed for 14 months, accepted a fight, talked his talk, predicted a 9th round KO, and walked into a fight while knowing his knees weren't 100%?
Was the knee hurt when Cotto rocked him in the 1st?
He can't hang with the top middle weights but he just beat the MW champion that was heavily favored to win?
Ward? Ward fights at 168 last I checked and he's dominant there. You're questioning Cotto at 160 and you bring up someone who fights at 168?
Please go out of your way to discredit him even more
If it wasn't the knees, it probably would have been ring rust. Or age. This.
If Sergio really said he never recovered from the left hook in the first, there's no way I'm taking any credit away from Cotto's victory. I'm happy to have been wrong with my prediction
Edit - here's the quote.
"I got hit with the punch and I was cold and I never recovered after that," said Martinez, who did not make any excuses about his twice-surgically repaired right knee affecting the fight.
Said Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter: "He said that the first punch that knocked him down, he never recovered from the punch. He had no excuses. Not a knee, not a bad hand. Nothing other than he got caught and didn't recover.
I like Lara but pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee give me Canelo/Cotto.
And this.
I'd say Canelo/Cotto makes the most sense for all parties at this point. I'd love to see it.
at fighting Quillin to get to GGG after beating Martinez.The 5'11 lightweight who has the reach of a welter but uses absolutely none of it? I'll take my chances with Provo
It's corrected.
I still think Marquez would've undressed Provodnikov. If Algieri gets the job done, Marquez might have a little bit of regret.
The kid just lunges way too much for someone who should use the height/length to jab and hook from outside against Provo. Guys like Diego (RIP) could do that because they had the speed to get back and the pop to defend in case they didn't. This kid just leaves his entire torso and right side open, I think Provo is gonna feast.
- Feb 17, 2013
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Should have bet on my prediction smh. The writing was on the wall since the Murray fight for Sergio. It's pretty much impossible to come back from a knee injury, at his age especially. It was a good run for him. As a fan, I DO NOT want to see him back in the ring. I don't know much about Algieri but does he at least have a punchers chance this weekend?
- Jan 27, 2012
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Floyd talking about putting his 147 and 154 belts on the line for his next fight in September, similar to what Sugar Ray Leonard did vs Lalonde ... I wonder who it will be 
Marquez wants 20 million to fight Pac again
Roach is ok with Pac fighting Provodnikov
Marquez wants 20 million to fight Pac again
Roach is ok with Pac fighting Provodnikov
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- Aug 1, 2013
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This is how you know the gravy train has ended, a Provodnikov fight would be the end for Pacquaio as a boxer. I mean the guy is coaching basketball now.
All publicity homie
He's trying get more sponsors and create a fan base for the PBA.And in my opinion, I think Pacman will outbox Prov.
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- Jan 7, 2004
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No to puncher's chance. He's a boxer. Height and reach advantage will be Algieri's best friend. Stand-up guy with some "hometown" support. Provodnikov will KO Algieri within 6 rounds, IMO. Algieri doesn't have the power to stop, stun, or negate "Siberian Rocky's" advances and willingness to fight ugly inside.
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He doesn't use his reach advantage as much as he should, but he is pretty quick. Don't be shocked if he pulls off the upset.
- Dec 3, 2013
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Floyd talking about putting his 147 and 154 belts on the line for his next fight in September, similar to what Sugar Ray Leonard did vs Lalonde ... I wonder who it will be
Marquez wants 20 million to fight Pac again
Roach is ok with Pac fighting Provodnikov
Roach wants manny to fight Danny Garcia
