Yes, yours truly will be the special guest on tonight’s third edition of the Bad Culture Boxing Radio show. Among the topics I’ll be covering with BadCulture.net founder Jeandra LeBeauf will be Lucas Matthysse’s demolition of Lamont Peteson, J’Leon Love’s failed drug test, Antonio Margarito’s recent family drama/potential comeback, Amir Khan, Adrien Broner, Froch-Kessler and much more.
The show kicks off at 9 p.m. PST HERE. Don’t miss it.
Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito has forgone a potential late summer comeback to announce his retirement. Margarito, 34, released a statement on his official Facebook page ending a 16 year professional journey that saw him make nine defenses of the WBO welterweight title (2002-2008), and reach a career apex when he defeated Miguel Cotto in July 2008. His later years would be mired in controversy following a scandal for attempting to use illegal wraps before a January 2009 bout against Shane Mosley. Antonio Margarito retires from the ring with a record of 38-8 (27 KOs).
Dear Family, Friends, and Fans,After twenty-two years of full dedication to the profession I love, I have made the decision to announce my retirement from boxing. After much thought and extended conversations with my family and team, we have all agreed that the time to hang up my gloves and begin a new chapter in life has arrived.I always told my family and team that I would walk away from boxing when I felt I could no longer compete at the level I believed I needed to be, in order to be successful. Although the passion and drive are still there, I have to accept that my time to walk away has arrived.I want to take this opportunity to thank Michelle and my family for their support, encouragement, and most of all, their love. Not only did they give me their unconditional love and support during the good times, their love and support grew larger during the times that I was at my lowest. I also want to thank my team, Sergio Diaz Jr and Francisco Espinosa. They are not only my management, they are my family. For sixteen years, they guided my career and did what was best for me. To my trainers, without your drive and motivation, I would not have had the success. You were an integral part of my career. I thank you for your dedication. I want to thank my promoters, Bob Arum, Todd duBoef, and everyone at Top Rank. I am proud to say that I began and ended my career with a great promotional company. As a non privileged child, I had dreams. I dreamt of giving my family a better life. I dreamt of owning a car, owning a home, traveling the world, and helping others in need. Bob, I thank you for helping me fulfill those dreams. Finally, I want to thank all of my fans for their love and loyal support. Without you, there would be no Antonio Margarito.
I leave the cuts, bruises, and sweat, but I’m not leaving the sport. I will continue in the sport that gave me so much, Now, however, it is time for me to give back to the sport.
Miguel Cotto is determined to use the momentum from his December grudge match win oveer Antonio Margarito to deliver a career-best performance when he faces Floyd Mayweather next month in Las Vegas.
Cotto’s most satisfying win as a professional came last December when he scored a 10th round TKO over Antonio Margarito in New York City. The victory capped a “redemption” year for Cotto after being out most of 2010 with a shoulder injury, and suffering prolonged beatings in knockout losses in 2009 and 2008 to Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito respectively.
“In December of 2011, I avenged my loss to Margarito with a TKO in the 10th round,” said Cotto. ”I have grown as a fighter and proven that the 2008 fight does not define me. I am stronger, faster and more engaged in knowing what it takes to win a fight; 2011 proves just that.”
“My experience in training has evolved and I have never been more ready in my life. My focus now isn’t looking back, just forward. It’s all about May 5th [2012] now and doing what I need to do to be as ready as I can be for that fight. There’s not a doubt in my mind that what you will see on May 5 exceeds who I was even in the December [2011] fight.”
In recent promo ads, Mayweather has referred to Cotto as a “solid fighter,” leading some observers to conclude it’s an acknowledgement that the current WBA junior middleweight champion is no longer an elite fighter due to the damage inflicted in his two defeats. Cotto, who still hopes to avenge the Pacquiao setback should he get by Mayweather, argues his losses spurned the improved defense and stamina critics marveled at in his last fight.
“I think people like to look at past moments of defeat as hurdles, but my past has only accelerated me to here and now,” Cotto reflected. ”I’m at a perfect place in my career for this. I have experience to know what it takes to win, but also the energy and aggression that it still takes to fight at this level. I can assure fans that on May 5th, the Miguel Cotto they will be seeing is the best Miguel Cotto they have ever seen fight.”
Cotto’s current training regimen will be showcased this Saturday (April 14) on HBO’s Emmy-Award winning series 24/7, which airs at 9:45 PM.
HBO will feature replays of their biggest fights of 2011 starting next Monday (December 26). Considering how their 2011 began with Alexander-Bradley, HBO had a solid year overall and even one definite Fight of the Year candidate (Berto-Ortiz I). Check you local listings for times.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK — It was a revenge served with cold fists. Before his adopted hometown fans of New York City, Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 KOs) boxed a disciplined, coolly efficient fight that mixed lateral movement, defense and combination punching to achieve a satisfying rematch TKO of hated rival Antonio Margarito (38-8, 27 KOs).
Cotto came out much like the first fight, hitting Margarito flush with an array of dazzling rights crosses and left hooks. A key difference in these early rounds was Cotto’s tendency to move laterally instead of straight backpedaling, causing Margarito to have to reset his offense. In the third, Cotto opened a cut above Margarito’s right eye. When Margarito pressed, Cotto welcome a short brawl and got the better of the exchanges which thrilled the crowd. In addition, Cotto smothered Margarito’s uppercuts with clinches and walked his larger foe backwards or pushed him off.
Margarito began playing mind games in the fourth by shaking his head disdainfully and launching verbal taunts every time Cotto landed a hard shot. The first moments of promise for the Tijuana Tornado came in the fifth when he landed several hard uppercuts. Cotto wisely clinched to rest and still dominated the round with clean shots, but Margarito was now closing the gap on Cotto’s movement.
By the seventh, Cotto now focused his offense around stiff jabs and left hooks on Margarito’s swelling and bleeding right eye. Margarito opened with uppercuts in the eighth, which Cotto countered with jarring hooks to prevent his rival from gaining momentum. Before the ninth, the extensive damage to Margarito’s eye prompted close inspection from ringside doctors and a check to make sure Margarito could still see.
The spectre of a stoppage loss rejuvenated Margarito, who pressed Cotto and forced several clinches due to his uppercuts and hooks to the body. However, Cotto refused to wilt and stormed back in the last minute with several huge left hooks on Margarito’s now swollen shut right eye.
The ringside doctor and physicians immediately descended on the corner to inspect the eye before the 10th. Referee Steve Smoger was reluctant to stop it as Margarito jumped to his feet to show he could continue. Smoger asked several times for a final verdict before the ringside physician confirmed the bout should be stopped, much to the disgust of Margarito.
“I feel good. I feel they protected him,” said Margarito. “My eye was swelling a little but they stopped it.”
The decisive victory and likely ending to the big fight career of Margarito did little to subside the ill will Cotto has for the man he feels used loaded, illegal hand wraps against him during their 2008 encounter. Instead of shaking hands, Cotto went to Margarito’s corner after the bout and simply stared at him.
“Margarito is a strong boxer, but I know I’m better than him,” said Cotto.
According to promoter Bob Arum, he’ll seek to continue the Puerto Rico-Mexico rivalry by matching Cotto with WBC middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by spring 2012.
Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 22 KOs) overcame weight issues and being stripped of his lightweight title to administer a methodical beating of John Murray (31-2, 18 KOs). Rios, who failed to make the bout’s contracted weight of 135 pounds and was stripped of his WBA belt, relied heavily on uppercuts to break down Murray (whose face was marked by a bloody nose and swelling, discolored eyes by the sixth round). Rios would secure the stoppage in the 11th after a succession of left uppercuts had Murray out on his feet.
Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-2, 14 KOs) scored a dominant unanimous decision win over rival Pawel Wolak (29-2-1, 19 KOs). Having fought Wolak to a draw in a thrilling Fight of the Year candidate in July, Rodriguez improved tactics by smothering Wolak’s inside game with clinches and controlling the exchanges with head-snapping uppercuts and hooks. The performance was punctuated by a vicious 10th round that saw Rodriguez batter Wolak with over a dozen unanswered hooks and uppercuts. Final scorecards read 100-90, 98-92 and 98-91.
Mike Jones (26-0, 19 KOs) opened the card with a unanimous decision win over Sebastian Lujan (38-6-2, 24 KOs). Jones landed several good right hands early, but struggled to later adjust to Lujan’s awkward mix of upper body movement, backfoot fighting and sloppy pressure. Jones’ win makes him the #1 contender for Andre Berto’s IBF welterweight title.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto both sported impressive, chiseled physiques earlier this evening at the weigh-in for tomorrow’s long-awaited rematch at Madison Square Garden. The overwhelmingly Puerto Rican crowd showered Margarito with boos, who in turn responded with smiles and taunts at fans in the front rows. Margarito tipped the scales at 152 pounds as did Cotto, who gestured to the crowd in appreciation. As reported earlier, Top Rank founder Bob Arum remained between the two and a staredown did not take place over concerns of a physical confrontation.
PREDICTION: Margarito says Cotto ”hits like a girl,” but those 280 punches he landed are the main reason he hasn’t looked anything like the monster we saw that July night three years ago (and of course, not having loaded hand wraps). Cotto has been diminished as well, but he showed against Yuri Foreman and Ricardo Mayorga that he has more left in the tank than Margarito and has been more active. At this stage it’s doubtful Margarito’s chin, which in addition to the first Cotto war took over 600 punches from Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao, can replicate the amazing durability seen in 2008. Expect Miguel Cotto to still have some perilous moments courtesy of Margarito’s uppercuts, but gain his revenge with a 10th round TKO.
Brandon Rios may have had his last fight at lightweight after failing to make weight by 1.4 pounds. Rios, looking very drawn and drained, would be given an hour to drop the excess weight after weighing 135.6 on his second attempt. His opponent, John Murray, came in at 134.7 pounds.
PREDICTION: If Rios continues to drain himself to make 135, it will catch up with him in the ring. However, that time won’t be tomorrow night. Rios’ strong inside fighting and power should be enough to get him a seventh round knockout after some competitive early rounds.
Delvin Rodriguez: 153 lbs.
Pawel Wolak: 153.5 lbs.
PREDICTION: The first fight between them has an excellent chance to be the 2011 Fight of the Year. It was hard-fought, close fight and we shouldn’t expect anything different tomorrow night. Rodriguez is the better boxer, but Wolak dragged him into an inside war that he barely made it out of. Rodriguez has a few more offensive tools and this time look for him to go to war more sparingly and on his terms in route to a competitive majority decision win.
Mike Jones: 146 lbs.
Sebastian Lujan: 146 lbs.
PREDICTION: A very good opener. Lujan won’t go quietly, but Jones’ big advantages in speed and power will have this over via KO by the fifth round.
Cotto’s combination punching and movement or Margarito’s constant pressure and vicious uppercuts? To a Hip-Hop soundtrack, HBO Sports lays out three points and variables from the first fight that may come into play again this Saturday (December 3). Just two more days…
Miguel Cotto and Antonio used today’s final press conference to get in some last-minute personal insults before Saturday’s highly anticipated rematch. Margarito kicked off the animosity by stating Cotto’s punches like a “girl” and a super flyweight. Cotto countered by reiterating his stance that Margarito is a “criminal” and “embarrassment” to boxing, which invoked notable cheers from the audience. The ill will resulted in Bob Arum making sure to stand between them for photos and no final staredown.
ANTONIO MARGARITO
This man next to me calls me a criminal. I don’t know why he calls me a criminal. I am not a criminal. He’s said I’m not a good person or a gentleman. I don’t know why he says that. He says he’s not going to have any mercy on my eye. He can hit my eye as many times as he wants. He hits like a girl; a super flyweight hits harder. I’m very confident in my preparation. I’m better than the first time.
MIGUEL COTTO
I’m going to talk in Spanish so Antonio gets a direct message and understands me well. A criminal is, and you can look it up in the dictionary, those persons who utilize a weapon against another person. I asked you during the Faceoff about the rupture in your gloves, a question you mixed with mucus.
Second, the wrap during the Mosley fight was removed prior to the bout and had a red spot prior to any gloves being worn on your hands. Why did you have that red spot?
MARGARTIO
You’re worried. We’ll see on Saturday…
COTTO
I’m not worried — do you know why you can’t answer? Because you’re a shame for the boxing world and the Mexican people should blush because of you. This Saturday, you’re gonna see how the ‘little girl’ will punch and play with you at will.
MARGARITO
We’ll see! We’ll see!
COTTO
I’ll see you on Saturday.
MARGARITO
That’s what you said the last time. You’re gonna get it worse this time.
Miguel Cotto fans will find a promising development in their man’s public workout yesterday in New York City. During his in-ring work, Cotto can be seen using a lot of lateral movement and not moving straight back as he did in the first fight with Margarito. Of course, it’s a whole different ball game when its a someone like the Tijuana Tornado applying pressure and throwing punches at you instead of a trainer. Will Cotto fall back into old habits this Saturday (December 3)? We only have a few days left before we find out.
Antonio Margarito offers some brief insight to his first battle with Miguel Cotto and the redemption he seeks in the December 3 rematch. Again, we see Margarito clad in dark shades. Another telling sign on the condition of that reconstructed right eye?
