The countdown to Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto officially begins this evening when HBO presents the first installment of Pacquiao-Cotto 24/7. This fight brings extra excitement in that Manny, who many consider to be boxing’s pound-for-pound champion (until he fights Floyd Mayweather, I believe), is moving up in weight (again) to 145 pounds to fight Miguel Cotto, the current WBO welterweight champ. I’ve doubted Manny in the past and I’ve always lived to regret those doubts.
There are unanswered questions for both fighters. Miguel has only lost once. That was a little over a year ago when Antonio Margarito beat him …read more

Let’s hope Paul Williams hasn’t read ESPN.com’s recap of the Joshua Clottey – Zab Judah fight. What does it say? That despite Judah’s loss he might be next in line for the recently lionized welterweight champ Antonio Margarito.
It seems that Clottey tore his bicep in the fifth round of that fight. That’s right, the Ghanian TORE HIS BICEP and still managed to be more powerful and look better than Judah. Zab’s claim of not being able to continue because of purported lost vision looks a lot more cowardly now.
No matter, despite his ridiculous display he still might get the …read more

Boxing promised us a welterweight fight for the ages and for 11 rounds Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito provided. Margarito charged relentlessly with defiant straightforward abandon while Cotto skillfully bobbed, weaved, counterpunched and scored with inspired boxing. Power punch after power punch from both fighters, bomb after bomb.
But in the 11th it was the Mexican, the Tijuana Tornado Antonio Margarito, who proved to have the greater will as the Puerto Rican Cotto quit on his feet, too battered, unwilling and unable to summon strength in the championship rounds.
Cotto’s corner ostensibly threw in the towel but Miguel’s sinking eyes and …read more

Maybe somewhere somehow you’ve read something about Saturday’s Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito welterweight title fight. About how it’s the going to be the greatest fight of all time, about how if there’s one fight you should watch this year this should be it, about how this is the fight to bring casual fans in, about how the action will be scintillating and non-stop, about how if you can’t get excited about this fight then you’ll never be excited about any fight ever. Ever, ever, ever.
Am I excited? Yes. Do I think it’s going to be a great fight? Of …read more