Sergio Martinez has wanted a fight with Miguel Cotto for quite some time and now that it has been signed with both fighters past their prime will they be able to put on a great fight or will we see two burned out fighters in the ring salvaging whatever they have left for a possible final payday?
While many in the boxing world await the showdown to see what the fighters have left, Angel Garcia who is the father and trainer of world champion Danny Garcia is not too excited and even though Martinez has had time for his body to recover from past injuries and Cotto seems to be rejuvenated, the age of the fighters is cause for a lack of excitement from Garcia who believes either man can win.
“Honestly, flip a coin on that one (to pick a winner),” said Angel Garcia. “It’s hard to say because you gotta understand that these are old fighters. If they were young ponies then it’s different but I like young ponies I don’t like old horses.”
Source: http://thaboxingvoice.com/angel-garcia-on-picking-a-winner-for-cotto-martinez-flip-a-coin-on-that-one/23002
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Cotto & Martínez Media Tour Starts March 10
MIGUEL COTTO and SERGIO MARTÍNEZ WORLD TITLE MEDIA TOUR STARTS MARCH 10
Boxing Icons to Host Press Conferences in Puerto Rico, New York, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires
NEW YORK (February 24, 2014) -- Three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO and World Boxing Council (WBC)/The Ring middleweight champion and Argentina’s favorite son SERGIO "Maravilla" MARTÍNEZ,
will begin their promotional roadwork on Monday, March 10 with a four-city, two-hemisphere media tour to announce their eagerly-anticipated fight for the World Middleweight Championship. Cotto vs. Martínez will take place on Saturday, June 7, at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Cotto will attempt to become Puerto Rico’s first four-division world champion while Martínez, who has never lost a world championship fight, defends the title he first won in 2010. Both gladiators boast a combined record of 89-6-2 (59 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 66%.
The media tour is as follows with full details being released shortly:
· Monday, March 10 - Puerto Rico
· Tuesday, March 11 - New York
· Wednesday, March 12 - Los Angeles
· TBD - Buenos Aires
More: http://philboxing.com/news/story-92345.html
Boxing Icons to Host Press Conferences in Puerto Rico, New York, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires
NEW YORK (February 24, 2014) -- Three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO and World Boxing Council (WBC)/The Ring middleweight champion and Argentina’s favorite son SERGIO "Maravilla" MARTÍNEZ,
will begin their promotional roadwork on Monday, March 10 with a four-city, two-hemisphere media tour to announce their eagerly-anticipated fight for the World Middleweight Championship. Cotto vs. Martínez will take place on Saturday, June 7, at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Cotto will attempt to become Puerto Rico’s first four-division world champion while Martínez, who has never lost a world championship fight, defends the title he first won in 2010. Both gladiators boast a combined record of 89-6-2 (59 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 66%.
The media tour is as follows with full details being released shortly:
· Monday, March 10 - Puerto Rico
· Tuesday, March 11 - New York
· Wednesday, March 12 - Los Angeles
· TBD - Buenos Aires
More: http://philboxing.com/news/story-92345.html
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Why is Miguel Cotto joining Pacquiao's camp in Gensan?
Puerto Rican boxing champ Miguel Cotto is reported to be joining Manny Pacquiao in his General Santos City (Gensan) training camp while the Filipino star is preparing for his crucial rematch with Timothy Bradley on April 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Boxing fans are asking why Cotto will be training alongside Pacquiao for his own upcoming fight with Sergio Martinez of Argentina on June 7.
For the uninformed fans, Cotto and Pacquiao have a common trainer in the person of Freddie Roach, who has an array of aspiring fighters training at his own Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
Because of his tight schedule, Roach had to do simultaneous training of two fighters under him in a camp. He has done the same with British boxing idol Amir Khan, who used to be trained by him.
Roach, who is also the trainer of Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, will begin training Pacquiao Monday alongside Cotto.
To Roach's credit, Shiming stopped his Thai opponent in the seventh round of his fourth professional fight at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China over the weekend. It was Shiming's first knockout win in his pro career.
For convenience, Roach will be dividing his time with Pacquiao and Cotto with assistance from the boxers' own coaching staff.
It was reported that Cotto and Pacquiao will move to Roach's own Wild Card Gym in Hollywood after three to four weeks of training in Gensan.
The Puerto Rican is reportedly sparring with Pacquiao in Gensan but Roach dismissed the report, saying he will see Pacquiao's condition upon his arrival in the camp.
Cotto and Pacquiao fought in a highly competitive fight that ended in a twelfth round TKO in favor of Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in November 2009.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/why-miguel-cotto-joining-pacquiao-s-camp-in-gensan/article/372642#ixzz2ub5To0qk
Boxing fans are asking why Cotto will be training alongside Pacquiao for his own upcoming fight with Sergio Martinez of Argentina on June 7.
For the uninformed fans, Cotto and Pacquiao have a common trainer in the person of Freddie Roach, who has an array of aspiring fighters training at his own Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
Because of his tight schedule, Roach had to do simultaneous training of two fighters under him in a camp. He has done the same with British boxing idol Amir Khan, who used to be trained by him.
Roach, who is also the trainer of Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, will begin training Pacquiao Monday alongside Cotto.
To Roach's credit, Shiming stopped his Thai opponent in the seventh round of his fourth professional fight at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China over the weekend. It was Shiming's first knockout win in his pro career.
For convenience, Roach will be dividing his time with Pacquiao and Cotto with assistance from the boxers' own coaching staff.
It was reported that Cotto and Pacquiao will move to Roach's own Wild Card Gym in Hollywood after three to four weeks of training in Gensan.
The Puerto Rican is reportedly sparring with Pacquiao in Gensan but Roach dismissed the report, saying he will see Pacquiao's condition upon his arrival in the camp.
Cotto and Pacquiao fought in a highly competitive fight that ended in a twelfth round TKO in favor of Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in November 2009.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/why-miguel-cotto-joining-pacquiao-s-camp-in-gensan/article/372642#ixzz2ub5To0qk
COTTO WON’T SPAR WITH PACQUIAO
“Trainer of the Year” Freddie Roach who was scheduled to leave on Monday to join ”Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao at his training camp in General Santos City disclosed that even if Miguel Cotto trains alongside Pacquiao, he will not spar with him.
Roach told the Manila Standard on his arrival from Macau on Sunday that Cotto would train at the Pacman Wild Card Gym should Pacquiao decide to train in his hometown for four weeks which was the original plan. Otherwise, he said, if Pacquiao decides to leave for the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles earlier, Cotto would join him there.
Roach said he would have a clearer picture once he meets with Pacquiao on Monday.
The celebrated trainer dismissed reports that Cotto would spar with Pacquiao who scored a 12th round TKO over the Puerto Rican in November 2011 pointing out that the former three division champion has moved up in weight and is now fighting at 160 pounds and will challenge middleweight champion Sergio Martinez of Argentina at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 7.
He said he would check on how Pacquiao’s condition is as he planned to begin sparring this week with undefeated former Floyd Mayweather Sr protégé Lydell Rhodes (19-0, 9 KO’s).
Roach also confirmed a Standard story last week that former world light welterweight champion Kendall Holt who lost his title to Bradley by a unanimous decision despite dropping the undefeated Bradley once in round one and once more in round twelve, would be among Pacquiao’s sparring partners in Los Angeles.
Roach said he plans to train Pacquiao to be more aggressive in his April 12 rematch with Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Hotel in Las Vegas and indicated while he won’t go looking for a knockout he will take it if he gets an opening.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz who arrived with Roach from Macau told us that Pacquiao’s training had been going well and it will “step up a notch now that Freddie is here.”
Koncz said in his mind “nothing short of a knockout will do” to help Pacquiao regain his stature as an elite fighter.
http://philboxing.com/
Roach told the Manila Standard on his arrival from Macau on Sunday that Cotto would train at the Pacman Wild Card Gym should Pacquiao decide to train in his hometown for four weeks which was the original plan. Otherwise, he said, if Pacquiao decides to leave for the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles earlier, Cotto would join him there.
Roach said he would have a clearer picture once he meets with Pacquiao on Monday.
The celebrated trainer dismissed reports that Cotto would spar with Pacquiao who scored a 12th round TKO over the Puerto Rican in November 2011 pointing out that the former three division champion has moved up in weight and is now fighting at 160 pounds and will challenge middleweight champion Sergio Martinez of Argentina at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 7.
He said he would check on how Pacquiao’s condition is as he planned to begin sparring this week with undefeated former Floyd Mayweather Sr protégé Lydell Rhodes (19-0, 9 KO’s).
Roach also confirmed a Standard story last week that former world light welterweight champion Kendall Holt who lost his title to Bradley by a unanimous decision despite dropping the undefeated Bradley once in round one and once more in round twelve, would be among Pacquiao’s sparring partners in Los Angeles.
Roach said he plans to train Pacquiao to be more aggressive in his April 12 rematch with Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Hotel in Las Vegas and indicated while he won’t go looking for a knockout he will take it if he gets an opening.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz who arrived with Roach from Macau told us that Pacquiao’s training had been going well and it will “step up a notch now that Freddie is here.”
Koncz said in his mind “nothing short of a knockout will do” to help Pacquiao regain his stature as an elite fighter.
http://philboxing.com/
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Miguel Cotto seeks title in fourth weight class, will fight Sergio Martinez on June 7
One of the most intriguing matches of the year will be held on June 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York, when Miguel Cotto moves up to middleweight to challenge Sergio Martinez for the WBC 160-pound title in the main event of a card to be televised on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Cotto, who is coming off an impressive third-round knockout of Delvin Rodriguez on Oct. 5, will be bidding for a world title in a fourth weight class. The 2000 Olympian from Puerto Rico has held world championships at super lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight.
Rodriguez is not nearly as highly regarded as Martinez, but Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs) worked with veteran trainer Freddie Roach for that bout and Roach appeared to get Cotto to revert to his old form. Cotto had lost back-to-back decisions, to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout, and then hired Roach.
Working with Roach seemed to revitalize Cotto, who went hard to the body consistently against Rodriguez.
It won't be quite as simple against Martinez, a marvelous athlete whose quickness and movement figure to give Cotto plenty of problems. But Martinez has suffered a series of injuries and hasn't fought since an April 27, 2013, victory over Martin Murray in Argentina that ran his record to 51-2-2 with 28 knockouts.
Martinez has won seven in a row since losing a highly disputed majority decision to Paul Williams in a Dec. 5, 2009, bout. Martinez, though, knocked out Williams in the second round in the rematch.
Madison Square Garden is expected to be sold out with more than 20,000 in attendance for the bout.
The bout guarantees a major pay-per-view boxing show for the fourth month in a row. Canelo Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo will meet on Showtime pay-per-view on March 8 in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao returns on April 12 in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View for a rematch with Timothy Bradley.
On May 3, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will face an unnamed opponent, likely either Marcos Maidana or Amir Khan, in a Showtime pay-per-view bout in Las Vegas. And then Martinez-Cotto will wrap up that run June 7.
No undercard bouts have been announced for the Martinez-Cotto show.
http://sports.yahoo.com/
Cotto, who is coming off an impressive third-round knockout of Delvin Rodriguez on Oct. 5, will be bidding for a world title in a fourth weight class. The 2000 Olympian from Puerto Rico has held world championships at super lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight.
Rodriguez is not nearly as highly regarded as Martinez, but Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs) worked with veteran trainer Freddie Roach for that bout and Roach appeared to get Cotto to revert to his old form. Cotto had lost back-to-back decisions, to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout, and then hired Roach.
Working with Roach seemed to revitalize Cotto, who went hard to the body consistently against Rodriguez.
It won't be quite as simple against Martinez, a marvelous athlete whose quickness and movement figure to give Cotto plenty of problems. But Martinez has suffered a series of injuries and hasn't fought since an April 27, 2013, victory over Martin Murray in Argentina that ran his record to 51-2-2 with 28 knockouts.
Martinez has won seven in a row since losing a highly disputed majority decision to Paul Williams in a Dec. 5, 2009, bout. Martinez, though, knocked out Williams in the second round in the rematch.
Madison Square Garden is expected to be sold out with more than 20,000 in attendance for the bout.
The bout guarantees a major pay-per-view boxing show for the fourth month in a row. Canelo Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo will meet on Showtime pay-per-view on March 8 in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao returns on April 12 in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View for a rematch with Timothy Bradley.
On May 3, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will face an unnamed opponent, likely either Marcos Maidana or Amir Khan, in a Showtime pay-per-view bout in Las Vegas. And then Martinez-Cotto will wrap up that run June 7.
No undercard bouts have been announced for the Martinez-Cotto show.
http://sports.yahoo.com/
Monday, February 24, 2014
Cotto, Martinez set for June showdown
For once, two top-notch fighters got what they wanted. They got a shot at each other.
Former three-division champion Miguel Cotto agreed last week to move up in weight to face undersized middleweight champion Sergio Martinez June 7 at Madison Square Garden. It is a fight each had long publicly said they wanted. It figures to be one of the year’s biggest fights and one of the most popular among Hispanic fight fans.
The HBO pay-per-view show will be held on the weekend of one of New York City’s biggest events, the annual Puerto Rican Day parade. Cotto has fought on that weekend several times and sold out the Garden, but never against an opponent as significant as Martinez.
Martinez was so anxious to make the match he agreed to fight at a catch weight of 159, a pound below the division limit to accommodate the former junior middleweight champion. But that does not put Martinez at a disadvantage because he has seldom come in at 160 and his promoter, Lou DiBella, has long claimed Martinez would gladly fight at the 154-pound junior middleweight limit if the fight was the right match.
The fighters announced the deal Thursday on their personal Twitter accounts rather than wait for a more formal pronouncement of what could become an historic moment for Puerto Rican boxing.
If Cotto can defeat the Argentine, he would become the first Puerto Rican to win world titles in four weight classes, having already worn title belts at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight. Although middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin may be the hottest name in the division and holder of the WBA title, it remains Martinez who wears the linear title, as well as the WBC belt and remains the more universally legitimate champion.
That is especially true because the WBO version now held by Peter Quillen was stripped from Martinez without proper reason and without opportunity to defend it in the ring.
Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs) lost back-to-back junior middleweight title fights to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout in 2012 and appeared to be nearing the end of the line himself before stopping journeyman Delvin Rodriguez in three rounds Oct. 5. That fight was his first working with new trainer Freddie Roach, a shift in approach Cotto believes has revived his career at 33.
After two recent knee operations, the 38-year-old Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs) understands he is most certainly approaching the end of his career and is looking to turn his seventh title defense into a major payday. He will have not fought since outpointing Martin Murray a year ago in a fight in which he was knocked down and barely held on to win in front of a rain-soaked hometown crowd of nearly 50,000 in Buenos Aires.
It was the second consecutive fight in which Martinez had been dropped, the other coming in the final round of what was a one-sided victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but one Martinez barely held on to win after going down twice in the final round (one was not called a knockdown). It is fair to say he staggered to the finish after administering a boxing lesson for 11 rounds.
Martinez injured his right knee in both fights, the first time when he fell haphazardly after Chavez drilled him two years ago. The combination of those injuries, the stunning end to the Chavez fight and the resulting subpar performance vs. Murray will add an air of mystery to this bout, not that it needs any extra drama.
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Former three-division champion Miguel Cotto agreed last week to move up in weight to face undersized middleweight champion Sergio Martinez June 7 at Madison Square Garden. It is a fight each had long publicly said they wanted. It figures to be one of the year’s biggest fights and one of the most popular among Hispanic fight fans.
The HBO pay-per-view show will be held on the weekend of one of New York City’s biggest events, the annual Puerto Rican Day parade. Cotto has fought on that weekend several times and sold out the Garden, but never against an opponent as significant as Martinez.
Martinez was so anxious to make the match he agreed to fight at a catch weight of 159, a pound below the division limit to accommodate the former junior middleweight champion. But that does not put Martinez at a disadvantage because he has seldom come in at 160 and his promoter, Lou DiBella, has long claimed Martinez would gladly fight at the 154-pound junior middleweight limit if the fight was the right match.
The fighters announced the deal Thursday on their personal Twitter accounts rather than wait for a more formal pronouncement of what could become an historic moment for Puerto Rican boxing.
If Cotto can defeat the Argentine, he would become the first Puerto Rican to win world titles in four weight classes, having already worn title belts at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight. Although middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin may be the hottest name in the division and holder of the WBA title, it remains Martinez who wears the linear title, as well as the WBC belt and remains the more universally legitimate champion.
That is especially true because the WBO version now held by Peter Quillen was stripped from Martinez without proper reason and without opportunity to defend it in the ring.
Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs) lost back-to-back junior middleweight title fights to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout in 2012 and appeared to be nearing the end of the line himself before stopping journeyman Delvin Rodriguez in three rounds Oct. 5. That fight was his first working with new trainer Freddie Roach, a shift in approach Cotto believes has revived his career at 33.
After two recent knee operations, the 38-year-old Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs) understands he is most certainly approaching the end of his career and is looking to turn his seventh title defense into a major payday. He will have not fought since outpointing Martin Murray a year ago in a fight in which he was knocked down and barely held on to win in front of a rain-soaked hometown crowd of nearly 50,000 in Buenos Aires.
It was the second consecutive fight in which Martinez had been dropped, the other coming in the final round of what was a one-sided victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but one Martinez barely held on to win after going down twice in the final round (one was not called a knockdown). It is fair to say he staggered to the finish after administering a boxing lesson for 11 rounds.
Martinez injured his right knee in both fights, the first time when he fell haphazardly after Chavez drilled him two years ago. The combination of those injuries, the stunning end to the Chavez fight and the resulting subpar performance vs. Murray will add an air of mystery to this bout, not that it needs any extra drama.
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