Miguel Cotto
Birthplace: Caguas, Puerto Rico
Resides: Caguas, Puerto Rico
Age: 31
Height: 5' 7"
Reach: 67"
Current World Titles Held: WBA Light Middleweight (154 lbs.)
Former World Titles Held: WBO Junior Welterweight (140 lbs.), WBA, WBO Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Professional Record: 36-2, 29 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 16-2, 13 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 5-1
Record at Light Middleweight: 2-0, 2 KOs
Notable Wins: TKO12 Ricardo Mayorga, UD12 Shane Mosley, TKO11 Zab Judah
Notable Losses: Manny Pacquiao TKO12, Antonio Margarito TKO11
Antonio Margarito
Birthplace: Torrance, California
Resides: Tijuana, Mexico
Age: 33
Height: 5' 11"
Reach: 73"
Current World Titles Held: None
Former World Titles Held: WBA, IBF, WBO Welterweight
Professional Record: 38-7, 27 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 10-4, 8 KOs (1 NC)
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 2-2
Record at Light Middleweight: 7-2, 5 KOs
Notable Wins: TKO11 Miguel Cotto, UD12 Joshua Clottey, TKO7 Sergio Martinez
Notable Losses: Manny Pacquiao UD12, Shane Mosley TKO9, Paul Williams UD12
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Well, here we are, at the end of another year. Actually, that's not quite true in the great sport of boxing, because there are unusually good fights still to come over the next three weeks. Also, there's Wladimir Klitschko versus Jean Marc Mormeck. Zing!
But I kid Big Wlad. Since our power rankings come out at the beginning of every month, this is the last set of them for 2011. And there's a new man atop the mountain in the form of super middleweight co-king Lucian Bute. His relatively easy victory over Glen Johnson and Nonito Donaire losing one win from the rolling three-month ranking period was enough to boost The Charmer (hate that nickname, by the way) to the number one spot.
I suspect he may have some trouble staying there in 2012, because he's almost guaranteed to face some tougher competition. That's good for us, the fight fans of the world, as it means some quality bouts ahead at 168 pounds.
That's next year, though. For now, go grab a refresher on how these scores work if you need one, and enjoy the last list for 2011:
Boxing After Dark heads south of the border to see Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight in front of his own fans in Mexico as he faces off with Kermit Cintron in a junior middleweight showdown. Bob Papa, Roy Jones Jr. and Max Kellerman are all set to call the action.
The tale of the tape shows that Cintron has a three-inch height advantage and a small edge in reach as well. Both men weighed in right at the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. Alvarez is 11 years younger than the 32-year old Cintron, though he's fought an amazing number of pro fights for someone so young and is already a seasoned ring veteran. He is making his third defense of his WBC junior middleweight belt, while Cintron is a former titleholder at 147 pounds.
After a very long set of ring walks and songs for Canelo, we get down to the official introductions. Cintron is 33-4-1 with 28 KOs, though he is only 4-3-1 over the past three years. On the other side, Canelo sports a record of 38-0-1 with 28 knockout victories.
With that out of the way, we're ready to watch 12 scheduled rounds of boxing with Alvarez's title on the line.
Round 1
Cintron is the early jabber, cautiously coming forward. Alvarez is staying calm, looking to counter. Canelo just misses a big left hook. The second one does land. Two-punch combo by Alvarez used as a counter. Both men jab, but Alvarez comes up swinging with two to the head. Cintron tries the right hand off the jab. Alvarez blocks a two-punch combo.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Alvarez
On the first episode of 24/7: Cotto/Margarito, we delved into the history between the two fighters and what is driving them to be the best they can be when they meet for a second time on December 3. The second and final episode looks at their final preparations and details the scare that Margarito got when it appeared he may not be licensed to fight in New York. Let's get to it.
The health of Margarito's right eye, badly damaged in his loss to Manny Pacquiao last year, is an issue with the New York State Athletic Commission as it meets on November 18. Though already examined by doctors and declared healthy, the commission wants Tony to fly to New York and submit to an examination by a doctor of its own choosing, something Margarito's promoters and attorney thinks will be challenging.
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Had Antonio Margarito not been medically cleared by the New York State Athletic Commission, his December 3 rematch with Miguel Cotto would have taken place in some other state. Or, as it turns out, possibly not at all.
Fortunately, we don't have to worry about either one of those scenarios, because Margarito has been granted his license to box in New York, and the bout will take place as scheduled at Madison Square Garden. The hold-up was Margarito's right eye, so badly damaged by Manny Pacquiao a year ago that it required multiple surgeries to repair.
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Bob Papa, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones are on the scene in Houston for HBO's Boxing After Dark. We've got just one fight to watch tonight, as the son of a legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. goes toe to toe with Peter Manfredo.
Jimmy Lennon Jr. asks the fans to observe a moment of silence for the passing of famed cutman Joe Souza. A memorial ten count tolls for Souza, who was one of the best in the business for over 40 years.
The tale of the tape finds that Chavez enjoys a 2 1/2" height advantage and just the slightest of edges in reach. Both men weighed in just under the 160-pound limit and re-hydrated to around the same weight for tonight. At 25, Chavez is five years younger than Manfredo.
Manfredo, known as the ride of Providence, makes his way out first. He hasn't fought for 308 days, which is the longest period of inactivity of his pro career. Manfredo is 37-6 with 20 KOs.
A mariachi band plays for Chavez on his ring walk. He is making the first defense of his WBC 160-pound title. Junior's professional record stands at 43-0-1 with 30 wins by way of knockout.
The referee in charge of the action is Laurence Cole. Lennon introduces both fighters officially, and we are ready to go for 12 scheduled rounds of middleweight action.
Round 1
Manfredo tests Junior early with the jab. Chavez responds in kind as Manfredo looks to set up his right hand. Manfredo tries a lead left hook. Chavez walks Manfredo to the ropes and lets him have it with two to the body. Both men work their jabs again. Chavez throws hooks in combination. Manfredo tries the body but eats a left hook upstairs. Chavez's movement looks fluid as he dodges incoming fire. Ineffective jabs fly in both directions. Quiet final 45 seconds to end this one.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Chavez
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Fittingly, the first shot of 24/7 Cotto/Margarito is one of Antonio Margarito getting his hands wrapped. We cut to a short training montage as the voiceover sets the stage for the first fight between the two men. Though it was an unforgettable fight, the aftermath became complicated due to Margarito getting caught with loaded hand wraps before he was to take on Shane Mosley.
The first time we hear from Cotto, he leaves no uncertainty, saying Margarito used the plaster when they fought. He says Tony looks and acts like a criminal. Margarito says he is a clean fighter, and there was nothing illegal on that night. The only way to settle this dispute is in the ring.
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Who's ready to talk about some boxing outside of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez-Floyd Mayweather triumvirate? Fantastic!
Tonight on HBO's Boxing After Dark, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. takes on Peter Manfredo in a fight in which the only visible link to the above paragraph will be the presence of trainer Freddie Roach. At stake is Junior's WBC middleweight strap, though there's also something a little extra (and different) up for grabs for each man.
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Ugh. The headline pretty much says it all. ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting that Floyd Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer have both been told that Manny Pacquiao will not fight Mayweather next spring, with promoter Bob Arum preferring to put together a fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Arum denied the specifics of the report but not the idea that Pacquiao-Marquez IV was a priority. And even as a big Pac-Man fan, one of partial Filipino descent, I have to say that there's no way that this doesn't make Pacquiao look bad.
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For disclosure purposes, I scored Saturday's third and supposedly final chapter of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy for Marquez. I scored the second fight in 2008 for Pacquiao, and I wasn't scoring fights back in 2004 for their first meeting but remember feeling okay when the draw was announced.
So while the official records may say that Pac-Man is 2-0-1, in my mind the two fighters are 1-1-1. And that seems fitting, because this fight settled absolutely nothing.
