Hardcore boxing fans have been treated to some great fights this decade ? including Barrera-Morales I, Castillo-Corrales I and this year?s instant classic Vazquez-Marquez III. On a few occasions during the last 10 years, general sports fans have witnessed boxing matches that could be categorized as great events, such as De La Hoya-Trinidad, Lewis-Tyson and last year?s live-gate and pay-per-view record-breaker, De La Hoya-Mayweather.
It?s a pity that the recent high-profile showdowns, for all their crossover appeal and mainstream media coverage, did not produce compelling bouts. It?s even sadder that the thrilling toe-to-toe slugfests of recent years have been witnessed by relatively small live crowds.
Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales fought the first of their three encounters in front of around 6,000 mostly Mexican fight fans in 2000. Half of the Mandalay Bay?s Event Center, where the bout took place, was partitioned off to give the fight a more intimate feeling. Jose Luis Castillo and the late Diego Corrales waged their first brutal war, which some argue is the best fight that ever took place, in front of about 5,000 hardcore fanatics (about 1,000 of whom were either VIPs or members of the media who attended the Boxing Writers Association of America annual dinner the night before the fight) also at the Mandalay Bay.
Last year and this past March, Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez put on the kind of classic three-fight series that once would have filled the 18,000-seat Great Western Forum to its rafters, but in today?s market the valiant junior featherweights fought in 8,000-seat venues, with only the rubbermatch selling out.
Whatever happened to great events that also produced great fights?
Remember when the super-fights that had everyone talking were actually entertaining contests once the bell rang? (For a prime example of great fights that made for great events look at the round-robin between Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler in the ?80s.)
Bob Arum, who promoted Hagler-Hearns and Hagler-Leonard, believes his latest all-Latino showdown between welterweight standouts Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will be a great fight and a great event.
The veteran promoter is so sure of this that he lobbied the Nevada State Athletic Commission to wave its recent ruling to have pro boxers over the lightweight limit wear 10-ounce gloves in the ring in order to bring the fight to the MGM Grand casino/resort in Las Vegas. (Arum and his two offense-minded welterweights prefer the hard-hitting impact that eight-ounce gloves produce in heated ring combat).
Cotto, the undefeated WBA welterweight titlist, sells well on the East Coast, particularly in New York City where the 2000 Olympian is heavily supported by Puerto Rican fans. However, the Caguas native, who beat Zab Judah and Shane Mosley last year to earn a place on most pound-for-pound lists, has never been much of a draw on the West Coast and he?s never headlined a card in Las Vegas. Margarito, a two-time welterweight titlist who was born in Torrance, California, grew up in Tijuana and now trains in the greater L.A. area, has never attracted a large Mexican following in his ?home region? despite his heritage and having fought 23 of his 41 pro bouts in either Tijuana or Southern California.
However, Arum believes that putting the two welterweight punishers in the ring together will create a buzz among fight aficionados so loud that it will attract mainstream sports coverage and a live crowd big enough to fill the MGM Grand?s 17,500-seat Garden Arena on July 26th when the fight will take place.
?We know this is going to be a great fight and we know how big a fight this is,? Bob Halloran, director of sports for MGM-Mirage, told the boxing media at Tuesday?s press conference at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. ?The tickets, which go on sale Thursday, have been priced fairly. Ringside tickets are $700 and then they drop to $500, $400, all the way down to $100. We?ve been swamped with calls every day from fans from around the country asking if they can buy tickets, suggesting an automatic sellout.?
Arum is banking on the ethnic background and nationalities of Cotto and Margarito to drum up as much interest in the July showdown as the boxers? reputations for making all-action fights.
During the 1920s, ?30s and ?40s, ethnic rivalries between recent immigrants from various parts of Europe fueled the sport. As more Spanish-speaking nations produced standout boxers in the ?60s and ?70s, rivalries between Latin-American and Latin-Caribbean cultures were formed, however none have been as constant and fierce as the rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican fans and fighters.
Mexico and Puerto Rico have produced the most world champions of all the Spanish-speaking countries, as well as the most loyal of the Latino boxing fans, so it should come as no surprise that the top fighters from these two proud nations have made for many memorable prize fights.
The late ?70s and early ?80s ? a period when Mexico?s Salvador Sanchez and Puerto Rico?s Wilfredo Gomez were two of the best fighters in the world, pound for pound ? provided numerous dramatic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdowns, including Gomez?s knockouts of Carlos Zarate and Lupe Pintor, and Sanchez?s decision over Juan LaPorte and stoppage of Gomez.
?What I remember about all those [Mexico-Puerto Rico] matchups,? Arum told the press on Tuesday, ?was that most were great, ferocious bouts. This one, between Cotto and Margarito, will be one of the best.?
Margarito, who made seven defenses of the WBO title he won in 2002 and recently won the IBF belt with an action-packed rematch KO of Puerto Rico?s Kermit Cintron, agrees with his promoter?s prediction.
?The time is finally here,? said Margarito, 36-5 (26), a 30-year-old veteran who turned pro when he was 16. ?I want to show everyone that I am still in my prime. I don?t want anyone to miss this fight. I?m going to tell you right now, it?s going to be the fight of the year.
?Cotto is undefeated and he?s a very strong fighter, just like me, but he?s going to have to train very hard to be in this fight.?
Cotto, who made six defenses of the WBO 140-pound title before winning the WBA welterweight title in December of ?06 and defending it four times (the last defense a five-round blowout of Mexico?s Alfonso Gomez) assured everyone that he will be ready.
?Tony,? the 27 year old told Margarito in English, ?I don?t have to train [especially hard] for you. I?m always in shape. I train hard for all of my fights.?
Cotto?s dedication to his craft has produced an impressive 32-0 (26) record. After demolishing then-undefeated Carlos Quintana in his first 147-pound bout, Cotto fought three times in ?07, beating three fighters who were ranked among The Ring?s top 10 welterweights (Oktay Urkal, Judah and Mosley).
Starting with his 10th-round stoppage of Antonio Diaz to win the WBO title, Margarito faced seven fighters who were ranked among The Ring?s welterweight top 10 at the time they fought (Diaz, Danny Perez, Andrew Lewis, Sebastian Lujan, Kermit Cintron, Joshua Clottey and Paul Williams), losing only to Williams last year in a competitive decision.
However, it isn?t their win-loss ratios that make Cotto-Margarito a compelling matchup. It?s the manner in which they fight. Both men are seek-and-destroyers who try to impose their considerable physical strength and their iron wills upon their opponents.
Hardcore fight fans have little doubt that the two warriors will clash in a brutally intense and dramatic contest on the night of July 26th. The only thing in doubt about the showdown is who will win it.
Ask 10 boxing nuts who will win this fight and five will probably go with Cotto while the other five will pick Margarito. Cotto has the edge in talent, technique and versatility. Margarito is the naturally bigger man with the sturdier chin and busier punch output. Both fighters are heavy handed hombres known for their body attack.
Is it any wonder that hardcore fans have been salivating at the prospect of this welterweight clash for more than a year?
?Finally, the fight everybody called for is for real,? Cotto said Tuesday. ?It?s happening.?
Cotto-Margarito is the kind of matchup that will likely produce fireworks on par with Barrera-Morales, Vazquez-Marquez and even Castillo-Corrales.
But will the hardcore fans be the only ones who watch it?
TICKETS & TV
Tickets priced at $700, $500, $400, $300, $200, and $100 go on sale Thursday, May 22, at 10 p.m. PT. They can be purchased by phone with a major credit card by calling Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or MGM Grand (800) 929-1111 . Tickets are also available online at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight per person.
The Top Rank-promoted card headlined by Cotto-Margarito will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
