Miguel Cotto now understands what Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley experienced in their pre-fight dealings with Ricardo Mayorga.
Much like the former world champions, Cotto has been the recipient of repeated verbal taunts and attacks from Mayorga leading to their super-welterweight title fight Saturday night.
If fights were decided by words instead of punches, Mayorga would have been the dominant winner against Trinidad, De La Hoya and Mosley. Instead, the wild-punching and entertaining two-division world champion ended a knockout victim in all three fights.
Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) hopes to follow the trend in the first defense of his World Boxing Association super-welterweight belt at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
?He always talks before the fight and what he is going to do to his opponent,? Cotto said in a recent conference call. ?I am going to do my talking in the ring.?
True to form, Mayorga let loose with verbal shots at Cotto and his trainer, Emanuel Steward, in the same conference call.
?Miguel Cotto and Emanuel Steward are failures,? Mayorga said. ?When I am done with Cotto, he is not going to fight anymore.?
Disparaging words notwithstanding, the bout could prove entertaining. Despite the notable losses against Trinidad, De La Hoya and Mosley, Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) continues to land marquee fights. His aggressive, combative style appeals to promoters and TV network executives.
Even in his previous bout against journeyman Michael Walker last December at AmericanAirlines Arena, Mayorga was tested into the late rounds until he won by a ninth-round technical knockout. Granted, Mayorga was making his first ring appearance after a two-year layoff.
?Mayorga is a very physically strong and unorganized, to some degree, fighter,? Steward said. ?You have to have two or three plans. Whenever you fight a kamikaze fighter like him, it?s always dangerous.?
Steward believes Cotto?s skills eventually will conquer Mayorga.
Saturday?s Cotto-Mayorga bout is the first of a two-fight pay-per-view deal between Cotto?s promoter, Bob Arum, and the Showtime network. Showtime also will have the pay-per-view telecast of the Manny Pacquiao-Mosley welterweight title fight May 7.
Local-heavy card
A familiar and welcomed theme of Badia Spices Friday Nights at Magic City Casino is the frequent showcasing of local fighters. The monthly series? next card on Friday night will follow the trend.
Heavyweight prospect and Miami resident Glendy Hernandez will headline the announced eight-bout show. A native of Cuba, Hernandez (5-0, 2 KOs) will face Mexico?s Francisco Mireles in the card?s main event.
Other South Florida-based fighters scheduled to appear on the show include light heavyweights Azea Augustama and Yuniesky Gonzalez.
For information, call 305-460-6579.
Casamayor to fight
Miramar resident Joel Casamayor will fight Mike Anchondo in a scheduled 10-round junior-welterweight bout Friday night in Las Vegas. A former super featherweight and lightweight world champion, Casamayor (37-5-1, 22 KOs) has not fought since losing a 10-round decision against Robert Guerrero last July.
