PAULIE NEEDS HIS “A GAME” TO BEAT COTTO
New York, NY-There never has been a shortage of guts when it came to Paulie Malignaggi. Not as a kid growing up in Brooklyn, not as an elite amateur, and as we can see with his decision to fight Miguel Cotto, Paulie has stones comparable to that of an elephant. With the exception of Colombia’s Ricardo Torres, everybody who has faced the Puerto Rican has suffered from the Mike Tyson syndrome, in that they were beaten psychologically long before the first bell.
COTTO DOESN’T MAKE PAULIE FRET, SHOULD HE?
In a “Ring Talk Radio” appearance, Malignaggi, now 21 & zip, said the timing was right for a fight with Cotto after I asked him why he’s fighting the Puerto Rican KO king? “Styles, they make fights. Not only that, the timing is right. Cotto’s been dropped, he’s been hurt in recent fights. My style can beat Cotto. I wouldn’t be taking this fight if it wasn’t winnable.”
UNDERDOG MALIGNAGGI GETTING ACTION AT 5-1!
The guys who set the line post Malignaggi as a 5-1 underdog, they feel Cotto is unbeatable! But as both “Chop-Chop” Corley, and then Ricardo Torres showed in decking him, the chin of Miguel Cotto is not one of granite. That being said, Malignaggi will need to put some pop on his punches in the early going. But, with only 5 KOs in 21 fights, there are those that doubt Paulie has the power to make the 26-0, (22 KOs) blink. Both men scaled 138 ? lbs. at 2 PM ET Friday.
NOTRE DAME GRIDIRON STAR A RING CELEB TOO!
Most people know Tom Zbikowski as a star defensive back for the Notre Dame Irish. Hailing from Arlington Heights, Ill, “Z” has 11 years of amateur experience under his belt. With a 75-15 record, and just 21-years of age, “Tommy Z” is getting $25,000 for his professional debut under Cotto-Malignaggi. Scheduled for four fistic frames, “Z” will face Cleveland, Ohio’s 2-2 Robert Bell. What stunned me about “Z” is that he turned down the quarterback slot for the U.S. Naval Academy, all in order to keep boxing. If he can make the transition, “Z” has the complexion to make it big!
SOLD OUT GARDEN HAS JOHN DUDDY AS WELL!
A transplanted Dubliner now living in New York City, John Duddy is seen in the Big Apple as the guy that can bring out Irish boxing fans in droves. At 16 & zip, and 12 KOs, Duddy is one of the reasons the Madison Square Garden is sold out! Hitting the scale at 158 ? lbs., Duddy faces Alfredo Cuevas, Chicago, 157, who is a modest 25-8-1, (17 KOs).
THE “OTHER” PACQUIAO MEETS “FLUSHING FLASH”
Although he is a native New Yorker, Kevin Kelley, 128, the “Flushing Flash,” hasn’t fought much in his home state since 1997. Kelley, now 58-6-2, (39 KOs) meets the brother of Manny Pacquiao, Bobby Pacquiao, in a duet set for 12 rounds. The Filipino, who comes with a pedestrian record of 26-11-3, with 11 KOs, recently signed a promotional contract with Top Rank. The analysis of this fight is easy: In Kelley, we have a 38-year old that was once a very good fighter. In Pacquiao, Kevin is facing a fighter who could never have beaten “KK” in his prime.
CHAVEZ JR. WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE TOO!
The oldest son of Mexican ring icon, Julio Cesar Chavez, one Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has an unbeaten record of 26-0-1, (19 KOs). That being said, Jr. does nothing for me. If he were say Julio Smith, people would be calling him ordinary! But seeing he is Chavez’s kid, Jr. is given the opportunity to face the “barely breathing” time and again. Tonight, the 146 lb. son of an icon is matched against the 143 lb. Aaron Drake, Kansas City, who is 10-1, with 8 early endings. It looks like matchmaker Bruce Trampler, in his last visit to New York City before the Top Rank indictments, has made a match that almost assures a Chavez victory.
RESULTS WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF FINAL BELL!
You can expect the Madison Square Garden results to be available at www.RingTalk.com approximately 15 minutes after the show concludes.
