In
what is the most anticipated fight card of the year (at least in the United
States), the controversial rematch between WBA junior middleweight titlist
Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito takes place at the newly renovated Madison Square Garden in New York. After nearly
getting the boot from New York last week, this much talked about event ended up
where it always belonged.
That
just happens to be in front of a large throng of Cotto's Puerto Rican
partisans, who just don't want revenge and retribution but the head of
Margarito, who handed Cotto his first professional loss back in July of 2008 in a fight that will forever be
shrouded in suspicion and doubt.
Many-
including Cotto himself- will go to their graves believing the same confiscated
padding that was discovered prior to Margarito's next bout against Shane Mosley
was utilized to dangerous extent months earlier at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, when Margarito wore down Cotto, bloodied
him up and forced his surrender in the 11th round.
It
may have forever altered Cotto's career, which was perfect up to that point.
For Margarito, what transpired since then has forever tainted his.
Much
has changed since 2008. The reality is when they first hooked up, they were
considered two of the very best welterweights on the planet and thought to be in
their physical primes. Cotto was ranked in numerous pound-for-pound listings
and Margarito was believed to be among the most feared and avoided
prizefighters in the world. As we look ahead to the night of December 3rd, both are now faded
versions of themselves who have gone through rough terrain, putting
irretrievable miles on their odometers. Both were beaten conclusively by
Manny Pacquiao and even in subsequent victories, neither had looked nearly as
dominant as they had before.
So
why the great interest and intrigue in this battle?
It's
very simple- there is a score to settle and a point to be made.
Cotto
wants payback and he'd like to deliver it in brutal fashion. Like
many of you reading this, he believes that Margarito is a cheater and deserves
nothing less than a savage beating on a level playing field. For
Margarito, it's his chance to show that what took place three years ago had
much more to do with heart, desire and stamina than any plaster. What gives
this event an extra dose of intrigue is that he was more than willing to do it
on Cotto's turf in New York. Perhaps he really had no say or leverage in this
matter but part of the appeal of this promotion is how Margarito is going straight
for the lion’s den- right into the belly of the beast. A casino setting just
wouldn't have done this grudge match justice.
Things
couldn't be any more hostile for “The Tijuana Tornado” if he were fighting in Caguas. Regardless of what takes place, this
will be another colorful chapter in the vibrant and rich history of the Puerto
Rican-Mexican boxing rivalry. You can have the Yankees vs. Red Sox or Auburn-Alabama. It says here that nothing is
as heated and meaningful as this feud.
The
quiet and introspective Cotto, who, for so long, held back his feelings on what
took place that night, wears the white hat in this western flick. Margarito, on
the other hand, has not only accepted his role in this morality play, he seems
to have actually embraced a villainous persona to a large degree.
This
here will not be for the faint of heart. Anyone that wants to watch “skill”
or has moral objections, well, this night isn't for you. Go watch old tapes of
Pernell Whitaker or Showtime (which has its own solid bantamweight doubleheader
on the same evening). The rest of us bloodthirsty savages will either be at the
Garden or watching the pay-per-view broadcast- because there will be
electricity, anticipation and violence on this night. Some of the crowd will be
there to see a reprisal of the first time these two men- who have made their
distaste for each other crystal clear- hooked up and engaged in what Max Kellerman of
HBO Sports immediately called a “modern-day boxing classic.” Many others
want Margarito destroyed to the core for what they believe he
unfairly took from Cotto the first time. To most, they will not be watching an
athletic contest but boxing's version of an execution of a man they believed
committed the ultimate sin.
Will
we be entertained (regardless of what happens to Margarito's eye)?
Yes,
because we just can't help ourselves.
Let
the carnage begin.
GARDEN
PARTY
Unlike
most pay-per-view undercards, look for a lively and passionate crowd to arrive
nice and early. The reasons for this are pretty simple. For one, since this
isn't held at a casino, most of the people in attendance aren't the recipients
of “comps” but actually purchased their own tickets. Also, not only is the
undercard an attractive one (featuring a rematch between Pawel Wolak and Delvin
Rodriguez, one of the best bouts of 2011) but it has a local pull. Most of the
boxers on the undercard for this show sold a pretty good amount of their own
tickets (even those not televised like Mike Lee and Glen Tapia).
Bob
Arum, whose company, Top Rank, is staging this event, explained, “It's not like
a casino and so forth. You gotta actually go out and actually sell tickets. So
Pawel Wolak is on the card and he's fighting a very tough fight (versus
Rodriguez) but he's a terrific ticket seller and Mike Jones is a terrific young
fighter, who is in a very good fight with Sebastian Lujan and he's a terrific
ticket seller. So we always look to put on good fights but in the case of when
we were having the casino setting, it's very important that the fights we put on,
we can sell on pay-per-view.
“It's
completely different than a casino event. We're looking for other kinds of
things.”
I've
said it before; there is nothing quite like the atmosphere of the MSG when
there is a houseful of 'Ricans cheering on their man. The night “Tito” Trinidad blew
out William Joppy back in 2001 during Don King's middleweight tournament is one
of the most memorable nights I've ever experienced ringside. I thought the roof
was going to come off that place.
HBO
Here
are a couple of emails that I think pretty much summed up the way the public
felt about this weekend’s “Boxing After Dark” telecast on HBO:
I remember when that series used to have
fights, not one-sided showcases.
horrible.
Hershman has a heckuva job in front of him. first and foremost, please restore
BAD to what it was born to be.
-Shane
And
then this one:
Steve,
I wouldn't mind seeing Broner again, but could it please be against someone
who's, ya know, vaguely at his level? How about Juan Carlos Burgos, for
example? Burgos has been in exciting fights, will
apply pressure, and is definitely beatable for someone of Broner's talent.
Whom am I kidding? Too good.
-MT
Guys,
I hear ya. The thing is, like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Alvarez is a draw (although
there is a great discrepancy between what Oscar De La Hoya is stating and what
is being reported this past weekend in Mexico City regarding attendance) and does strong
television ratings. I think many of you HBO subscribers are getting sick and
tired of seeing these kinds of fights for your $15 a month. Honestly, I
don't have a problem with the level of fight that either guy is taking. In many
repsects, they are the proper match-ups. The question is, are they HBO-caliber?
Those
two can be mutually exclusive of one another.
Then
again, if they are garnering strong numbers in the Nielsens, well, isn't that
the very essence of programming? HBO might televise boxing but they are really in
the business of enticing viewers tuning in to their network as often as
possible.
As
for Broner, I think he'll be one of those polarizing fighters. Some will love
him for his talent and persona. Others will have a great disdain for
that very same persona. As long as there is the perception that he is a
by-product of Al Haymon’s “advising” and being matched soft, this feeling will
only grow. Other than “Canelo” and Amir Khan (who fights on December 10th), Broner
is the only other boxer to appear on HBO thrice in 2011.
I'll
say this for Broner; he's got a lot of tools and God-given ability and if you
look at the landscape at 130 pounds, it's certainly not the deepest division in
boxing. He could be in for a long, productive run with that WBO title he picked
up on Saturday night in Cincy. The question is, will he be
given the same treatment as Junior or “Canelo” if he doesn't have the same ability
to draw an audience?
Does
that even matter with Broner?
FINAL
FLURRIES
Jorge Arce earned
the WBO bantamweight title with a hard-earned 12-round decision versus Angky
Angkotta this past weekend in Mexico...Speaking of Broner, match him with the
likes of Argenis Mendez, Eloy Perez and
JC Salgado and you have some interesting fights. Speaking of “The Problem,”
anyone have any attendance figures for his show at the U.S. Bank Arena? Looked
like they had a decent turnout...Gary Russell Jr. is very good. I want to find
out how good in 2012...While in New York this
week, I will absolutely hit Jimmy's Corner (at least once). It's a
tradition of mine...Matt Barkley of USC certainly made a late Heisman push,
didn't he? If he returns to USC next season, that's a top three squad...UCLA
was playing possum going into their game with Oregon, right?...No
truth to the rumor that HBO wants to put Oregon-UCLA on “Boxing After Dark”...Some
might hate hearing this but LSU and ‘Bama are the two best teams in college
football. And if the BCS title game is about matching #1 and #2, then this
rematch is what we should get for the National Championship...Wow, Kansas
didn't waste any time with Turner
Gill, did they?...My 2011 NFL sleeper Buffalo Bills are fading fast but I still
really like their future...
