Wil Munny
06-13-2007, 07:38 AM
Cotto vs. Judah: fight of the year
Column by St. Clair Murraine
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NEW YORK - Don't go channel surfing to find a sporting event with some pop this weekend. Just tune into HBO's replay of Saturday's welterweight thriller that Miguel Cotto won with an 11th-round technical knockout of a valiant Zab Judah.
You won't see the blood that was still dripping from cuts on both fighters at their post-fight press conference, but you'll see why it was a bloody good fight.
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You'll see why the welterweight division just might be the class to save boxing until the emergence of a dominant American heavyweight. Cotto and Judah put on a fight that so far is a leading candidate for fight of the year.
Floyd Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya last month staged the biggest money-making fight in recent years. The outcome left skeptics wondering if that's the best boxing has to offer, though, as it grapples with ultimate fighting's caged version of fisticuffs.
Count promoter Bob Arum among the disenchanted with the state of boxing.
"When you have businessmen fleecing the public, hyping a fight and coming in the ring and (expletive) the night away and collecting big money, then boxing stinks," he said. "When you have fighters who fight and entertain the public, then there is nothing like the sport of boxing."
Judah and Cotto proved his point. With drums beating in the background, flag-waving fans in a packed Madison Square Garden showed their appreciation round after round.
Cotto created all sorts of opportunities for himself when he took Judah's best punches for his biggest career win in front a sellout crowd of 20,658.
Judah? Well, he saved a career by pushing Cotto into a test of wills.
"Zab came very prepared," Cotto said, his bottom lip slit and swollen from Judah's pounding for 10 rounds. "He showed everybody he wants to be a champion again. He wanted to win this fight. This was the toughest fight of my career."
There could be plenty for Cotto if he wants to establish himself as a superstar beyond New York and Puerto Rico, where he's scored most of his 30 wins without a loss. He's got to face one or more of the winners from a sizzling summer of welterweight fights of significance.
On June 23, unbeaten Ricky Hatton and Jose Luis Castillo meet. Just a little more than three weeks later, Antonio Margarito defends his WBO title against rising Paul Williams. Before the year is out, Mayweather might meet Shane Moseley if they could get through on-going negotiations.
Somewhere Judah will remain in the mix. He showed too much heart to be denied a chance to be among the fighters who could help boxing defend itself against the ever-popular Ultimate Fighting Championship craze.
Twice during the first three rounds, Judah was sent sprawling on the canvas by low blows. Both fighters gave and took tremendous big shots, each hurting the other at least twice.
Cotto threw more power shots (481 to 159) and landed more (214 to 90). In the last four rounds, Cotto had a 90-24 power-shot edge. He knocked Judah down with the biggest shot early in the 11th round and was landing at will with Judah against the ropes when referee Arthur Mercanti Jr. stepped in 49 seconds into the round.
Judah wasn't bitter. He had no reason to be; he had plenty of opportunity to quit but kept fighting back.
It was what the third sellout crowd in three decades came to MSG this time to see.
"It was a beautiful night," Judah said, wiping the flow of blood down his right cheek. "It brought back boxing."
Column by St. Clair Murraine
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER Print Email to a friend Subscribe
NEW YORK - Don't go channel surfing to find a sporting event with some pop this weekend. Just tune into HBO's replay of Saturday's welterweight thriller that Miguel Cotto won with an 11th-round technical knockout of a valiant Zab Judah.
You won't see the blood that was still dripping from cuts on both fighters at their post-fight press conference, but you'll see why it was a bloody good fight.
ADVERTISEMENT
You'll see why the welterweight division just might be the class to save boxing until the emergence of a dominant American heavyweight. Cotto and Judah put on a fight that so far is a leading candidate for fight of the year.
Floyd Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya last month staged the biggest money-making fight in recent years. The outcome left skeptics wondering if that's the best boxing has to offer, though, as it grapples with ultimate fighting's caged version of fisticuffs.
Count promoter Bob Arum among the disenchanted with the state of boxing.
"When you have businessmen fleecing the public, hyping a fight and coming in the ring and (expletive) the night away and collecting big money, then boxing stinks," he said. "When you have fighters who fight and entertain the public, then there is nothing like the sport of boxing."
Judah and Cotto proved his point. With drums beating in the background, flag-waving fans in a packed Madison Square Garden showed their appreciation round after round.
Cotto created all sorts of opportunities for himself when he took Judah's best punches for his biggest career win in front a sellout crowd of 20,658.
Judah? Well, he saved a career by pushing Cotto into a test of wills.
"Zab came very prepared," Cotto said, his bottom lip slit and swollen from Judah's pounding for 10 rounds. "He showed everybody he wants to be a champion again. He wanted to win this fight. This was the toughest fight of my career."
There could be plenty for Cotto if he wants to establish himself as a superstar beyond New York and Puerto Rico, where he's scored most of his 30 wins without a loss. He's got to face one or more of the winners from a sizzling summer of welterweight fights of significance.
On June 23, unbeaten Ricky Hatton and Jose Luis Castillo meet. Just a little more than three weeks later, Antonio Margarito defends his WBO title against rising Paul Williams. Before the year is out, Mayweather might meet Shane Moseley if they could get through on-going negotiations.
Somewhere Judah will remain in the mix. He showed too much heart to be denied a chance to be among the fighters who could help boxing defend itself against the ever-popular Ultimate Fighting Championship craze.
Twice during the first three rounds, Judah was sent sprawling on the canvas by low blows. Both fighters gave and took tremendous big shots, each hurting the other at least twice.
Cotto threw more power shots (481 to 159) and landed more (214 to 90). In the last four rounds, Cotto had a 90-24 power-shot edge. He knocked Judah down with the biggest shot early in the 11th round and was landing at will with Judah against the ropes when referee Arthur Mercanti Jr. stepped in 49 seconds into the round.
Judah wasn't bitter. He had no reason to be; he had plenty of opportunity to quit but kept fighting back.
It was what the third sellout crowd in three decades came to MSG this time to see.
"It was a beautiful night," Judah said, wiping the flow of blood down his right cheek. "It brought back boxing."