Billy’s Boxing Blog

…The press release sent to us today by Top Rank has me rethinking my take on the Cotto vs. Margarito matchup. In their release titled “Summertime Collison” Top Rank sent a picture of the 2 welter warriors posing together after Cotto’s victory this weekend. I doubt they would go through the trouble if plans were not already being drawn up for this great matchup. In fact, now that I am thinking about it, Margarito would be well advised to vacate his new IBF 147 pound strap to make way for this blockbuster. We know what happened the last time he chose to face his mandatory first…he lost his belt to Paul Williams. Maybe it would be best not to face Joshua Clottey in his mandatory, and considering Clottey is a Top Rank fighter…well…you get the picture.
 
 Arum would like to put that Cotto/Margarito fight in Las Vegas but the issue of the 10 oz. gloves is a bit of a stumbling block, in New York they would fight with 8 oz. gloves, which is prefferred by Cotto.
 
 I spoke to Nevada Athletic commisioner Keith Kizer today and guess what the topic of their next meeting will be? You got it! They are going to review their 10 oz. glove policy and may change that rule in the coming months.
 
 Problem solved.
 
 I am guessing we will see the fight take place in Vegas this summer.

Less than 24 hours have passed since Cotto & Margarito destroyed their opponents and the countdown to the huge July match up is underway….ooops…wait a minute…..what’s that Bob?
 
 Margarito has a mandatory that might get in the way? What? Huh?Now where did I read that something was going to put a road block right smack dab in the middle of the most anticipated 147 pound fight of the year?

I’ve been waiting for this Saturday since both networks announced they were going to put on this head to head boxing weekend. The prospect of Cotto vs. Gomez & Margarito vs. Cintron on HBO was a sure fire smash up affair and that Dawson vs Johnson fight on Showtime had real promise while Tarver and Woods..umm…errr…maybe I wasn’t looking forward to this weekend as much as I thought!!
 
 With the Showtime east coast feed airing at 6pm I made sure to have my day planned out so I could plant my tush on my couch at 6, too bad my daughter thought I was better served as the teeny bopper taxi and I was carting around zit faced brats while the Showtime card began.
 
 Boy these kids listen to some awful music…..holy cow I am turning into my Dad…ugh
 
 Upon my arrival home I found Dawson and Johnson locked up in a pretty good scrap and it appeared to me that Glen Johnson was doing enough to win a good number of the rounds and there is no doubt he had Chad rockin’ on more than one occasion.
 
 Uh-Oh…7 pm pst and the HBO feed is gonna start but there is 2 rounds left in the Showtime fight…now what?
 
 Like the skilled couch potato that I am I skillfully maneuvered my remote back and forth catching bits and pieces of both networks.
 
 While HBO was busy trying to pump up the fighter they obviously thought (or was hoping) was going to win, Kermit Cintron, I went back to Showtime just in time to hear Jimmy Lennon announce 116-112 on all cards in favor of Chad Dawson.
 
 What the…..?
 
 I know I only saw 75% of this fight, but unless Dawson dropped Johnson 4 times in the minutes I missed…well…The Road Warrior got jogged again.
 Better TIVO the Tarver-Woods fight and go to the other network.
 
 Back to HBO…AHHH…Margarito vs. Cintron. The rematch everyone was waiting for. Now we were gonna see what Cintron was really made of!!
 
 He is made of exactly the same goop he was the last time they fought. Great athletic ability with an Adonis like body who can’t handle the pressure of the big time and mentally crumbles under the heated and ferocious attack of a powerful Tornado, we like to call him “Tony.”
 
 How many times are you gonna look at the ref and whine Kermit?…geez…just fight already!!!
 
 With the exception of 3 simple minutes this fight went pretty much the same as last time. Oh sure, there was the first round that Cintron tried to impose his will, but once he saw “Tony” wasn’t fazed by his attack, and that in return he was ending up with face full of leather, well you know the rest….Kermit toppled like a house of cards.
 
 Our guy Margarito reclaims a 147 pound belt and his date with Cotto is getting closer to a reality. But for now the only “reality’ we get is Contender star Alfonso Gomez who is going to get his shot at the undefeated Cotto.
 
 Gomez earned his fame on The Contender with his tough and gritty fighting style, but that was against club fighters, and truth be told, not many gave Gomez a chance.
 
 Having had great access to Gomez during the past few years I sat on the couch hoping the best for the kid.
 
 After less than a minute this was getting hard to watch, Alfonso was no match for Cotto and it was not easy to look at. I’m glad they stopped it when they did. And they could have stopped it sooner.
 
 So now we can get ready for Cotto vs. Margarito to meet in New York in July. Trust me, I will be there for that one…..unless of course Cotto mysteriously gets sick or decides to take his mandatory defense in the summer instead
 
 Ahem………..Remember where you heard that first!
 
 Now onto Tarver vs Woods on TIVO.
 
 Dang, the first round sucks….so does the second…and now the third….FAST FORWARD………………..
 ……………………………..SUCKS JUST AS BAD AT HIGH SPEED……………………………………….
 ……………………………………………………………………………….YAWN………………………….
 ……….back to real speed….Tarver won??
 
 Great, how much longer are we gonna havta put up with this guy?
 
 I can’t watch the post fight interview…….will someone let me know what Antonio says he is gonna do now?
 
 Let me guess…..he is going to reprise his role as Mason Dixon in Rocky 9….good grief!!
 
 zzzzzzz