Philadelphia, PA—Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, makes his first appearance at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening, Dec. 3, when he faces two-time world title challenger Sebastian Lujan, of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, in one of the featured fights on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito card.

The winner of the Jones-Lujan 12-round contest will gain the No. 1 position in the welterweight rankings of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), currently ruled by Andre Berto.

“This is a tougher assignment than the ones Mike had with Jesus Soto-Karass,” said promoter J Russell Peltz, whose company is promoting this match with Top Rank, Inc. Peltz was referring to the two victories Jones (pictured) earned over Mexico’s Soto-Karras, the first one Nov. 13, 2010, in Cowboys Stadium by 10-round majority decision, the second one last Feb. 19 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas by 12-round unanimous decision.

“Mike said that if fighting Lujan over 12 rounds is what he has to do to get a title shot, then he’s fine with it. He knows what he has to do to win and he knows he has to be in the same shape—or better—than he was for the second fight with Soto-Karass.”

Jones: “Lujan puts on pressure, but not constant pressure like Soto-Karass. He moves his head a lot more than Soto-Karass but he throws wide punches. This could put me in line to fight for the world championship.”
A pro since 2005, Jones, 28, has a 25-0 record with 18 knockouts. He is ranked No. 3 by the IBF, No. 1 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) behind champion Manny Pacquiao, No. 3 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 4 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Jones currently holds three titles—North American Boxing Association (NABA), North American Boxing Organization (NABO) and WBC Continental Americas, but it’s the world title he craves.
Lujan, 31, scored a big win in his last fight July 1 in San Antonio, TX, when he rallied to knock out Filipino southpaw Mark Melligen in nine rounds after accepting the match on short notice.

A pro since 2001, Lujan is 38-5-2, 24 K0s. In two world title fights, he was stopped—due to a badly torn left ear—in 10 rounds by Margarito for the WBO welterweight title in 2005 in Atlantic City, NJM. Lujan also lost a 12-round decision to lefty Sergii Dzinziruk for the WBO junior middleweight title in 2006 in Munich Germany.

Lujan has won his last 12 fights in a row.

ABOUT DEC. 3

The Mike Jones-Sebastian Lujan IBF eliminator is part of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II world championship telecast, which begins at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm (PT). It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 292 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HDTV for those who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.

Tickets for the Madison Square Garden card are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at www.thegarden.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. They also are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922).

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, one of the candidates for Fight of They Year will have it’s sequal on the December 3rd Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito undercard as Jr. Middleweight Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak will attempt to pick up where they left off their July 15th slugfest that ended in a draw.

The card will take place at Madison Square Garden.

“The rematch is a little sooner than I wanted as I wanted a title to be in place first, but the fans deserve this and this is the right stage,” Wolak told ESPN.com on Wednesday night after agreeing to the fight. “You know it will be another classic.”

“I want the fight. It’s a great fight and a great opportunity,” Rodriguez said. “It is definitely a tough fight, but I enjoyed our first fight and I know I have to be 150 percent in shape, the best I can be. He brought out the best in me. He’s a guy you have to be prepared for to be able to keep up. I see the fight going even better for myself this time.”

“It’s turning out to be, on paper, the perfect night,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef said. “What a way to come back to the Garden after not having a big fight there for a while. There is a slow process that occurs when making matches but for this one, everything ended falling into place perfectly.”

Wednesday, Top Rank’s Carl Moretti worked it out with Dunkin and DeGuardia while Ramos-Rigondeaux is headed for a purse bid.

“Adding this fight to the card, they’re going to need a renovation from the renovation with the place being so crazy,” Moretti said, referring to the ongoing overhaul at Madison Square Garden. “Delvin brings a crowd, the Polish fans will be there to support Wolak and you have a big main event, it is going to be crazy. It’s going to be a special night at the Garden.”

“People want the fight. This fight needs no promotion,” Rodriguez said. “Fighting under Cotto-Margarito, I know the crowd will be jumping. People have been waiting for this fight since right after the first fight. Everyone keeps asking, ‘When is the rematch?’ It’s something people keep telling me about, something boxing needs.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Brandon Rios will defend his WBA Lightweight title as part of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito II undercard in December 3rd in New York.

The bout will replace a previously announced WBA Super Bantamweight title clash between Rico Ramos and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

The Ramos – Rigondeaux bout was pulled from the card after a miscommunication between promoter’s Bob Arum and Dan Goossen of terms of the bout.

“We’re happy to get Brandon back in the ring. He has a telegenic personality, but it’s not just about being able to put Brandon on a major pay-per-view card that is so good. It’s about being able to put him on in Madison Square Garden and in front of a big New York crowd,” said Top Rank president Todd duBoef. “They will eat up his personality and his fighting style.”

“He was begging us at the press conference, telling us how much he wanted to be on the show,” duBoef said. “Well, he got what he wanted.”

“It’s great. We’re going to have the whole team together with Margarito. It’s pretty cool,” Rios said.

“It’s an honor to fight at that venue,” Rios said. “I’ve been told there’s something special about fighting at Madison Square Garden and I’m training hard to give fans a great fight.”

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was on hand at The Edison Ballroom just off of Times Square to capture the pictures for the press conference to announce the December 3rd rematch between Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto taking on Antonio Margarito plus an announcement of Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire October 22nd defense with Omar Narvaez

Former world champion Antonio Margarito talks about his rematch with Miguel Cotto on December 3rd

Famed trainer Robert Garcia talks Mayweather-Ortiz; Cotto-Margarito II; Donaire and Brandon Rios

Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito announce their December 3rd rematch plus Nonito Donaire announces his October 22nd title against Omar Narvaez

World Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto talks about his December 3rd battle rematch with Antonio Margarito

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the anticiapted grudge match between WBC Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito set for December 3rd in Madison Square Garden will be televised on on HBO Pay Per View.

“New York, Cotto versus Margarito, HBO. All the ingredients for a memorable night,” said Top Rank President Todd duBoef.

“What made us make the decision (to go back to HBO) was because they’re really giving us tremendous assets and the deal is very, very good,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “They’re gearing up and they think we can do 750,000 homes for that fight.”

“Showtime knows we are going with HBO and they took it OK,” Arum said. “They’re pros.”

Asked if the move would damage his new found relationship with Showtime, Arum said, “It’s not helping it, but it’s not hurting it. They’re sensible. If we have a product good for their network they’ll buy it, and we are certainly not going to shut the door to them.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is confirming that the long awaited rematch between WBA Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will take place on December 3rd at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“Everything is being finalized for the fight and when it is, we’ll be at Madison Square Garden,” Said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank who will promte the fight. The famed arena, which is undergoing a significant renovation. “Madison Square Garden is one of the most important arenas in the country and I like doing events here. Miguel has a big fan base here and we want those fans to see him again.”

“When you look at the electricity of previous Miguel Cotto fights that have been at the Garden and the magnitude of this event, the Garden was the perfect place to do it,” duBoef said. “Both guys were open to it. It’s great to be back at a big venue in a big city to keep boxing at the forefront.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much rumored rematch between WBA Super Welterweight champion and former Welterweight champion Antonio Margarito will take place on December 3rd .

“We’re on board and moving forward,” Sergio Diaz, Margarito’s co-manager said. “We’ve met with Bob (Arum). We want the fight. Cotto wants the fight. We’re just finishing everything.”

“In our meeting, we had the opportunity to discuss all aspects of the Cotto-Margarito II deal,” Cotto attorney Gaby Penagaricano said. “Although we no doubt made progress, there are some aspects that will require further discussion (but) Miguel is certainly happy and even looking forward to having the opportunity to avenge his first loss.”

“We need to hammer out the site and we’re doing an analysis now of New York and Las Vegas,” Arum said. “The costs are so high in New York. The unions will kill you in New York.”

Margarito broke his orbital bone in his one-sided loss to Manny Pacquiao last November.

“(His vision) was pretty bad, really blurry,” Diaz said.

But Arum suggested that Margarito visit an eye specialist he had once seen. So Margarito arranged to visit Dr. Alan Crandall in Salt Lake City about two months ago.

“He told us Antonio’s problem was very fixable and not a career-ending injury,” Diaz said. “Antonio had pretty much accepted the fact that he would have surgery and have to retire. But they did this different kind of surgery that day, a half-hour surgery. They removed the cataract and put in a new lens. His vision is a whole lot better and will continue to get better. We have to do a minor laser surgery in a couple of weeks, but Antonio is going to be fine. He has been released to continue his career.”

“Cotto and Margarito can’t help but be a terrific fight because of their styles,” Arum said. “Margarito knows how to fight only one way, and that is to come straight ahead. Cotto has to be more intelligent this time and have more gas in the tank. I talked to Cotto about that and he said, ‘There’s one big difference for me in this fight as opposed to the first fight, the smart old guy in my corner.'”

“I think the rematch will continue from the first fight,” Diaz said. “Antonio is really excited about the fight. He knows it will be a war. Antonio knows it will be another exciting fight. Cotto is a tremendous fighter, a four-time world champion. Antonio’s a three-time champion. There are a lot of skeptics out there to show that Antonio’s win the first time was no fluke.

“If Antonio was questioning himself he wouldn’t have taken this fight. A lot of fighters say, ‘I beat him once why do I need to do it again?’ But Antonio is ready to get back in the ring. The payday is always good and the thought of being retired, I could see in his face when hit him. He was like, ‘I’m 32 (at the time) and I have to retire already?’ He wasn’t taking it good, so when he was told he could continue he said it was a blessing. This fight is a blessing.”

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

He may be in the Twilight of his career and zeroing in on his 40th birthday but “Sugar” Shane Mosley is still a tough night’s work for anyone. For a few years now Mosley has wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao, he has got what he wished for and takes on the Filipino Icon on 7 May in Las Vegas at The MGM Grand in front of millions on Showtime PPV. It’s a fight Mosley believes he can win; he has blind faith in his ability and left his position as a partner of Golden Boy Promotions to take up this challenge. Mosley 46-6-1(39) has fought many of the best fighters in the world from 135-154 winning 5 world titles in 3 weight classes. He’s been one of the standard bearers of the past 2 decades fighting 15 past or present world champions including Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto & Floyd Mayweather.

Hello Shane, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You are fighting Manny Pacquiao on 7 May in Las Vegas. What are your thoughts on the fight & how good do you think Pacquiao is?

Shane Mosley – I think he’s a great fighter, he does a lot of good things. It’s going to be a terrific fight.

Anson Wainwright – Of course it has been much discussed you have left Golden Boy & will be fighting Pacquiao who’s a Top Rank fighter. How are things?

Shane Mosley – No, it’s moving pretty smoothly along with Top Rank. Everything I have asked for has been ok and I’m just happy.

Anson Wainwright – People will say that you haven’t won in your last two fights and not looked the best in your fights with Mayweather & Mora. What do you say to them?

Shane Mosley – I believe I will do a lot better than I did in those two fights. My mentality right now is I’m ready to go and fight and give my 100% all.

Anson Wainwright – It would of been easy for you to stay with Golden Boy where your were a partner and claim your reported 5% but you’re obviously still highly motivated despite being months shy of 40. What are your thoughts on this?

Shane Mosley – I’m very motivated and happy to be able to box at this age. I’ve been boxing for about 31 years and I’ve fought at this level a lot. I’m willing to go in there and prove that I’m still one of the best fighters and fighting Pacquaio will prove that and be a great accomplishment for me.

Anson Wainwright – The Mayweather fight wasn’t your finest hour in the ring. Could you talk us through the fight from your point of view along with the second round?

Shane Mosley – A lot of times I don’t look back on them or think about them (The fights). But it was a pretty good punch, I just couldn’t at that point do what I needed to do to win the fight to KO him but I’ve been working very hard to make sure I close the deal next time I get a person hurt.

Anson Wainwright – If I can take you back to the Margarito fight, going into that fight you had a lot going on outside the ring. The on fight night there was the gauzing that went into Margarito glove. How much of what was going on were you aware of or were you just focused on the fight?

Shane Mosley – Yeah I was just focusing on my game plan, because if he had concrete gloves on I didn’t care I was going to win that fight. I trained hard, I was determined to prove the critic’s and everybody wrong that I was to old and that his rhythm was to much for me and he was going to knock me out and retire me. And I did I stopped him and proved the critics wrong. I’m going to do that in this fight as well.

Anson Wainwright – Do you see this fight with Pacquiao similar to the Margarito one where you were also the underdog and have something to prove?

Shane Mosley – Yeah, I aim to do it again. I aim to shock the world and beat Pacquiao. Once again prove the critics wrong.

Anson Wainwright – How much longer do you think you can keep performing at the top of Boxing? Do you have any plans for what you’d like to do when your finish Boxing?

Shane Mosley – Well yeah I have my promotional company “Sugar” Shane Mosley Promotions and I’m looking to start signing fighters and get more active in the promotional field and help these young fighters become world champions and superstars. That would be another great challenge for me. After this fight I have another 3 or 4 fights in me, then I can start my promotional company.

Anson Wainwright – You’re son Shane Junior is also an up and coming boxer. How are things developing with him and his career?

Shane Mosley – He’s doing pretty good; he’s up here training with me now. Basically I’m just showing him the ropes right now what you have to go through to be world champion and that’s important mentally so he can see what it takes, realise if it’s for him or not. He’s doing good, his punches are pretty hard, and he’s getting faster and better as the days go by. I think he’s going to be alright.

Anson Wainwright – A chip off the old block hey?

Shane Mosley – Ha-ha I think so, he has the determination and he’s getting better and better as we go along.

Anson Wainwright – Has he had any amateur fights yet?

Shane Mosley – He’s had a few, I think I’ll start fighting him more so he can have the experience of fighting in the ring more. He’s been in the ring sparring a lot but not really fighting. There’s a difference between fighting and sparring, that’s what I aim to do a little more.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve fought many of the best fighters of the last 15 years. Who is the best fighter you’ve ever fought?

Shane Mosley – Styles make fights but the most difficult I’d say Winky (Wright) earlier in my career but later on Floyd (Mayweather) was a pretty good defensive fighter as well.

Anson Wainwright – To date what do you consider to be your proudest moment in Boxing?

Shane Mosley – I think the proudest moment was winning my first world title at Lightweight against Philip Holiday.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on the current Welterweight division?

Shane Mosley – I think there’s a lot of great challenge’s with Khan coming up. Me & Manny Pacquiao fighting, there’s others. The division’s good an exciting. There’s a lot of great talent out there.

Anson Wainwright – You’re known as one of boxing good guys but we don’t know to much about you away from Boxing. Can you tell us about other activities you are involved with? Also what are your hobbies & Interests?

Shane Mosley – Well I mean, I’m a family man, I have 4 kids. I like to play Basketball, snowboard, bowl. I’m a very active person, I’m an outdoors person. I like to get out and do things. Boxings in my heart so I don’t stray too far from that. I’m involved in a boxing programme and sponsor the kids in the community.

Anson Wainwright – Last year you teamed up with PETA to help stop dog fighting & the slaughter on Seal trade in Canada, it’s obviously something that’s close to your heart?

Shane Mosley – Well yeah, I have a few pets. Dog’s don’t have a choice to fight or not but we do. So I kind of got behind it and just spoke out about it.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans ahead of the Pacquiao fight?

Shane Mosley – This is going to be the fight you don’t want to miss. I’m definitely giving everything I’ve got. You wont be disappointed so come and check it out or watch it on PPV Showtime. It’s definitely going to be a knock out. Also follow me on Sugar Shane on Twitter.

Thank you for your time Shane, it’s been a pleasure.

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

Midweek Thoughts – Yuriorkis Gamboa looked sensational blowing away Jorge Solis on Saturday. Solis was no mug he was a very solid guy, he just couldn’t deal with the Cuban’s power and speed. Hopefully Juanma Lopez looks just as impressive in a few weeks and Top Rank can get these two together in what would surely be a barnburner…Mikey Garcia kept his unbeaten record but took Matt Remillard’s when Remillard’s corner mercifully stopped the fight at the end of the tenth. Garcia is only 23 but has the look of a man far more experience. He systematically broke down Remillard. Outside of Gamboa & Lopez, Garcia is right in the fight with anyone at Featherweight right now…I haven’t had chance to see it yet but the Kennedy-Diaz fight appeared to be a cracker…Disappointing to see Erislandy Lara on Friday night not really perform, all credit to Carlos Molina…On Saturday Leo Santa Cruz scored a very impressive KO over Stephane Jamoye, it’s the biggest win of Santa Cruz career & proved he can go place, I’m looking for him to have a big year now…I’ve been told Ricardo Mayorga dislocated his thumb in the Cotto fight. He’s also on the short list to fight Saul Alvarez in September provided “Canelo” wins in a June fight possibly against Ryan Rhodes. I’ll say this much if Mayorga does decide to give it another go and not retire a fight with “Canelo” would be a fun promotion. Alvarez wont ever of seen anything or anyone quite like Mayorga.

On Friday night it was the final of the WABA (Welsh Amateur Boxing Association)

Female

54kg Lynsey Holdaway beat Catherine Gillen after the referee stopped the action with Holdaway 20-1 up in the fourth and final round.

60kg Rebecca Price beat defending champion Ashley Brace 14-10.

Male

49kg Ben Baker beat Annes Rashid in the second round Rashid took two standing 8 counts before being stopped

52kg Two time European Bronze medallist Andrew Selby returned from his duty on the British squad to show the gulf in class as he stopped Andrew Perry in the second after Perry had two standing 8 counts in the first.

56kg Daniel Chapman run out 14-1 winner against last years Flyweight champion Jay Harris

60kg Zack Davies outpointed Craig Woodruff 16-4

64kg Chris Jenkins the Welsh representative in last years Commonwealth games beat Ashley Appleby when the referee stopped the action in the second. Jenkins was 9-0 up at the time of the stoppage

69kg Fred Evans who also went to the Commonwealth games won 18-8 against Jamie Evans.

75kg Liam Williams outpointed warren Sinden 19-4

81kg Charlie Moseley narrowly outpointed Tom Lloyd 13-9

91kg Lloyd Davies impressively overwhelmed Robert Penn and after 3 standing 8 counts the fight was called off in the second round.

91+kg Dorian Darch beat Andrew Wyn Davies 16-9 stopping Davies winning the title for the 5th consecutive year.

If you would like to hear from any particular fighters please e-mail me on elraincoat@live.co.uk

Follow all the action LIVE from the MGM Grand as Miguel Cotto defends the WBA Super Welterweight championship and Ricardo Mayorga. There will be a three fight undercard beginning at 9pm est/6pm pac time featuring Yuri Foreman battling Pawel Wolak; IBF Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez defending against Mandatory challenger Lenny Zappavigna as well as NFL Safety Tommy Zbikowski taking on Rich Bryant

REFRESH BROWSER FOR MINUTE BY MINUTE UPDATES

12 ROUNDS–WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–MIGUEL COTTO (35-2, 28 KO’S) VS RICARDO MAYORGA (29-7-1, 23 KO’S)

Round 1: Counter left from Cotto…Mayorga chops a right to the head…Big body shot by Cotto…Chopping right from Mayorga…tradong left hooks…good left hook from Cotto…10-9 Cotto

Round 2: Brawl on the ropes huge shots and an uppercut from Mayorga…Good right from Cotto…Jab…Uppercut from Mayorga…Flurry…19-19

Round 3 Cotto lands a left hook..Mayorga lands a right and BEGS COTTO TO FIGHT…Cotto lands 2 body shots…Good right to the chin…29-28 Cotto

Round 4 Mayorga lands a nice right…good body shot…combination…38-38

Round 5 Mayorga showboats and gets caught with body punches and uppercuts…Head shots…2 rights from Mayorga…Wicked exchange that is highlighted by a Cotto left hook..Mayorga lands a chopping right…left hook to the chin by Cotto…48-47 Cotto

Round 6 Cotto left uppercut…Mayorga combo to the body…Cotto lands a jab…counter left and right uppercut…58-56 Cotto

Round 7 Mayorga lands 2 rights…uppercut on inside..right uppercut…Right buckled Cotto….67-66 Cotto

Round 8 Cotto lands a left hook…Cotto counters with the left…Hard jab..Swelling around the right eye of Mayorga…Good combination..Mayorga lands a straight right…77-75 Cotto

Round 9 Left from Mayorga…Cotto jabbing..Mayorga lands a head combo..another combo…Cotto lands a jab…and another…Big uppercut from Mayorga…86-85 Cotto

Round 10 Good jab from Cotto…Great triple jab…another jab…96-94 Cotto

Round 11 Mayorga showboating and mocking Cotto…Good defense from Cotto at the end of the round…106-103 Cotto

ROUND 12 HUGE SHOT AND DOWN GOES MAYORGA…HE TAKES A HUGE JAB AND ASKS REFEREE ROBERT BYRD TO STOP THE FIGHT…MAYORGA MAY HAVE HURT HIS HAND WHEN HE GOT KNOCKDOWN…IT WAS A BIG LEFT HOOK FROM COTTO TO THE HEAD

10 ROUNDS–JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS–YURI FOREMAN (28-1, 8 KO’S) VS PAWEL WOLAK (28-1, 18 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Wolak stalking…Big right to the head..combination…10-9 Wolak

Round 2 Foreman lands a jab…Wolak lands a right on the ropes…20-18 Wolak

Round 3 Uppercut on inside by Foreman…Good counter..counter right..combination to the head..Wolak gets in a chopping right..good body punches and head from Wolak and another right…30-28 Wolak

Round 4: Wolak landing right..right inside..Foreman 2 body shots…Good right…Right from Wolak..Right hurts Foreman…3 more big rights at the bell…40-37 Wolak

Round 5: Wolak lands a right…Hard rights on the ropes…Foreman lands a right and left uppercut…hard right from Wolak…Left…Foreman lands an uppercut…50-46 Wolak

Round 6: Wolak lands a combinations…Swelling around left eye of Wolak..Big finish from Wolak…60-55 Wolak—FOREMAN QUITS ON THE STOOL

Round 7

4 ROUNDS HEAVYWEIGHTS–TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI (1-0, 1 KO) VS RICH BRYANT (1-2, 1 KO)

ROUND 1 Tommy Z lands a right…Big right…LEFT HOOK DOWN GOES BRYANT AND REFEREE RUSSELL MORA STOPS THE BOUT

12 ROUNDS–IBF LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE–MIGUEL VAZQUEZ (27-3, 12 KO’S) VS LENNY ZAPPAVIGNA (25-0, 17KO’s)

Round 1 Vazquez Jabs…Vazquez lands a right..comb from Vazquez at the bell 10-9 Vazquez

Round 2:Vazquez lands a left hook..Left hook counter..Good jab 20-18 Vazquez

Round 3: Zappavigna lands a big overhand right and left hook…Zappavigna bleeding from left eye..29-28 Vazquez

Round 4: Zappavigna grazing right…38-38

Round 5 Vazquez 1-2; Counter shots…Zappavigna lands a body shot…jab…Zappa lands an overhand right…Zappa starting to bleed bad from right eye….48-47 Vazquez

Round 6 Zappa lands a combination…57-57

Round 7: Trading rights…Vazquez lands a couple jabs…Zappa lands a left…67-66 Vazquez

Round 8: Good jabs and 1-2 from Vazquez..Zappa lands a body punch…good 1-2…combination…body shot at end of round…77-75 Vazquez

Round 9Zappa gets through with a wide left...86-85 Vazquez

Round 10 Blood streaming down the face of Zappa..Zappa lands some uppsercuts on the inside…95-95

Round 11

Photo By Claudia Bocanegra

Ricardo Mayorga did not get the memo as the 10-1 underdog who by most experts opinons was supposed to be fodder, made Miguel Cotto work very hard to earn a twelfth round round knockout to retain the WBA Super Welterweight title in an entertaining scrap at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Cotto was very proficient with his jab and boxing skills as the he was easy to land on the bar brawling Mayorga. Mayorga made it dificult at times for Cotto as some of wild but hard swing got through and even looked like he wobbled Cotto on one occasion. The two engaged in wild exchanges throughout the affair with the challenger giving as good as he received and begged Cotto to fight him in the corner a couple times during the fight.

Cotto was very consistent but had a tough round seven as it seemed like Mayorga was making his last stand and drilled Cotto with a big right in the corner. Cotto got back to jabbing and landing effective body punches over the next few round and it seemed that Mayorga was falling behind on the cards.

In the final round, Cotto and Mayorga both threw huge left hooks with Cotto catching Mayorga flush on the jaw that caused a delayed reaction knockdown scored for Cotto. Mayorga went down holding his hand but got up. Cotto landed a couple of shots and Mayorga just spread his arms out in the corner and summoned referee Robert Byrd fifty-three seconds into round twelve.

Cotto, 154 lbs of Caguas, PR will now look for a summer showdown rematch with Antonio Margarito as Cotto now sports a record of 36-2 with twenty-nine knockouts. Mayorga, 154 lbs of Managua, Nicaragua is now 29-8-1.

“I tried to finish the final round but the pain in my hand was too much,” said Mayorga. “I don’t care about my thumb; I didn’t want it to end like that.”

After the fight, the humble Pride of Puerto Rico complemented his opponent, “[Mayorga] has pretty strong hands and he could beat anyone.”

Mayorga showed a rare bit of respect in return, “As a man, I have to admit when I do well and when I do not. Give Cotto credit,” said Mayorga. “He hits hard and is a great champion.”

Jr. Middleweight Pawel Wolak scored the most significant win of his career by scoring a stoppage victory over former world champion Yuri Foreman after Foreman quit on his stool after round six of their scheduled ten round bout.

Wolak was relentless with his pressure as he continuously drilled Foreman with right hands. Foreman did not handle the all out pressure of Wolak as he landed shots at will. Foreman was not able to box and move like is his nature as Wolak would not let Foreman feel comfortable at all during the eighteen minutes of action.

Wolak, 154 lbs of Mt. Arlington, NJ is now 29-1 with nineteen knockouts. Foreman lost his second in a row and is now 28-2.

“I didn’t feel like myself tonight,” said Foreman. “From the long layoff, I didn’t feel sharp. I felt mushy.”

Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski scored a body punch knockout over Rich Bryant in round one of a scheduled four round Heavyweight bout.

Zbikowski landed a left hook to the chest that sent Bryant down after a delayed reaction. After he got to his feet, referee Russell Mora stopped the fight at 1:45.

Zbikowski, 193 lbs of Chicago is 2-0 with two knockouts. Bryant is 1-3.

Miguel Vazquez retained the IBF Lightweight championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over mandatory contender Lenny Zappavigna.

Vazquez boxed well using an effective jab and occasional right hand. Vazquez opened up cuts over both eyes of the challanger. Zappavigna had a little success when he tried to push the action. Vazquez closed the show by boxing as he did in the early rounds.

Scores were 118-110; 118-110; and 117-111 for Vazquez, 135 lbs of Guadalajara, Mexico and is now 28-3. Zappavigna, 135 lbs of Sydney, AUS is now 25-1.

Middleweight prospect Matt Korobov scored a first round knockout over Michael Walker in a scheduled eight bout.

Korobov landed a perfect straight left that sent Walker down and out.

Korobov of St. Petersburg, FL is 14-0 with nine knockouts. Walker of Chicago is now 19-7-2.

In a competitive Super Bantamweight bout, Jesus Rojas scored a six round unanimous decision over Isaac Hidalgo.

Rojas, 122 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 17-1 after winning by scores of 59-55; 59-55 and 58-56. Hidalgo, 122 lbs of Tuscon, AZ is now 8-7-2.

Heavyweight Eric Molina scored a sixth round knockout over Joseph Rabotte in a scheduled round bout.

Molina dropped Rabotte from a big right in round two and once again in the fifth. Clearly beaten, Rabotte was saved by referee Kenny Bayless in round six after a series of punches.

Molina, 227 lbs of Lifort, TX is now 17-1 with thirteen knockouts. Rabotte, 255 lbs of Myrtle Beach, SC is now 9-16-1.

Lightweight Juan Gonzalez remained undefeated by stopping Jeremy McLaurin in round one in a scheduled eight round bout.

Gonzlaez of Caguas, Puerto Rico is 11-0 with ten knockouts. McLaurin of Coon Rapids, MN is now 8-2.

Photo by Chris Farina/ Top Rank

Miguel Cotto 154 – Ricardo Mayorga 154
(WBA Super Welterweight championship)
Yuri Foreman 155 – Pawel Wolak 154
Tommy Zbikowski 193 – Ricard Bryant 225
Miguel Vazquez 135 – Lenny Zappavigna 135
(IBF Lightweight Championship)

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA BOCANEGRA

Miguel Cotto has always given us many reasons to like him. He provided another one Wednesday in the build-up for his super-welterweight fight Saturday night with noisemaker Ricardo Mayorga.

Cotto refused to indulge in the silly ritual of posing — nose-to-nose, eyeball-to-eyeball, and don’t-dare-blink – for the gallery of cameras at the mid-week news conference at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

Take a bow, Miguel. Boxing needs a lot more of your class, poise and toughness.

There are various reports as to why Cotto said no to a tired piece of theater that would be amusing if it weren’t such a cliché. Mayorga is called crazy by anybody close to him, including his promoter, Don King, who knows something about crazy. Perhaps, Top Rank just told Cotto not to play a role in a scripted scene that could turn into a stupid brawl. Works for me.

But I also suspect that Cotto might be angry, rightfully so, at the homophobic insults that Mayorga always spews at any opponent days before opening bell. This time, Mayorga has joked about how he will beat Cotto into retirement and into a job working for Ricky Martin, the Puerto Rican singer who told Oprah that he’s gay.

“I have spoken to Ricky Martin’s camp and they say they have an opening for him,’’ Mayorga said in a conference call. Mayorga has repeated the insult in different words and an escalating tone, ad nauseam. Surprise, surprise. Trouble is, he did so again Wednesday with Cotto’s mother in the audience. Go ahead and insult Cotto, the quiet gentleman. But be careful of those insults when mom is around.

In declining to join the Mayorga circus, Cotto might have been making a stoic gesture, a signal that he intends to keep the fury bottled and brewing until opening bell. I’m not sure Cotto needs to. Mayorga has natural power, but doesn’t know how to deliver it. To wit: Mayorga has more manners than skill.

“If he has better skills than me, I haven’t seen them,’’ Cotto said in a comment that qualifies as a huge understatement. Before Mayorga’s mouth turned into an open sewer, the bout appeared to be a steppingstone for Cotto in his bid to avenge his stunning loss to Antonio Margarito in 2008.

What’s more, Mayorga-Cotto appeared to be part of a bigger story that includes promoter Bob Arum’s move to Showtime and CBS. There’s also Arum’s old-school partnership with King in an alliance that might finally lead to a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Maywather Jr. fight.

Then, however, Cotto put an unexpected twist into the plot. In saying no to the posed face-off, it was if he had decided he would not be the straight man for an opponent who talks, talks and talks until he sounds like a fool. Cotto’s cool, stubborn demeanor suggests he is a serious man who doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

The guess here is that he will gladly make a fool suffer Saturday night

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

Joshua Clottey who was supposed to be part of the Miguel Cotto – Ricardo Mayorga undercard this Saturday in Las Vegas will not make his ring return since his loss to Manny Pacquiao according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

Former welterweight titlist Joshua Clottey suffered ankle and wrist injuries when he fell while doing roadwork, forcing him to withdraw from a fight scheduled for Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“He’s got a fracture or just a real bad sprain of the ankle and the wrist,” manager Vinny Scolpino said. “It says on the report that a fracture is possible to both.”

He was running and then it started to rain and that was it. He tripped in the pothole,” Scolpino said. “As he was falling he put his hands down to catch his fall and whacked his wrist. Unbelievable. What are you gonna do? He was by himself. He called up and we went to pick him up and brought him to the hospital.

“He’s upset. I’m upset. He wants to fight. Now he’s on the couch with crutches and splints.”

“He wants to fight, but he can’t go in there if he’s hurt,” Scolpino said.

Clottey (35-4, 20 KO’s) was scheduled to fight Calvin Green (21-5-1, 13 KO’s)

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, NFL Safety Tommy Zbikowski will appear on the March 12th on Las Vegas as part of the Miguel Cotto – Ricardo Mayorga televised undercard.

“He’s coming back to boxing, assuming there’s a lockout,” Carl Moretti of promoter Top Rank told ESPN.com on Wednesday. “If there’s a lockout, at that point, he’s free to go ahead and fight. He’s fought once already and he probably has the most extensive amateur (boxing) background of any pro football player, and he really loves the sport.”

Zbikowski played college football at Notre Dame from 2003 to 2007. He went by the name “Tommy Z” during the build up to his lone pro fight, coming into the ring to the Notre Dame fight song. He needed just 49 seconds to knock out Robert Bell at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2006 on the undercard of another Cotto fight — a junior welterweight title defense against Paulie Malignaggi.

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was at Kingsway Gym in New York City to capture the images of Yuri Foreman preparing for his March 12th showdown with Pawel Wolak that will be part of the Miguel Cotto – Ricardo Mayorga Pay Per View card in Las Vegas

It’s never dull when Ricardo Mayorga’s about that’s for sure. For the past decade the Wildman from Nicaragua has enthralled us with all action style and bad guy ways. Now 37, Mayorga 29-7-1(23) may not be a young fighter but he still feels he has a role to play. He firmly believes he’ll KO Miguel Cotto on 12 March in Las Vegas and then get a shot a Manny Pacquiao in what he thinks will be his career defining moment. Mayorga first sprang to prominence beating Andrew Lewis for the WBA Welterweight title, he then stunned Vernon Forrest KO3 to add the WBC title to his collection. He then won a rematch before losing a majority decision for all the marbles against Cory Spinks. He became a two weight world champion when he claimed the WBC laurels beating Michele Piccarillo in 2005. Never one to turn down a challenge Mayorga has fought many of the top fighters of his generation including Felix Trinidad LKO8, Oscar De La Hoya LKO6, Fernando Vargas PTS12 & Shane Mosley LKO12.

Hello Ricardo, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You have a big fight coming up against Miguel Cotto on 12 March in Las Vegas. What do you think of that fight and Cotto as a fighter?

Ricardo Mayorga – I think that he a punched out old fighter and I’m going to knock him out quickly.

Anson Wainwright – In your last fight your stopped Michael Walker in nine rounds. Can you tell us how you felt after so long out of the ring?

Ricardo Mayorga – I was very strong, I wasn’t in the best shape but I was in good shape and now I’m even better.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us why you had so long out of the ring? You didn’t fight in over 2 years, what happened?

Ricardo Mayorga – I had an automobile accident and I was out for 2 years. I was operated on, I had a minor operation on my back.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team for this fight, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at in America?

Ricardo Mayorga – My Promoter is Don King, my trainer is Luis Leon and Al Bonami is co-training me. I don’t have a manager, I do that myself. Where training for this fight in Ocala, Fl. at Danny Santiago’s gym called Central Florida Boxing. Danny is still fighting but was a ranked Light Heavyweight & Cruiserweight.

Anson Wainwright – You always seem to make weight with ease, why is this and what is your walk around weight between fights?

Ricardo Mayorga – I’m about 161/162 right now. I never really have trouble with my weight, that’s why I’m always underweight. I’m going to come in 152 when I fight Cotto and I’m going to be eating Puerto Rican beans!

Anson Wainwright – You love to play the villain and regularly try to get under your opponents skin. Is this who you are, can you tell us about your nicer side?

Ricardo Mayorga – I always like to a bad guy like in the movies.

Al Bonanni – I started with him when he came to the United States and we were together until he won the title and then I left because he’s a lot to handle and then I worked with him for Trinidad and left again. As far as a person, I love him, I really like him, he’s a wonderful person. We get along very good, we have no problems. He calls me Papi Gordo which is Far Man! Ha-ha He’s a very nice person to me. I have no problems with him. He has a wonderful personality. I don’t believe the energy he has.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your younger days growing up in Managua did you have a tough time growing up?

Ricardo Mayorga – It was really tough, we were very poor. I always used to fight in the streets and in school. I was always in a fight.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do when your not Boxing, what are your hobbies and Interests?

Ricardo Mayorga – Playing Billiards and I like to play cards like poker with family.

Anson Wainwright – What is the proudest moment of your career so far?

Ricardo Mayorga – It still hasn’t come to it, the greatest will be when I beat Pacquiao.

Anson Wainwright – You have fought many of the best fighters of your generation including De Le Hoya, Forrest, Mosley, Vargas, Spinks & Trinidad. Who do you consider the best ?

Ricardo Mayorga – For me De La Hoya.

Anson Wainwright – What would you like to do when your retire from Boxing?

Ricardo Mayorga – I want to put the money I earned in the bank and live on a ranch in Nicaragua.

Anson Wainwright – Are there any up an coming fighters you would like to mention from Nicaragua?

Ricardo Mayorga – Right now there isn’t anyone.

Anson Wainwright – Much has been said about you on wiki-leaks with regards an incident between you and a young lady & your relationship with President Ortega. Could you give us your thoughts?

Ricardo Mayorga – I don’t have any comment on that. I have the president’s respect and he has mine. All that on the Internet is just baloney. The only thing I can say is the president is a just man and he’s a good man and we have a good relationship.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Ricardo Mayorga – Buy the PPV it’s going to be a great fight and I’m going to knock him out in 4 rounds.

Thank you for your Time Ricardo & Al.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Special thanks Al Bonanni

Relentless Preview – As well as the Cotto-Mayorga main event the Showtime PPV will have several other bouts. Miguel Vazquez 27-3(12) will be defending his IBF Lightweight title for the second time against unbeaten mandatory challenger Lenny Zappavigna 25-0(17). It pits the classic boxer (Vazquez) against the fighter (Zappavigna). We’ll also see the return of both Joshua Clottey 35-4(20) & Yuri Foreman 28-1(8) in seperate Light Middleweight bouts. Clottey hasn’t been seen since his tentative performance against Manny Pacquiao a year ago will be up against Calvin Green 21-5-1(13). While Foreman was last seen 9 months ago when he injured his knee and lost his title to Cotto meets Pawel Wolak 28-1(18). Amateur standout Matt Korobov 13-0(8) see’s action for the first time in 2011 when he meets Michael Walker 19-6-2(12) over 8 rounds. Also scheduled for action Lightweight Juan Gonzalez 10-0(9), Heavyweights Eric Molina 16-1(12) & Tommy Zbikowski 1-0(1), Featherweight Jesus Rojas 16-1(12) & the return of the ever popular Christy Martin 49-5-3(31).

Trainer Emanuel Steward talks Lee – McEwan; Miguel Cotto and Wladimir Klitschko

Former WBA Super Welterweight champion Yuri Foreman answers the questions of Claudia Bocanegra about the recent months that has seen highs of welcoming his new son and lows of losing his world title, the death of his manager and recovery from knee surgery. Foreman will take on Pawel Wolak on March 12th underneath Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga

1. Since your knee surgery and rehabilitation, do you feel physically ready for your upcoming fight?
Yes, I feel good. My knee seems to work good

2. You will be fighting Polish fighter Pawel Wolak. What are you strategies for this fight?
To dance Polka

3. You and Wolak are friends. Is it difficult to fight someone who you are friendly with?
I’m Professional

4. What do you think his strengths and weakness are?
he throws alot of punches. Putting pressure is his strength

5. Depending on the outcome of this fight, how do you feel about a possible rematch with Miguel Cotto?
I would like that

6. I noticed that you are no longer with trainer Joe Grier. Would you like to talk about why the change?
Joe Grier helped me become world champion. he is a great trainer and I will be forever thankful to him. I had lots of changes in the last few months so I am exploring.

7. You’ve had your knee injury, your 1st loss, and the loss of your friend/manager all that came in a short period of time. How were you able to deal with all of this?
The loss of my manager is very tough. He was very close to me like family. I used to call him “Zeide” which means grandpa in Yiddish. In the same time my son was born which brings me happiness.

Thank you for your time.

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was on hand at BB KIngs in New York City for the explosive press conference to announce the March 12th Pay Per View Showdown between WBA Super Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga

Part 1/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 2/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 3/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 4/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 5/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 6/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Legendary promoter Bob Arum talks all things Top Rank which includes Donaire – Montiel; Cotto – Mayorga and Pacquiao – Mosley

Woman’s boxing sensation Christie Martin discusses her upcoming appearance on the Cotto – Mayorga undercard plus an update on the recent incident where she was allegedly shot and stabbed by her husband