HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (March 28, 2014) – Pound for pound electoral champions, Fighter of the Decade CONGRESSMAN MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO and PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, will bring the political party to Jimmy Kimmel Live! Next Wednesday, April 2, on ABC, beginning at 11:35 P.M. ET / 10:35 P.M. CT. This will mark the eighth time Pacquiao has appeared on Kimmel’s popular late-night talk show — more than any other active fighter — in their series of entertaining appearances together dating back to November 3, 2009 (the week before Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto). It was on that night that Pacquiao unveiled his singing chops, belting out a rendition of the Dan Hill-penned hit ballad “Sometimes When We Touch.” Subsequent appearances featured Pacquiao singing duets with Kimmel and Will Ferrell, and an uproarious send-up of HBO Sports’ “24/7” reality franchise, starring Pacquiao and Kimmel sidekick Guillermo.

That 2009 appearance also marked Manny’s U.S. network TV debut, which has since led to a multitude of network television, radio and magazine features for boxing’s only eight-division world champion, including, CBS’ 60 Minutes, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, ABC’s Nightline, FOX News Channel’s On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, CNN’s America Morning, NPR’s Morning Edition and Weekend Edition, Playboy, Sports Illustrated and cover stories in TIME and Newsweek.

Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative of the Sarangani province in the Philippines, is in deep training for the eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch against undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012 as well as the first time he has ever challenged to regain a world title he formerly held.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley 2 premieres Tomorrow! Saturday, March 29, at Midnight ET/PT — on HBO. Show 2 debuts Saturday, April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and show 3 debuts Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT two nights before the high stakes welterweight title bout.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

NEW YORK (March 10, 2014) — Personal legacies and boxing history converge in a battle for one of boxing’s most hallowed titles – The Middleweight Championship of the World. Three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO will challenge World Boxing Council (WBC)/The Ring middleweight champion and Argentina’s favorite son SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTÍNEZ, Saturday, June 7, at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Cotto will attempt to become Puerto Rico’s first four-division world champion while Martínez, who has never lost a world championship fight, defends the title he first won in 2010. Both gladiators boast a combined record of 89-6-2 (59 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 66%.

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, Top Rank®, DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing, in association with Maravilla Box, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Cotto vs. Martínez world middleweight championship event go on sale This Wednesday! March 12, at Noon ET / 9:00 A.M. PT. Priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

“I am very happy to be back in my second home, Madison Square Garden in New York, to once again make history in front of my fans,” said Cotto. “I will be ready and prepared to do whatever it takes to bring the WBC middleweight championship of the world to my country of Puerto Rico”

“It has been my dream to fight in the big room at Madison Square Garden, a place where many great fighters have showcased their talents,” said Martínez. “It is the biggest stage in the world and the world will be watching this fight.”

“Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martínez have electrified sports fans during their entire careers,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “On June 7, their passionate fans and the nations they represent will finally witness this highly anticipated showdown.

“Miguel Cotto Promotions will once again join forces with Top Rank to bring a stellar pay-per-view event to New York on June 7th,” said Héctor Soto, vice president of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “We are matching very good fights for the fans. No one should miss the most-anticipated show of the year, either in-person or live on pay-per-view.”

“On June 7th The Garden will be explosive and the boxing world will pay full attention,” said Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment. “Styles make fights, and both Sergio and Cotto will be looking for knockouts. This battle will rock The Garden.”

“I am very proud to be part of this historic fight, which will, by far, be the top pay-per-view of the year,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, Martínez’s advisor.

“Miguel Cotto vs. Sergio Martinez is a dream matchup,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President HBO Pay-Per-View. “It’s got the elements fight fans love — two superstars with extremely passionate fan bases in a rivalry fight that will help define both men’s careers. This is a special event for the sport and we’re proud to be the television partner for this landmark showdown at Madison Square Garden.”

Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more fight tickets at Madison Square Garden than any other fighter in this millennium. He held a world title every year from 2004 to 2012 while winning 17 of the 21 world championship bouts he has fought. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter and one of its greatest, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. After losing the WBA title to three-time world champion Antonio Margarito, arguably the fight of the year, in July 2008, Cotto won his second welterweight belt in February 2009, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round to become the WBO welterweight champion. He lost the title in his second defense, November 2009, to Manny Pacquiao. Cotto captured the WBA super welterweight title June 5, 2010, in the first fight ever held at the new Yankee Stadium, by stopping undefeated defending champion Yuri Foreman. He successfully defended that title twice in 2011, knocking out former world champion Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito in the 12th and 10th rounds, respectively. He lost his world championship belt on May 5, 2012, via an exciting and close decision, to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a title unification bout in what many consider one of the toughest fights of Mayweather’s career. After unsuccessfully challenging WBA super welterweight champion Austin Trout on December 1, 2012, Cotto returned to the winner’s circle in his last fight. With Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach in his corner, a clearly rejuvenated Cotto knocked out two-time world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez in the third round on October 5, 2013. Notable triumphs on Cotto’s ledger include world champions, ”Sugar” Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Paulie Malignaggi and Demarcus Corley.

Martínez (51-2-2, 28 KOs), the middleweight champion with the matinee idol looks, hails from Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina. A consensus Top-Five pound-for-pound fighter, Martínez first made his presence known to the boxing world in 2007 by knocking out Saul Roman in the fourth round of their WBC super welterweight title elimination bout. One year later, Martínez captured the WBC interim super welterweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of Alex Bunema. He was elevated to WBC world super welterweight champion in the latter half of 2009. Martínez captured his second world title in as many divisions in 2010, moving up in weight to challenge and upset defending middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Martínez enters this fight riding a four-year, seven-bout winning streak, including knockout victories of Paul Williams, Sergiy Dzinziruk, Darren Barker and Matthew Macklin. On Méxican Independence Day 2012 (September 15), Martínez totally dominated undefeated defending WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. to reclaim the title, winning 11 of the 12 rounds while surviving a brutal knockdown in the final stanza. It was the highest-attended boxing event in the history of the Thomas & Mack Center — 19,186 seats — eclipsing the Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield heavyweight championship rematch, which previously held the record with 19,151. In his last fight, on April 27, 2013, Martínez successfully defended his title, winning a 12-round decision over previously-undefeated Martin Murray in a Buenos Aires homecoming before 50,000 adoring Argentine fans. It was his first fight on his native soil since 2002.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.dbe1.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com and www.maravillabox.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/DiBellaentertainment, facebook.com/TopRankMiguelCotto, facebook.com/maravillabox and facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/hboboxing, twitter.com/realmiguelcotto or twitter.com/maravillabox. Use the Hashtag #CottoMartinez to join the conversation on Twitter.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much anticipated showdown between three-division world champion Miguel Cotto and currant Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is on for June 7th in Madison Square Garden.

The bout will be televised on HBO Pay Per View.

“It’s done. Ready to go,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef, Cotto’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “I think the energy and the passion associated with both these fighters and the passion that their countries have for them is going to make this an incredible event and an incredible fight, maybe unprecedented in my career, which is over 20 years.

“You’re talking about two icons in their countries, two guys who represent so much to their people, and now they are going to get in the ring and do it. You’re talking about two fighters who have electrified fans in the sport for many years, and now they will do it in the same ring together on the same night. It will be an incredible event.”

“I am very happy to be back in my second home, Madison Square Garden in New York, to once again make history in front of my fans,” Cotto said. “I will be ready and prepared to do whatever it takes to bring the WBC middleweight title of the world to my country of Puerto Rico.”

Said duBoef, “I’ve been with Miguel since 2000 and I have seen all of his accomplishments, and I believe this will be another landmark for him. He’s had a Hall of Fame career and will show it again with his ability to move from 140 pounds [where he started] to 160.”

“Cotto and Freddie are the ones who said that this is the fight they want,” duBoef said. “Freddie faced Martinez with [Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.]. He knows what they are facing.”

“It has been my dream to fight in the big room at Madison Square Garden, a place where many great fighters have showcased their talents.” Martinez said. “It is the biggest stage in the world and the world will be watching this fight.”

Said Lou DiBella, Martinez’s promoter, “Styles make fights, and both Sergio and Cotto will be looking for knockouts.”

“Sergio is a proud man, and he will use all of that stuff, all of the disrespect as motivation,” DiBella said. “He told me that when he knocks Cotto out, nobody is going to care what the fight was called.”

“There’s a lot of intrigue in the fight,” duBoef said. “There are a lot of what-ifs, what’s gonna happen? I think Miguel proved to all of us and, more importantly, he proved to himself that with Freddie Roach he is one of the top fighters in the world today and what he was lacking was his preparation. If it wasn’t for Freddie Roach, who changed his strategy and training, we may not have seen that Cotto against Delvin. I think we’ll see that same Miguel against Martinez.”

World renowned boxing promoter Don King is thrilled to welcome back his former three time world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga. Rarely do boxers love to fight the way Ricardo Mayorga does. He always fought with the reckless abandon and fearlessness of a teenager in a street brawl. Mayorga last fought in March 2011 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, Nevada and immediately announced his retirement from the sport. However, growing up in the rough streets of Managua, Nicaragua, instilled a fire in him that still burns to this day and he recently announced that he has decided to return to boxing. With Don King as his exclusive promoter, Mayorga is set on becoming world champion once again.

Who can forget Mayorga’s comments after his shocking 3rd round KO of the late Vernon “The Viper” Forrest to become WBC Welterweight Champion in 2003. The first thing Mayorga said after winning his first title was that he needs a cigarette and a beer!

King is looking forward to meeting with Mayorga in the next few weeks to plan out the return of “El Matador”.

King has already met with his partner Vlad Hrunov to negotiate Mayorga’s fight with Dmitry Chudinov in Russia. “I can’t wait to get the Matador back in action” said King “I love Ricardo Mayorga and I am very happy to see him come out of retirement. I believe he can become the people’s champion again….” “He is one of the most promotable fighters in the world and I look forward with great anticipation on promoting him and the great people of Nicaragua.”

“Viva Nicaragua!!”

It’s a holiday treat for HBO Boxing fans. Over five consecutive nights in late December, the HBO2 service will present 10 of the year’s standout fights, spotlighting some of the biggest names in the sport in riveting performances. Featured are signature wins by Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley Jr. and Carl Froch plus breakout victories by rising stars Gennady Golovkin, Adonis Stevenson and Sergey Kovalev.

Starting Monday, Dec. 23, HBO2 will replay 10 major league showdowns from this year over five consecutive nights. Each night the doubleheader of action starts at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. Fight fans will get to revisit the most memorable, most significant and most compelling bouts that were televised on HBO, including a couple of slugfests that are clear favorites for “Fight of the Year” honors.
The “Boxing’s Best” lineup includes:
Monday, December 23 at 11:00 p.m.
Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II
Sergey Kovalev vs. Nathan Cleverly
Tuesday, December 24 at 11:00 p.m.
Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Ruslan Provodnikov

Miguel Cotto vs. Delvin Rodriguez
Wednesday, December 25 at 11:00 p.m.
Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado II

Gennady Golovkin vs. Matthew Macklin
Thursday, December 26 at 11:00 p.m.
Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

Adonis Stevenson vs. Chad Dawson
Friday, December 27 at 11:00 p.m.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios

James Kirkland vs. Glen Tapia

*Winners names are in italics.
All times are ET/PT.
“Boxing’s Best” will be available on HBO ON DEMAND® and HBO GO®

2013 Highlights:
HBO Boxing traveled to four continents this year (North America, Europe, South America and Asia) illustrating the sport’s global appeal and reach. Fight fans were presented live fights from exciting destinations in Macau, Moscow, Montreal and Buenos Aires.
The roster of elite fighters appearing on HBO in 2013 included: Sergio Martinez, Manny Pacquiao, Andre Ward, Gennady Golovkin, Timothy Bradley Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Mike Alvarado, Juan Manuel Marquez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Miguel Cotto, Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Brandon Rios, Nonito Donaire and Mikey Garcia.
Emerging stars who made their HBO debut this year, launching an impressive wave of new attractions on the network included: Ruslan Provodnikov, Adonis Stevenson, Sergey Kovalev and Terence Crawford.
The two top-rated boxing series on cable television are on HBO, the leading television platform for the sport in the U.S. HBO Boxing has delivered 21 of the top 25 bouts on cable television in 2013.

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Follow all the action as three division champion Miguel Cotto takes on Delvin Rodriguez in a 12 round Jr. Middleweight bout from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The action kicks off at 9:45 eastern with a Lightweight bout of undefeated fighters Terrence Crawford and Andrey Klimov.

12 ROUNDS–JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS–MIGUEL COTTO (37-4, 30 KO’S) VS DELVIN RODRIGUEZ (28-6-3, 16 KO’S)

Round 1 Cotto lands a body shot..Body shot..good jab..left to the body..hard body shot..and another..Rodriguez lands an uppercut on the inside...10-9 Cotto Cotto landed 13 body shots in round

Round 2 Cotto lands a right to the head..2 rights to the body..good left to the head..Rodriguez lands a shot…uppercut and a left to the head...20-18 Cotto

Round 3HUGE LEFT AND DOWN GOES RODRIGUEZ AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

MIGUEL COTTO WINNER BY TKO 3 AT 18 SECONDS

10 ROUNDS LIGHTWEIGHTS–TERRENCE CRAWFORD (21-0, 16 KO’S) VS ANDREY KLIMOV (16-0, 8 KO’S)

Round 1 Crawford lands a right that knocks Klimov off balance…Body shots…good combinations…10-9 Crawford

Round 2 Crowd booing as Crawford switches southpaw…Klimov lands a right…19-19

Round 3 Crawford lands a combination to the body…29-28 Crawford

Round 4 Good right hook from Crawford knocks Klimov back…39-37 Crawford

Round 5 Crawford lands a left hook..Good left…49-46 Crawford…Crawford outlanding Klimov 97-22

Round 6 Crawford jabbing..59-55 Crawford

Round 7 Crawford coming out more agreesive…Good body shot…another good body shot..69-64 Crawford

Round 8 Left hook from Klimov..Crawford lands a good body shot…79-74 Crawford

Round 9 Crawford throwing nice right jabs…More jabs..2 jabs and a straight left…89-83 Crawford…Crawford outlanding Klimov 170-45

Round 10 Big body shot and big right from Crawford at the bell…99-92 Crawford

SCORES ALL 100-90 FOR CRAWFORD

Miguel Cotto brought back memories of the past as he knocked out Delvin Rodriguez in round three of their scheduled twelve round Jr. Middleweight bout at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Cotto came out in round one by focusing his left to the body. Cotto continued his sharp shooting in round two and he finished the frame with a huge right and left to the chin.

In round three, it took just one left hook to the jaw that sent Rodriguez down in front of the ropes and referee Frank Santore stopped the fight immediately at 18 seconds of round three.

Cotto, 153.25 lbs of Caguas, PR will now seek a big fight with a record of 38-4 with 31 knockouts. Rodriguez, 154 lbs of Danbury, CT is now 28-7-3

Terrence Crawford scored a lack luster ten round unanimous decision over Andery Klimov in a fight that featured two undefeated Lightweights.

Crawford boxed from the pocket and switched to southpaw in round two. Crawford stayed there for the rest of the fight and was content on jabbing and landing an occasional straight left. Klimov did a little more then stick out the jab and never really threw any punches with purpose. Neither guy was ever in any type of danger. The fight was void of action until the final bell when the two engaged for the last ten seconds that saw Crawford land a hard left to the body and right to the head.

Crawford, 134 1/2 lbs of Omaha, NE won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 22-0. Klimov, 134 1/2 lbs of Russia is now 16-1.

Super Prospect Felix Verdejo scored a second round stoppage over Gary Eyer in a scheduled six round Super featherweight bout.

Verdejo wobbled Eyer a couple of times in round one. Verdejo landed ripping shots in round two that started Eyer’s nose to leak blood. After the doctor looked at Eyer’s nose, Verdejo opened up couple of rights and two wicked left hooks that forced referee Tellis Asselminios to stop the bout at 2:52 of round two.

Verdejo, 133 1/2 lbs of San Juan, PR is now 8-0 with six knockouts. Eyer, 132 1/2 lbs of Duluth, MN is now 11-4-1.

Moises Carrasquillo Jr. scored a four round unanimous decision over Steven Chadwick in a Middleweight bout.

Carrasquillio dominated the bout and bloodied the nose of Chadwick in round two.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Carrisquillo, 161 1/2 lbs of Orlando and is now 4-0. Chadwick, 160 1/2 lbs of Jacksonville, FL is 2-5.

Ricky Tomlinson and Lamar Charalton battled to a four round draw in a Featherweight bout.

Each fighter won a card at 39-37 while a third card read even at 38-38.

Tomlinson, 124 3/4 lbs of Thonosissia, FL is 1-0-1. Charlton, 124 3/4 lbs of Ocala, FL is now 1-4-2

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Miguel Cotto 153.2 – Delvin Rodriguez 154

Orlando, FL, (October 4, 2013) Two-time world title challenger and top rated junior middleweight Delvin Rodriguez and Star Boxing’s Joe DeGuardia attended the Final Press Conference yesterday in Orlando, Florida just two days ahead of Rodriguez’s battle with three-division world champion Miguel Cotto set for this Saturday, October 5 at the Amway Center and broadcast Live on HBO®.

Delvin Rodriguez:

“I’m just enjoying every second of this because this is an opportunity that I earned. I got to this opportunity the hard way. After so many years of hard work, one bad decision after the other, tough fights, I’m just thankful to God that I’m here. There was a time when I said forget about boxing, forget this, this isn’t for me anymore, but I said I’m not going to throw so many years of my life away after so much hard work. So I’m glad I stuck with it and thanks to God I’m here.”

“This is my time, my turn to win. I have enjoyed every second of this promotion. Every fighter has a defining moment in his career. For me, my career takes a big turn for greatness on Saturday night, I will beat Cotto.”

Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing:

“Throughout his entire career Delvin has been a warrior, always battling in the ring. Along with the sensational battles with Wolak that everyone knows about, he’s also fought numerous times overseas and on the road where he’s been the victim of hometown scoring in some very close battles.”

“Come Saturday night the fans in this beautiful city of Orlando and those watching on HBO are going to see a tremendous fight. Delvin is in terrific shape and ready for the biggest fight of his career.”

The Miguel Cotto/Delvin Rodriguez 12 round super welterweight battle will be seen in over 180 counties across the globe.

Cotto and Rodriguez boast a combined record of 65-10-3 (46 KOs) — a winning percentage of over 83% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank copyright 2013

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Cotto vs. Rodriguez are priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25 and can be purchased online at amwaycenter.com, Chase® Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit Amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

Watch the weigh-in today live CLICK HERE.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, world rated contender Delvin Rodriguez, 28-6-1 16KO’s, Danbury, CT steps into the ring with future Hall of Famer and three time World Champion Miguel Cotto, 37-4 30KO’s, Caguas, PR in a bout that will be televised live on HBO. While Delvin has had many opportunities in his long career including two world title fights, multiple title eliminator’s, and numerous ESPN appearances, this opportunity presents Delvin’s biggest yet, against a legend as the main event on the ‘legend of boxing networks’, HBO.

Many have credited Star Boxing’s relentless efforts on behalf of its fighters as a reason for Delvin’s consistent ability to participate in so many high profile bouts and be the recipient of so many opportunities. Star Boxing, unlike many other sports entities, as a knack for rebuilding its talent. In Delvin’s instance, Star Boxing has continually provided National TV fights for Delvin, and has stood behind him where many others might have given up.

While Star Boxing President/CEO Joe DeGuardia acknowledges his efforts on behalf of Delvin, he credits Delvin. “Delvin shows up like a true professional every time and gives his best each time out. This has endeared him to boxing fans throughout the world. In addition, he is unfortunately received the short end of the stick on 4 of his 6 defeats. Those majority and split hometown decision losses in Poland and South Africa are disappointing, but did not break him. His record could just as easily be 33-2, and he deserves these opportunities. I am just pleased that we have been able to provide them for him.”

Most fans will remember the Star Boxing promoted “Fight of the Year” between Delvin and Pawel Wolak. The fight was widely seen on ESPN “Friday Night Fights” series and it is still talked about two years later. Through the efforts of Star Boxing, Delvin has appeared on ESPN more than any other fighter in the last few years.

The uniqueness of the relationship between Delvin and Star Boxing has enabled Delvin to get all these opportunities. Delvin puts complete, unconditional trust and faith in Star’s ability to move his career in the right direction. Star’s faith in Delvin is unwavering and founder Joe DeGuardia hopes lighting strikes again when he took a virtually unwanted fighter in Antonio Tarver and maneuvered him into multi million dollar fights and boxing stardom.

The fight with Cotto promises to be a slugfest as are most of Delvin’s fights and the real winners will be the fans who tune into HBO this Saturday night. The trend lately has been for fighters comparable to Delvin, who step into the ring as an underdog against a well known fighter, and come out either victorious in the ring or victorious with the fans and many hope and expect the same from the likable Delvin Rodriguez.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

ORLANDO (September 30, 2013) — Fandemonium has broken out in Orlando as former three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO has arrived in Orlando to begin his Fight Week activities leading up to his Florida debut as a professional fighter. With all the higher-priced tickets having sold out in advance and fan demand still not sated, the promoters of the event opened up more sections of $25 seats by rearranging television camera set ups. Cotto will be going mano a mano with two-time world title challenger and Top-Five contender Delvin Rodriguez in a 12-round super welterweight battle This Saturday! October 5, at the home of the Orlando Magic — Amway Center. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

“We are thrilled with the support Miguel’s fans have shown for this event and we want to do everything we can to make it accessible to them,” said Héctor Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “A big thank you from Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank goes to HBO and Amway Center for working with us in opening more sections. The atmosphere on Saturday night will be electric.”

Fight Week will officially begin Tomorrow! Tuesday, October 1, with Media Workouts at the Don Miguel Boxing Gym (8620 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Fla. 32809). Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, will have his workout at Noon ET, followed by Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Both fighters and their trainers will be available for interviews.

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, remaining tickets to Cotto vs. Rodriguez, priced at $25, can be purchased online at amwaycenter.com, Chase® Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com www.hbo.com/boxing and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo and facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/hboboxing or twitter.com/realmiguelcotto.

Danbury, Connecticut (September 26, 2013) Former world title challenger and perennial contender Delvin Rodriguez is
winding down preparations for his junior middleweight clash with legendary and former three time World Champion Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto set for Saturday, October 5 the Amway Center
in Orlando, Florida and Live on HBO ®

Relaxing after an early evening training session in his hometown of Danbury, Connecticut, Rodriguez spoke about his preparations for the fight.

“We spent the first two weeks of camp in the Dominican Republic working on strength and conditioning, especially running in the mountains. For the last six weeks we’ve been in Danbury doing the actual training and sparring.”

“The two weeks in the Dominican Republic were great for my body and it’s always nice to train at home as I have for this portion of the camp” continued Rodriguez, who has compiled a record of 28-6-3 (16KO’s) over his fourteen year career.

Rodriguez is currently world ranked #4 by the WBA, #9 by the WBO and #11 by the IBF and WBC and is coming off two sensational stoppages, a sixth round knockout of George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah on February 15 and an eighth round stoppage of Freddy Hernandez on May 24, both of which were televised on ESPN Friday Night Fights from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut said Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing®

Rodriguez longtime promoter; “The two wins Delvin had earlier this year along with the wealth of world class experience he’s fought over his outstanding career has truly prepared him for this opportunity to fight Miguel Cotto. This will be his sixth fight in the junior middleweight division and he’s very comfortable at 154. He’s prepared very well for Miguel Cotto and I’m confident he will put on a terrific performance.”

Speaking about his game plan, Rodriguez stated, “I’m taller so it works for me to stay on the outside and keep Cotto on the end of my punches. I’ve got a longer reach which I intend to use.”

“It’s also important for me to use combinations in an effective manner. Keep the pressure, stay aggressive for the entire round and that’s where my conditioning will play a big role.”

“I’ve got nothing but respect for Miguel, our paths have crossed a number of times over the years and he’s always been a gentleman. He’s a certain Hall of Famer who earned everything he’s gotten, nothing was handed to him, it’s the perfect test for me.”

About being perceived as the underdog with talk of upcoming plans for Cotto’s future fights, Rodriguez was dismissive, “That plays no role at all, and I don’t pay attention to what the experts say about who will win. Just me and him in the ring, just the way we both like it.”

Rodriguez will be accompanied to the ring on the night of the fight by popular Dominican singer, EL Jeffrey, who will also sing the Dominican national anthem prior to the fight.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

Former three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, is in his final weeks of training with Hall of Famer Freddie Roach at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. Cotto is preparing for his 12-round super welterweight battle with Top-10 contender and two-time world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs), of the Dominican Republic. Cotto vs. Rodriguez will take place Saturday, October 5, at the home of the Orlando Magic, Amway Center, in Orlando, Fla. Cotto’s Florida debut will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

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TODD duBOEF: Thanks, everybody, this is a wonderful day. We are only a couple weeks away from the fight and it is great to be promoting once again with Miguel’s promotional company Miguel Cotto Promotions on October 5th at the Amway Center in Orlando. Obviously the reunion between the two of us has been terrific and the show we have put together has been absolutely fantastic from top to bottom using a combination of Miguel’s fighters and Top Rank fighters. The way the tickets have sold and the interest in the fight – the fans have come out – from the press conference where the Mayor was such an advocate of the show – we have seen unprecedented support from the Coty of Orlando which hasn’t really had a fight in many, many years, especially of this caliber. I could talk more about the show but I am sure you want to hear from Freddie and Miguel and how that combination is going.

FREDDIE ROACH: We have had a great training camp so far and Miguel is a great student. His work ethic is unbelievable and we are working really hard here at the Wild Card. Sparring is going really well – we did nine rounds yesterday. I am really happy with the way things are coming. Strength coach Kevin MacMillan is doing a very good job with Gavin [MacMillan] and they work very well together. We have a really good team and I am excited for the fight coming up. I am looking forward to Miguel fighting with us for the first time. His progress is great and his punching power is coming back to where it once was. Miguel has been one of the best students I have ever had.

MIGUEL COTTO: We have had a great training camp. We are committed to doing so good and to look amazing at the fight. We are working together to get the best out of me and that’s all I can really say about it.

Why the long break in between fights?

MIGUEL COTTO: I have had a lot of fights over my career and we thought it would be good to take a break. I feel good now with all of the training sessions we have had in LA and things are very good right now.

Do you put pressure on yourself since you have lost two fights in a row?

MIGUEL COTTO: I am just thinking about being in the best shape possible and we have no doubt that we will prepare the best.

Freddie, can you talk about the pressure of a ‘must win’ fight?

FREDDIE ROACH: We are in a must-win situation for sure. That’s why we are working so hard and we are working well together. We start conditioning work every morning at 5 AM and that ends at 8 AM. That leaves Miguel a little time to rest then we come back to the gym at 2 PM and from 2-4 we are sparring or working with the mitts. We do about nine rounds every day. We are working real hard and we know what the situation is.

Did you feel there was anything you needed to change in Miguel?

FREDDIE ROACH: I watched the Trout fight and we talked about why he thought he lost that fight. He thought he wasn’t busy enough and I want to bring back that work to the body – his bread and butter. That’s what got him to where he is today. I am not going to change him of course because he is a great fighter as he is. We just need a reminder of the fundamentals of boxing.

How do you feel you can still compete against the elite of the sport?

MIGUEL COTTO: I feel that I can fight against the best at any time. I just made the fight with Mayweather last year. I made that fight. I fought that fight and then I fight the next fight.

Freddie, do you think the body attack will be back?

FREDDIE ROACH: I think that’s a big part of what we have been working on. When you think of Miguel Cotto, you think of great bodywork. Lefts to the body we have been working on quite a bit and we have also been working on a lot of new moves and it’s been working out really well. Again is work ethic.

How do you feel about fighting in Orlando in front of all the Puerto Rico fans?

MIGUEL COTTO: Fighting in front of that whole Puerto Rican community is going to be amazing to me.

How did you decide to be trained by Freddie Roach?

MIGUEL COTTO: At this point in my career I realized that I want my career to finish with Freddie on my side.

How do you go about training someone that knows so much?

FREDDEIE ROACH: The thing is, I am not going to change people. I don’t believe in changing people. We are what we are and it’s pretty much, when he was at his best it was the fundamentals of boxing which he excelled at and he had gotten away from the body attack a little bit and we got that back in line. He’s been getting a little older and so-forth so we cut back in the roadwork and do more conditioning because running every day for six days a week your whole life is hard on your body. So we cut back on that a little bit and added a few things to replace it. It’s going really well and I can’t wait for him to get in the ring for the first time with me in the corner.

Did you see anything from the Pacquiao-Cotto fight you would fix?

FREDDIE ROACH: When I trained Manny for that fight the biggest thing was to stay off the ropes because if you go on the ropes, Miguel is going to hit you with the left hook to the body and that was something we had to stay away from. That was the biggest thing we worked on in camp. Miguel would sometimes get a little lazy with his punches. He has great speed with his punches so we have been working on that and it’s been working quite well.

Have you had a fighter you worked against then worked with him?

FREDDIE ROACH: I have been in this situation before. I trained Donny LaLonde against Virgil Hill and Virgil was one of my first world champions so it was just once before in my life so getting the call from Miguel asking me to help him made me feel really good. I know he’s a great fighter and if I can make someone a better fighter, I’m here. I just want to bring back the best of Miguel Cotto – lefts to the body then to the head and efficient combinations and breaking his opponent down– that’s where we want to get to. We’ve had some good sparring partners so far and it’s worked out really well.

FREDDIE ROACH: I’m not really bringing things back, I am just trying to remind him of what worked best and to use it more. He knows how to do it he had just gotten away from it a little bit so it is really just a reminder of what works best. It is there naturally. It is part of his mechanics. It’s just fundamentals – how to cut the ring off and how to control the ring a little bit better. We are working really well together, we have had a great training camp and we have a couple more weeks to go and I look forward to going to Florida soon.

How do you see the future of Miguel Cotto?

FREDDIE ROACH: There is a good future and that’s why we are working so hard to win this fight. We know we are in a must-win situation but a win here will put us in position for a lot of good things. I want Miguel to win a word title again and I look forward to being a part of that.

MIGUEL COTTO: There are no possibilities beyond this fight to think about. The only possibility I have right now is to fight Delvin Rodriguez on October 5 in Orlando. Then after Delvin we can talk about what is next in my career. Right now I ham very happy with Freddie and the way we are training here and looking for good things to happen when I get inn the ring at Amway Center.

Todd, tell us about his popularity in Orlando.

TODD duBOEF: Miguel is an icon within the Latin community and I wouldn’t designate a specific territory. Throughout Latin America, Puerto Rico, Mexico – everywhere. Obviously the connectivity to his home base, which are people of Puerto Rican descent, they look at him as one of them. So if they are in New York, Orlando, Caguas or San Juan, they are the same fan. We looked at other facilities in other places and Amway Center was one that Miguel’s team wanted and we worked together with his team in establishing this venue and the response has been incredible. We keep having to open up sections and adding seats and we look for an electric night. His popularity is way beyond regional – he is an icon within the whole Latin community.

Do you see a sellout?

TODD duBOEF: Relatively speaking, yes. We keep opening up new sections. If the demand stays strong, we are going to be totally sold out.

You have a common opponent in Trout; does it help in preparing for Rodriguez?

FREDDIE ROACH: Delvin has a whole different style than Miguel does and styles make fights. We have studied the fights of those tapes and picked up things here and there. Overall, watching, not just because they both fought Trout and he is a common opponent, No.

MIGUEL COTTO: I didn’t see the fight between Trout and Delvin Rodriguez but we just create out strategy here in training camp and that’s what we are going to follow the day of the fight.

Do you feel camaraderie with Miguel?

FREDDIE ROACH: Yes, my whole team does. Everyone loves him in the gym and he gets along with everyone. Everything is working out very well and he seems comfortable here in LA. I’ve been over to his house a couple of times. We watched the Mayweather fight together. It’s a good situation because we are all on the same team. His family is kind and we are going to have a lot of big fights after this.

MIGUEL COTTO: The way things are going makes me feel like I am going to finish my career with him here. I feel I can do the best I can with Freddie.

Do you think you did the best against Mayweather?

MIGUEL COTTO: That is a different fight and I don’t want to talk about Canelo. He had his own strategy and he made his own fight and I made mine. I tried my way against Floyd and he tried his. That’s all I have to say about it.

FREDDIE ROACH: I definitely thought Miguel had a better fight with Floyd and everyone in the world knows that. It just wasn’t Canelo’s night. I don’t know what it was – making the weight or being in there with a very experienced guy with him being a young guy coming up. Miguel has a lot more experience and experience is something you have to earn. I’m sure Canelo did the best he could but it wasn’t nearly good enough.

Do you feel like you can take Miguel to the highest level?

FREDDIE ROACH: I feel like I can, yes. We work hard for each other and we are a good team and I think this is just the beginning.

You have faded towards the end of your last two losses – are you trying to fix that?

MIGUEL COTTO: Just train the best way and follow every instruction that Freddie gives to me. And I follow the strength coach, Kevin, and do what he tells me to do. Sometimes you need changes and I feel completely comfortable with Freddie in my corner and everybody is going to see it on October 5.

How long will your career go?

MIGUEL COTTO: I don’t know. A couple more fights then it will be over.

Do you retain any hard feelings regarding the Margarito situation?

MIGUEL COTTO: I don’t have any hard feelings for anyone. I am just trying to continue my career and the Margarito chapter in my life is over.

Freddie, what would you do if Pacquiao were to fight Cotto?

FREDDIE ROACH: I talked to Manny about it a little bit because Manny asked me if he could watch Miguel work out and I said ‘of course you can.’ So Manny came to watch. They shook hands and they are friends. Manny and Miguel will never fight each other. They have had their fight and it’s over. Miguel is a 154-pounder and Manny is 147. They are friends now and once Manny becomes friends with someone he will never fight them. They won’t fight and I guarantee you that.

I see Cotto’s weight is very low, how do you feel about that?

FREDDIE ROACH: Yes, I was a little concerned about the weight getting down too low. But we are controlling the weight and he is eating very healthy. It’s a very good diet he is on right now. His mom is cooking for him every night so it is a great situation. We are not trying to make weight here. What we are doing is training for the fight. The weight is coming off naturally so that is a good thing. He is right where I want him to be – a couple pounds off the weight class. Some nights I tell him to have a good steak and to eat a little bit more. It’s a good situation to be in – not struggling to make weight and he’s eating as much as he can.

Does your weight now make you think about going to 147?

MIGUEL COTTO: I am not interested at all in coming down to 147. I feel great at 154. I am doing what I need to do at 154. I had problems when I was at 147 and everyone knows how difficult it was for me and I don’t ever want that to happen again.

What’s the big difference you have seen since being with Freddie?

MIGUEL COTTO: I feel very comfortable with Freddie. Everyone does their job here, everyone is working hard and it makes me feel good. Everyone is doing the best he can every day. Freddie is doing his best and I am doing my best every day and that makes me a better fighter.

What is your plan? Would you like to retire as a champion?

MIGUEL COTTO: I am not thinking about a championship or defending titles or staying longer than I have to. I have an idea what I want to do but everything will be decided after this fight.

Do you feel stronger going into this fight compared to training on the east coast?

MIGUEL COTTO: At this moment, for this fight, I feel good. And I know next week I am going to feel better. And I am going to feel good in victory against Delvin Rodriguez. I am doing my best here in training camp and I am going to do my best when I get in the ring.

Where are you with Miguel Cotto Promotions?

MIGUEL COTTO: We are just a small company. The talent makes the company. We have to acquire talent then we can one day become a big company.

What does Freddie Roach bring to the table that other trainers did not?

MIGUEL COTTO: All I know is he comes prepared to work every day to get the best out of me every day in camp. I give him the best that I have and it’s been a great combination.

Do you feel pressure of putting Puerto Rico boxing back on the top?

MIGUEL COTTO: I train as hard as I can to do the best that I can when I get in the ring to win it and hopefully for Puerto Rico to enjoy it.

MIGUEL COTTO: I don’t look forward to fighting anyone at 147. I don’t think Manny is looking forward to fighting anyone at 154. I think we both have our own careers and that’s the way it will stay.

TODD duBOEF: This fight will be televised live on HBO [9:45 p.m. ET/PT] and Miguel Cotto has been one of the ratings leaders over his whole career. On the undercard from Miguel Cotto Promotions is up-and-coming featherweight, Jayson Vélez, and super welterweight contender Jorge Meléndez; and in the semi-final we have Terence Crawford in a really good lightweight fight, and young star from Puerto Rico Felix Verdejo.

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Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, remaining tickets to Cotto vs. Rodriguez, priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, can be purchased online at amwaycenter.com, Chase® Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/hboboxing, and facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/hboboxing. or twitter.com/warcotto.

Brand-new IBF Light Middleweight Champion “King” Carlos Molina says when he heard the ring announcer say the words “and the NEW”, he could finally relax a bit.

“I knew I had reached one of the goals I set on the day I started boxing,” said the happy champion, now home in his beloved Chicago.

Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) won a split (116-112 and 117-111 over-ruling a card of 112-116) decision over now former champ Ishe Smith on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, on the undercard of the 12-round Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez fight.

But like every elite competitor, reaching one goal just means moving onto the next one.

“Now that I’m home, I want to start defending my belt right away, before the end of the year if possible.” Molina continued. I want (Saul) Canelo Alvarez or (Miguel) Cotto next. Beating either of those guys is the fastest way to Floyd Mayweather, so that’s who I want to fight.”

Truly an inspiration, the habitual underdog Molina says he is grateful to his whole team for believing in him during his difficult climb: his promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Advisor, Luis DeCubas, as well as his training team, Trainer Victor Mateo, co-trainer Lou Askenette, cornerman Harrison “Hammer” Funmaker, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Freddy Cuevas, as well as all the local fighters who helped prepare him for the big fight at Oakley Fight Club in Chicago.

Having been the victim of boxing politics and been ripped off and robbed in several other high-profile fights, Molina also wants to thank a certain sanctioning body: “My sincere thanks to the IBF. If they hadn’t made me the mandatory, there’s no way I would have had this opportunity.”

Molina’s Promoter, Leon Margules, says Molina deserves every bit of the credit he has earned.

“First let me say congratulations to a fighter who works hard every day and didn’t let anything get him down for years. Carlos truly deserves this belt and I am every bit as happy for him as he is. What a great story his climb up the rankings has been.”

Advisor Luis DeCubas says Molina’s victory was one of his proudest moments in a long career in boxing.

“Saturday was one of the most satisfying victories I’ve been a part of in 30 years in the boxing business. I am so proud to be part of Team Molina and so happy for Carlos. I will always tell young fighters about Carlos’s dedication and how badly he wanted it, no matter what they tried to do to him. That’s how you become a champion. He’s a true inspiration.”

Margules says he and DeCubas are going back to work quickly, looking to make a big fight for Molina.

“Carlos is the only world champion in the 154-lb division right now who is not named Floyd Mayweather. If a Canelo or a Cotto want to leverage a world championship into another Floyd fight, they have to go through Carlos… only our guy has something for either one of them if they try it. Carlos will use them to get himself to the front of the line for Floyd.”

Molina says he wasn’t surprised by anything Smith brought to the table on Saturday.

“We had a game plan for him to out-work him and that’s what we did. My team is so strong. We knew exactly what we had to do. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. No fights are easy. But now, looking forward, we’ve also got a plan against Canelo or Cotto. Looking forward to using it on either of them next.”
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

LOS ANGELES, August 14 – It’s a double shot of “Golden Boy Classics” on Thursday, August 15, as the countdown to “THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO” continues on FOX Deportes with two memorable battles from the careers of Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Danny “Swift” Garcia.

In the opener at 9:00 p.m. ET, Garcia proves that he’s ready for the best in the business when he takes on former world champion Kendall Holt in a 2011 matchup. Then it’s the main event at 10:00 p.m., as two of the best of this era, Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto, square off in a quest for 154-pound supremacy.

Superior against anyone and everyone put in front of him for years, Floyd Mayweather’s boxing dominance was internationally recognized. But on May 5, 2012, “Money” gave the fans an even more impressive show as he stood and traded with hard-hitting Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto, pounding out a 12 round unanimous decision that proved Mayweather’s ability to do it all in the ring once again.

Having won all of his 21 previous fights, Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia was one win away from a shot at a world title when he faced former WBO champion Kendall Holt at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on October 15, 2011. And though Garcia got the win and went on to take a world title in his next fight, he had to go to war with Holt for 12 rounds to do it, earning a hard-fought split decision.

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“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,” a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous puncher WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse square off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. Also, Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina square off in a 12-round battle for Smith’s IBF Junior Middleweight World Title. Smith vs. Molina is promoted in association with Warriors Boxing. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Less than 24 hours after going on sale on June 25, the event was sold out, but six MGM Resorts properties will host live closed circuit telecasts of “THE ONE.” Properties showcasing the event include ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York. General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $100, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and also are available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Closed circuit ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also will be available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets for closed circuit viewing at MGM Grand, ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York are now on sale.

For more information visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXDeportes.com and follow on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing andwww.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

LOS ANGELES, August 7 – The biggest boxing event of 2013 is a little over a month away and with anticipation rising, FOX Deportes will do their part to get fight fans ready for “THE ONE: Mayweather vs. Canelo” with three hours of “Golden Boy Classics” on Saturday, August 10 beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

First up is the 2010 battle between former World Champion Zab Judah and WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse. Then at 10:00 p.m., Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia challenges the legendary Erik Morales for his first World Championship in 2012 and in the main event at 11:00 p.m., Floyd “Money” Mayweather meets former World Champion Miguel Cotto in their epic May 2012 clash.

Dominant against anyone and everyone put in front of him for years, Floyd Mayweather’s boxing dominance was internationally recognized. But on May 5, 2012, “Money” gave the fans an even more impressive show as he stood and traded with hard-hitting Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto, pounding out a 12 round unanimous decision that proved Mayweather’s ability to do it all in the ring once again.

Despite his success on the way up the 140-pound ladder, no one outside of his team knew how Danny Garcia would react to facing a legend like Erik Morales in Houston, Texas on March 24, 2012. But in his first world title fight, Philadelphia’s Garcia rose to the occasion, dropping Morales in the 11th round en route to a 12-round decision win that earned him the WBC 140-pound crown.

Two Division World Champion Zab Judah had to walk through fire when he faced off with Lucas Matthysse at New Jersey’s Prudential Center on November 6, 2010. Judah rose from the canvas in the 10th round against his then-unbeaten foe to pound out a 12-round split decision. Many left the arena that night believing Matthysse was the victor, but the Argentinean banger would get his shot at glory soon enough.

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“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,” a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous punching WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse square off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Less than 24 hours after going on sale on June 25, the event was sold out, but six MGM Resorts properties will host live closed circuit telecasts of “THE ONE.” Properties showcasing the event include ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York. General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $100, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and also are available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Closed circuit ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also will be available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets for closed circuit viewing at MGM Grand, ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York are now on sale.

For more information visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXDeportes.com and follow on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing andwww.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes

Orlando, FL, (July 23, 2013) Two-time world title challenger and top rated junior middleweight Delvin Rodriguez and Star Boxing’s Joe DeGuardia were in Orlando, Florida this afternoon for the
Kick-Off Press Conference to announce Rodriguez’s fight with three-division world champion Miguel Cotto set for Saturday, October 5 at the Amway Center and broadcast LIVE on HBO.

“I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity” said Rodriguez. “I know it takes so much to make a fight like this happen, I’m also very thankful to my promoter Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing, Top Rank, HBO and Miguel Cotto Promotions.”

“This fight motivates me more than ever to face a true champion, true warrior, this fight will really show what I have and bring out the best in me. For me it’s now or never. I’m a warrior that comes forward.”

“I admire Cotto as a fighter and respect him as a person but on fight night that goes out the door, I don’t care if he’s my brother or another person” continued Rodriguez.

Said Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing, “We’re very thankful to Miguel Cotto Promotions, Top Rank and HBO for this opportunity.”

“Both Delvin and Miguel are warriors. This fight truly brings together two styles that I firmly believe will result in a war and a great fight for the fans.”

“As many of you know Delvin was involved in the 2011 Fight of the Year against Pawel Wolak. He’s always fought anyone we’ve put in front of him, he personifies what a warrior is in boxing.”

The Miguel Cotto/Delvin Rodriguez 12 round super welterweight battle will be seen in over 180 counties across the globe.

Cotto and Rodriguez boast a combined record of 65-10-3 (46 KOs) — a winning percentage of over 83% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%. Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Cotto vs. Rodriguez will go on sale, Tuesday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased online at amwaycenter.com, Chase® Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com.

All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

ORLANDO, FLA (July 23, 2013) — Twelve years after making his professional debut, three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO will make his Florida debut when he faces two-time world title challenger and current Top-Five contender DELVIN RODRIGUEZ in a 12-round super welterweight battle. Cotto vs. Rodriguez will take place Saturday, October 5, at the home of the Orlando Magic, Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., which is hosting its first-ever professional boxing event.

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Cotto vs. Rodriguez will go on sale, Tuesday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased online at amwaycenter.com, Chase® Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

Cotto and Rodriguez boast a combined record of 65-10-3 (46 KOs) — a winning percentage of over 83% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

“I am very happy to be back on October 5 and fighting in front of all the great fans of Orlando, Florida,” said Cotto.

“I’m going to go for the knockout,” said Rodriguez. “I will take advantage of the biggest opportunity of my life.”

“Miguel Cotto has participated in some of boxing’s biggest events over the past 10 years,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “His return to the ring on October 5 will be another electrifying night for the fans watching it live in Orlando and the boxing fans throughout the world. Top Rank is thrilled to work with him and his promotional team on this event.”

“When Miguel Cotto is in the ring it is always exciting to watch. For us it is a great pleasure to present the return of one of boxing’s biggest stars to our great Puerto Rican community in Orlando and all the Latino fans of Florida. October 5th will be a great night for boxing,” said Héctor Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions.

“As Delvin’s promoter, it is an honor to have our boxer fight against Miguel Cotto, a true boxing legend,” said Joe DeGuardia, president of Star Boxing. “As a boxing aficionado, I am excited to see this fight, which is one that real boxing fans are enthusiastic about. I expect a thrilling battle of will and skill between these two veteran warriors and look forward to October 5.”

“Landing another high-profile event like this is a knockout for the City of Orlando in terms of entertainment and economic impact,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Whether it’s Wrestlemania, the NBA All-Star game or NCAA Championship games, Orlando has proven that we have what it takes to host top-tier sporting events. We look forward to hosting what will be a thrilling fight and once again showcasing Orlando to a worldwide audience.”

“Today’s announcement is particularly exciting because it is our first professional boxing match and an internationally televised one,” said Orlando Venues Executive Director Allen Johnson. “This is yet another milestone for Amway Center and illustrates our commitment to host diverse events that cater to the greater Central Florida community and beyond.”

Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more fight tickets at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden, than any other fighter in this millennium. He held a world title every year from 2004 to 2012 while winning 17 of the 21 world championship bouts he has fought. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter and one of its greatest, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. After losing the WBA title to three-time world champion Antonio Margarito, arguably the fight of the year, in July 2008, Cotto won his second welterweight belt in February 2009, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round to become the WBO welterweight champion. He lost the title in his second defense, November 2009, to Manny Pacquiao. Cotto captured the WBA super welterweight title June 5, 2010, in the first fight ever held at the new Yankee Stadium, by stopping undefeated defending champion Yuri Foreman. He successfully defended that title twice in 2011, knocking out former world champion Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito in the 12th and 10th rounds, respectively. He lost his world championship belt on May 5, 2012, losing an exciting and close decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a title unification bout in what many consider one of the toughest fights of Mayweather’s career. In his last fight, on December 1, Cotto unsuccessfully challenged WBA super welterweight champion Austin Trout, losing a 12-round decision. Notable scalps on Cotto’s belt include world champions, ”Sugar” Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Paulie Malignaggi and Demarcus Corley.

Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs), a native of the Dominican Republic, now fighting out of Danbury, Conn., first came into prominence by knocking out Luis Hernandez (20-2, 13 KOs) in the third round of their 2006 fight to capture the USBA welterweight title. Victories over Oscar Diaz (26-2, 12 KOs) and Shamone Alvarez (20-1, 11 KOs), led to Rodriguez’s first title shot, against Isaac Hlatshwayo, for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight crown in 2009, where Rodriguez lost a close split decision. Rodriguez’s debut in the super welterweight division was in 2011’s “Fight of Year,” a Draw against Pawel Wolak (29-1, 19 KOs) that had fans on their feet as the two gladiators went toe-to-toe for 12 brutally exquisite rounds. After the winning the rematch against Wolak at the end of that same year, Rodriguez unsuccessfully challenged undefeated WBA super welterweight champion Austin Trout in 2012, losing a 12-round decision. He enters this fight having knocked out previously undefeated George Tahdooahnippah (31-0, 23 KOs) and Freddy Hernandez (30-4, 20 KOs) in the sixth and eighth rounds, in February and May of this year, respectively. He is currently world-rated No. 4 by the WBO.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing and facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/warcotto.

ORLANDO, FLA. (July 21, 2013) — Three-division and four-time world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO and two-time world title challenger and current Top-Five contender DELVIN RODRIGUEZ will host a news conference, open to the public, announcing their upcoming 12-round super welterweight battle, Tomorrow! Tuesday, July 23 in the Disney Atrium at the Amway Center (400 West Church St., Orlando, Fla. 32801). The news conference will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Joining Cotto and Rodriguez will be The Honorable Buddy Dyer, Mayor of Orlando, Allen Johnson, Executive Director of Amway Center, Héctor Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions, and Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank.

Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, making his Florida debut, and Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs), of Santiago, Dominican Republic , will headline the Amway Center’s first-ever professional boxing event, Saturday, October 5. The Cotto vs. Rodriguez super welterweight event will be promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank®, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing and facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/warcotto.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former three-division champion Miguel Cotto could return September 28th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“Nothing set. We are holding a date (at Barclays Center), that’s all,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.

The moment Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez took Filipino Manny Pacquiao’s consciousness with a right cross on Dec. 8 brought a series of instants affecting as can be experienced in professional sport. One of those instants brought a deep, royal blue sense of Marquez’s vindication, reminiscent in its way of Antonio Margarito’s victory over Miguel Cotto at MGM Grand in 2008. Reminiscent, conjecture says, in a few ways.

There was a difference between the two moments, though, a difference uncaptured by television, that boasting, refracting medium that lies to congregants flatteringly enough they later find no irony in remanding events’ eyewitnesses to tapes of what television told them to see. Television, that extraordinary phenomenon, continues to affect boxing more than it covers it.

The difference between Marquez and Margarito lay in their reactions. Margarito, who had longer to process Cotto’s demise, was euphoric, dropping to his knees, blessing himself, spinning joyfully in his cornermen’s arms. Marquez was not surprised as anyone else. He’d the benefit of feeling the punch on his right knuckle, of course, but it was not entirely that. He was not containing a euphoria as he paced with his black gloves on the red waistband of his trunks, inching nearer Pacquiao to admire what he’d done, or when he ran across the ring – to a neutral corner, mind you – and mounted a turnbuckle to savor his vindication; he was acting out a conqueror’s script.

What happened on television was a single camera that showed Pacquiao regaining consciousness sooner than what happened at ringside, where split screens above the ring showed Marquez fixated on a proper celebration, ensuring his white Rexona sponsor’s cap was straightened, while Pacquiao’s wife sobbed, silently screamed and tried to swim to her facedown husband, promoter Bob Arum consoling her while looking inconsolable. It happened much slower at ringside; there was no one shouting about keystones or anticipating fifth fights: there was confusion marinated in fright, tempered by a need to record what transpired.

But memory is a funny thing, and what I remember best from those moments is Marquez’s unflinching seizure of them, while the Filipino journalist on my right worried Pacquiao might never stir. It was a confirmation of this: Were Marquez offered a choice in the last moment of the sixth round, told if he threw that right hand it might kill Pacquiao but if he didn’t he might lose another close decision, Marquez would throw the punch. Whatever other prizefighters tell you about themselves during promotions, know this: A willingness to kill in the ring makes Marquez unique.

Six days later in Houston, the mood was much lighter. It was the weighin for an inconsequential coronation: a crowning of Filipino Nonito Donaire as 2012’s fighter of the year, and a crowning payday for Mexican Jorge Arce. Donaire was a safer athlete to cover than Marquez.

Arce did some chemical experimentation in camp to make his upper body more muscular, in the laboratory of Marquez’s own scientist, but at worse, one suspected, the enhanced physique might extend Arce’s consciousness a round. The left hook Donaire doused Arce’s spirit with at Toyota Center was comparatively merciful. Arce went down, but there was little fright, as one sensed Donaire would drop on his knees and administer CPR if his friend were in genuine peril.

Somehow, strangely, illogically, knowing a man rendered another unconscious in an act of temporarily suspended affection, as Donaire did Arce, made it feel safer than what congealed indifference Marquez showed Pacquiao’s plight in Las Vegas.

*

The moment Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez took Filipino Manny Pacquiao’s consciousness with a right cross on Dec. 8 made their tetralogy a unique event in boxing history. In its asymmetry – Pacquiao dropped Marquez five times but will be remembered as the rivalry’s collapsed form on the blue mat – and its excellence, it entered our sport’s annals as something that may be approached or someday bettered but never matched: a rivalry whose first three fights were excellent enough to merit a fourth but inferior to the fourth.

What happened in the seven days that began Dec. 8th was unique and excellent, too, in this way: The fight of the year and the fighter of the year happened in a week together but 1,500 miles apart. Marquez-Pacquiao IV will be remembered as 2012’s best fight because of its superior composition of three elements, violence and craft and consequence – the winner was covered in his own blood when he made his opponent sleep with the same counter right hand he landed the round before, spinning Pacquiao sideways in the fifth, and with that right hand in round 6 Marquez brought the conclusion of an era.

Nonito Donaire will be declared 2012’s best prizefighter because of a superior composition of these three elements: Activity, craft and consequence. Donaire fought twice as often as his peers, and he fought actual opponents in actual weight classes, gaming none of them with the scale, and by subjecting himself to VADA testing he put the lie to most athletes’ claims and exerted pressure on everyone including his own team.

*

The moment Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez took Filipino Manny Pacquiao’s consciousness with a right cross on Dec. 8, Marquez had been the slower man in the fourth fight as he’d been in the first and second and third. He was able to offset Pacquiao’s unique attack with “inteligencia” – a word Marquez uttered in every interview he conducted after their second fight before their third after their third and before their fourth.

Marquez and his trainer Nacho Beristain welcomed the more conventional Pacquiao they saw in fight three; so long as Pacquiao’s punches came from familiar angles, no matter their speed or forcefulness, Marquez and Beristain did not fear them for the same reason a major league hitter does not fear a 120-mph fastball twice thrown over the plate at belt level. One doesn’t get in the major leagues without being able to hit a fastball, no matter its velocity, and one doesn’t get out of a Mexico City gym without being able to sustain any punch he sees coming.

The scariest moment of Dec. 8, then, was not the Pacquiao left hand that knocked Marquez onto the knuckles of his left glove but instead the crazily executed, left-foot-off-the-mat, right-hand chop Pacquiao landed a few seconds after he put Marquez on the canvas. That was the punch that stiffened Marquez’s right leg and sent him in frantic retreat till the ropes’ touching his back made him swing at Pacquiao savagely because that is what Marquez does when cornered.

After the fight there was an odd little moment when Marquez and Beristain, no sore winners they, alternately led the MGM Grand media center in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for Bob Arum and a heartfelt hug for the elderly promoter and rival whom Beristain flatly accused of ruining the sport while they shared a Mandalay Bay dais after Pacquiao-Marquez II in 2008.

Arum’s appearance, six days later, at a Houston mall, where he briefly posed for pictures with Donaire and Arce, was perfunctory – like everyone else’s.

***

Editor’s note: Part 2 will be posted Wednesday.

***

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

LOS ANGELES, December 21 – This holiday season, get ready for a gift all boxing fans will love, as Golden Boy Promotions teams up with FOX Deportes to re-air classic fights for four days and nights of epic fights featuring current and future Hall of Famers, world champions and rising stars engaging in some of the most pivotal bouts of their careers.

Included in these marathons are “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, Julio “JC” Cesar Chavez, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Marco Antonio “Baby Faced Assasin” Barrera, Miguel Cotto, Sugar Shane Mosley, Canelo Alvarez, Abner Mares, Ricky “Hitman” Hatton and Danny “Swift” Garcia, just to name a few.

The action begins this Saturday, December 22 at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with the following lineup:

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Pernell Whitaker – 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT

Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera I – 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Shane Mosley I – 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT

Erik Morales vs. Pablo Cesar Cano – 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT

Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez III – 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

Miguel Cotto vs. Shane Mosley – 8:00 p.m.ET/5:00 p.m. PT

Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz – 9:00 p.m.ET/6:00 p.m. PT

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad – 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT

The next day of classics begins on Tuesday, December 25 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT with 10 more bouts:

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ike Quartey – 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT

Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga – 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT

Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Oscar De La Hoya – 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT

Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton – 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando Vargas – 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT

Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez II – 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad – 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana – 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT

Canelo Alvarez vs. Ryan Rhodes – 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT

Canelo Alvarez vs. Mathew Hatton – 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT

On December 29, it’s a Saturday night doubleheader featuring:

Abner Mares vs. Vic Darchinyan – 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT

Danny Garcia vs. Nate Campbell – 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT

Finally, on Saturday, January 5, it’s another marathon of elite level boxing action with the following bouts:

Rigoberto Alvarez vs. Austin Trout – 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT

Lamont Peterson vs. Victor Ortiz – 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

Amir Khan vs. Paulie Malignaggi – 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT

Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley -9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad – 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT

For more information on Golden Boy Promotions, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxingor visit us on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page. For more information on FOX Deportes visit www.FOXDeportes.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

NEW YORK (Dec. 4, 2012)-Saturday night’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast of Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout on SHOWTIME® earned record viewership for boxing on the premium network in two categories. The three-fight telecast drew an average audience of 1.047 million viewers, the highest since 2004 when Nielsen began to separately measure premium television multiplex channels. The main event, Cotto vs. Trout, peaked at nearly 1.4 million viewers, the highest peak on record since 2009 when data on viewership for individual bouts first became available.

The first replay of Saturday’s record-setting, three-fight telecast will air tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and is available at SHOWTIME ON DEMAND.

In a dramatic contest that featured swings in momentum for both men, Austin Trout defeated Miguel Cotto via unanimous decision in front of 13,000+ at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 1. Cotto, the very popular Puerto Rican star, came into the fight with a more accomplished resume than Trout. Cotto was 7-0 at MSG, 37-3, with 30 KOs overall and entering his 21st consecutive world title fight. Trout had never fought at the famed New York arena and entered the ring undefeated in his relatively obscure career at 25-0. Trout scored what many consider a significant upset to retain his WBA Super Welterweight World Championship and hand the legendary Cotto his first loss at Madison Square Garden.

Epilogue, the second of two episodes of ALL ACCESS: Cotto vs. Trout premieres Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, immediately prior to the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast featuring Amir Khan and Carlos Molina. Epilogue takes viewers behind the scenes of the Cotto vs. Trout fight week build-up and offers a rare glimpse into the raw emotion and drama during Saturday’s world championship event and its aftermath.

Cotto vs. Trout at Madison Square Garden was promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions.

# # #

About Showtime Networks Inc.:

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Follow all the action live from Ringside at Madison Square Garden as Austin Trout defends the WBA Super Welterweight championship against Miguel Cotto. The action begins at 9pm eastern with a two fight undercard featuring Danny Jacobs and Chris Fitzpatrick as well as Jayson Velez and Salvador Sanchez II

REFRESH FOR UP TO THE SECOND UPDATES

12 ROUNDS WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP–AUSTIN TROUT (25-0, 14 KO’S) VS MIGUEL COTTO (37-3, 30 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Cotto lands a jab..Trout lands a left to the body..good straight left..Left rocks Cotto..10-9 Trout

Round 2 Cotto pushes a right..Cotto traps trout in the corner...19-19

Round 3 Trout gets in a left..Good right hook..lead left..straight left..29-28 Trout

Round 4 Trout lands a left to the body…straight flush left..Good right from Cotto..right to the body from Trout..starting to fight at Cotto’s pace..39-37 Trout

Round 5 Trout moving in and out..Right from Cotto..Clubbing right from Trout…2 good lefts from Trout..49-46 Trout

Round 6 Cotto gets in a left…Trout jabs to the body…Good hard right from Cotto..2 body shots..Straight left from Cotto..the trade lefts…Cotto’s was better.58-56 Trout

Round 7 Left hook from Cotto..Step around right…bODY SHOT FROM tROUT..Hard left from Cotto..Straight right..Both guys loading up on power shots…67-66 Trout

Round 8 Body shot from Trout…upper cut and straight left…Good left from Cotto..Good action at the end of the round…77-75 Trout

Round 9 Uppercut from Trout..Left…right hook..Counter left from Cotto..hard shots…87-84 Trout

Round 10 Straight left from Trout..Hard left..Cotto sneaks in a right..right hook from Trout..3 right hooks..3 hard right hooks…97-93 Trout

Round 11 Left from trout…..Right from Cotto..uppercut from Trout..Hard uppercut..Good straight left..107-102 Trout

Round 12 Straight left from Trout…God right from Cotto..right..116-112 Trout

117-111; 117-111; 119-109 AUSTIN TROUT

10 ROUNDS FEATHERWEIGHTS–JAYSON VELEZ (19-0, 14 KO’S) VS SALVADOR SANCHEZ (30-4-3, 18 KO’S)

Round 1 Velez gets in a right..combo to the head..2 rights…10-9 Velez

ROUND 2 Velez lands about seven booming shots…Sanchez takes them…Hard left..BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES SANCHEZ JUST BEFORE THE BELL…20-17 Velez

Round 3 BIG RIGHT-LEFT COMBO AND DOWN GOES SANCHEZ...2 BIG RIGHTS AND SANCHEZ IS BUCKLED AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

10 ROUNDS–MIDDLEWEIGHTS—DANNY JACOBS (23-1, 20 KO’S) VS CHRIS FITZPATRICK (15-2, 6 KO’S)

Round 1 Fitzpatrck goes to the body..Trading body shots…Jacobs lands a body/head combo..Triple jab…10-9 Jacobs

Round 2 Left hook from Jacobs…Left hook..20-18 Jacobs

Round 3 Jacobs lands a big right…hard drives Fitzpatrick to the ropes..Jacobs opens up…Fotpatrick cut on the forehead…Huge comnination rocks Fitzpatrick…30-27 Jacobs

Round 4 Fitzpatrick working the body..Left hook from Jacobs…Hard right the ropes…40-36 Jacobs

Round 5 Right drives Fitzpatrick to the ropes…Hard left hook…huge barrage..Jacobs battering Fitzpatrick all over the ring…50-45 Jacobs

THE FIGHT IS STOPPED IN BETWEEN ROUNDS

Austin Trout 154 – Miguel Cotto 153.6
Jayson Velez 125.8 – Salvador Sanchez II 125.2
Daniel Jacobs 161.2 – Chris Fitzpatrick 163.3 (needs to lose .3

Just when there seems to be no solution for the Top Rank-Golden Boy feud that has sent boxing past the fistic cliff and into an abyss with no bottom in sight, I think about Miguel Cotto.

He’s not a talker, at least not in the noisy way things are done from the promotional stage. He’s been criticized for that in his dual role as a promoter for his Showtime-televised bout Saturday night against Austin Trout at Madison Square Garden.

But verbiage at high volume has never been what Cotto is all about. Blame him only if you like all the screaming. I applaud him. The Puerto Rican’s quiet, thoughtful nature stands alone, an island amid all the chaos.

It’s anybody’s guess as to whether that will work for him in his evolving role as a promoter.

“There is a balance of being a fighter and a promoter,’’ Cotto said during the final news conference for a bout his company is promoting in association with Golden Boy. “This was an idea my father had and I am happy we are doing a good job of making the company as successful as it is. My father picked three excellent people to run the company. I don’t have to occupy too much of my time to help them with the day to day.’’

With the right people in place, Cotto only has to be the person he has always been.

In a business fractured by petty rivalries and grudges, everybody respects Cotto. Who else can say that? He’s been called tough. But it’s more than just that. Antonio Margarito was tough, but not respected because of suspicions he beat Cotto in 2008 with altered hand-wraps discovered in early 2009 before a loss to Shane Mosley. Cotto’s response to the Margarito loss and subsequent controversy revealed a personal trait everybody admires. He’s accountable.

When questions were raised about whether Margarito wore the disputed wraps on the night of Cotto’s first loss, Cotto said he couldn’t complain. He blamed his camp’s lack of vigilance. He said his corner failed to have anybody in the opposing dressing room when Margarito’s hands were wrapped. There has since been an argument about that. Margarito’s management has said there was a Cotto representative there.

Whoever was or wasn’t there, it is Cotto’s character that stands the test of time. He didn’t whine. Instead, he got the rematch he long sought and resolved his own doubts a year ago by beating Margarito with a stoppage as old-school as the first testament.

Not long after Margarito, Cotto’s contract with Top Rank ended. In May, he fought and lost a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr., at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand on a card promoted by Mayweather in association with Golden Boy. Cotto trained during the week before opening bell in Vegas at Top Rank’s gym. He fought on HBO then. He fights on Showtime Saturday night. He has maintained a working relationship with all of the feuding parties in boxing’s great divide.

Why? Because they respect him.

In Cotto, they trust.

I don’t know if that trust is a way to mend fences. I don’t know if it could lead to, say, Nonito Donaire-versus-Abner Mares.

But if Top Rank and Golden Boy are looking for an example, Cotto is a pretty good beginning.

AZ Notes
Top Rank prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. (17-0, 13 KOs) of Phoenix is scheduled to fight Mexican Jesus Selig (15-1-1, 9 KOs) next Thursday night on an ESPN2-televised card at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Benavidez will be fighting as a welterweight, seven pounds heavier than his usual 140. He appeared to tire in his last fight on Oct. 13 when he was nearly knocked out by Pavel Miranda in a junior-welterweight bout in Carson, Calif. He might have struggled to make weight.

Iron Boy Promotions of Scottsdale stages another card Friday night at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. Opening bell is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eight bouts are scheduled, including a six-round main event between bantamweights Alexis “Beaver” Santiago (11-3-1, 5 KOs) of Phoenix and Jensen Ramirez (2-1-2) of Tucson.

NEW YORK, November 29 – This Saturday night, December 1 marks the return of Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto to Madison Square Garden in New York City where he will face undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout. Before Cotto enters the ring in the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader, some of his island’s finest up-and-comers, including Jorge Melendez and Jeffrey Fontanez will step through the ropes on what promises to be a crowd-pleasing undercard.

Also in action in the Big Apple will be Newark, New Jersey’s Michael Perez, New Brunswick, New Jersey’s Jorge Diaz and The Bronx’s Eddie Gomez, adding a genuine local flavor to fight night at The Garden.

Making his Madison Square Garden debut, Manati’s Jorge Melendez (24-2-1, 23 KO’s) has thrilled Puerto Rican fans for years with his knockout power and exciting style. Putting his 11-fight winning streak on the line in a fight that will be aired exclusively in Puerto Rico as part of the event’s pay-per-view broadcast on the island, the 23-year-old power-puncher is prepared to show that he is a force in the super welterweight division. Melendez will face Greensboro, North Carolina’s James Winchester 15-6 (5 KO’s) in an eight-round fight.

Another ferocious youngster out of Puerto Rico, 20-year-old Caguas native Jeffrey Fontanez (9-0, 8 KO’s) will also be making his New York City debut and will appear on the Puerto Rican pay-per-view broadcast. Fontanez, who is 6-0 in 2012 with three first round knockouts, will fight help to continue the long-standing Puerto Rico-Mexico boxing rivalry when he meets Tijuana’s Pedro Arcos (12-2-1, 9 KO’s) in a four/six-round junior lightweight bout.

Newark’s Michael “The Artist” Perez (17-1-1, 10 KO’s) bounced back from the lone loss of his career in January against top prospect Omar Figueroa by stopping Eric Cruz in two rounds in June and decisioning Fidel Maldonado Jr. in August. On Saturday, the red-hot prospect who has fought five times in his family’s native Puerto Rico, will attempt to close the year with another win as he faces Obregon, Mexico’s Fernando Carcamo (10-4, 7 KO’s) in an eight-round lightweight clash that will open Puerto Rico’s pay-per-view telecast.

New Brunswick, New Jersey’s Jorge Diaz (16-1, 10 KO’s) was a highly decorated amateur who is now pursuing his dreams of professional glory at 126 pounds. A local favorite making his fifth appearance at Madison Square Garden, Diaz rebounded from the lone loss of his career against Teon Kennedy in 2011 with a third round technical knockout victory over Rafael Lora in September of 2011. He will attempt to make it two straight when he squares off against Houston’s Victor Sanchez (3-4-1) in a six-round featherweight bout.

Twenty-year-old junior middleweight phenom Eddie Gomez (11-0, 8 KO’s) is coming off of a blistering second round knockout of Saul Benitez in October and the Bronx product is back in action this weekend, this time making his Madison Square Garden debut. In the opposing corner will be Gomez’ toughest test to date, fellow unbeaten Luis Hernandez (9-0, 5 KO’s) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, who he faces in a fight scheduled for six rounds.

In the opening bout of the evening scheduled for six rounds in the middleweight division, unbeaten John Thompson (9-0, 3 KO’s) of Newark takes on Port Au Prince, Haiti’s Eli Augustama (6-5, 3 KO’s).

“Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” is a 12-round battle between Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto and undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on Saturday, December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-featured fights will see Jayson Velez take on Salvador Sanchez in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title and Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs battle Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick in an eight-round middleweight fight. The event is promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, sponsored by The Puerto Rican Tourism Board and Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com.

For more information, visit www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, and www.thegarden.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RealMiguelCotto, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/NoDoubtTrout, www.twitter.com/Jayson_Velez, www.twitter.com/DanielJacobsTKO, www.twitter.com/TheArtistPerez, www.twitter.com/fontanezjeffrey, www.twitter.com/eddiegomez718, www.twitter.com/MSGSportsNYC, www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #CottoTrout or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

Austin “No Doubt” Trout might not be a name commonly heard at the dinner table. Sure he is not the most popular boxer out there, but he certainly possesses the qualities of a boxing star. On Saturday night, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Trout expects to showcase those qualities when he steps into the ring to defend his WBA Jr. Middleweight title against the great Miguel Cotto.

Like so many great boxers, Trout began his career at the young age of ten. Not long afterwards, he progressed competitively and eventually one of the nation’s best amateur boxers, winning a national championship in 2004. One thing he didn’t expect when turning professional was the hardships he would endure as a talented yet low profile boxer. Nobody wanted to fight him. He fights out of the southpaw stance, and possesses the ability to either box from the outside or brawl his way to a victory; a very dangerous combination of skills.

Trout’s response to those hardships was to train even harder. His theory was that if he continued to work hard and win, he would be recognized by the sanctioning organizations and high profile fights would come his way. That happened in 2011 when he was able to win the WBA interim title which was subsequently elevated to the “regular” champion.

“I don’t want to be anonymous anymore,” stated Trout while on a conference call with the media. “I feel like the powers that be don’t necessarily want me in the boxing game, because I feel like I’m a thorn to everybody’s side that have to fight me.”

Come Saturday, he will stand across the ring from his toughest test yet. While Trout was winning his aforementioned amateur title, Cotto was already an established world class fighter being featured on television. Cotto’s record features the top fighters of his generation such as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, and Paul Malignaggi amongst others.

Asked about his reaction when he heard that he would be facing Cotto, Trout exclaimed, “I was shocked that he chose a fighter like me, because a lot of times I’ve been known as high risk, low reward, even with the belt.”

He is actually a fan of Cotto’s abilities, even going so far as to request an autograph which was televised on Showtime’s “Cotto vs. Trout: All Access;” a program where viewers are given an inside look into the lives of both boxers as they prepare for their bout. “Cotto is a very powerful and explosive fighter,” said trout, “and I’ve not necessarily faced anybody as explosive as him, but I think I’ve faced people that have been as strong as him.”

And just as he has always been, Trout’s response to the challenges awaiting him is to hit the gym and work harder than ever. “I haven’t changed anything; it’s just a more intense camp,”

“Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” is a 12-round battle between Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto and undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on Saturday, December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-featured fights will see Jayson Velez take on Salvador Sanchez in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title and Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs battle Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick in an eight-round middleweight fight. The event is promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, sponsored by The Puerto Rican Tourism Board and Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com