6/10/06 - article by Mike Indri
Cotto uses his "magic" to overpower Malignaggi.
Tommy Z and Irish John Duddy also thrill the 14,369 at MSG!
By Mike Indri (THE WRITING POLICEMAN)
Retired Boxers Foundation (East Coast representative)
NEW YORK - Having to compete against the Bernard Hopkins - Antonio Tarver showdown in Atlantic
City didn't faze the near sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden, which turned the hallowed halls
of boxing's Mecca a sea of red, white and blue with Puerto Rican flags honoring their beloved
Miquel Cotto, the undefeated WBO Jr. Welterweight champion, who was taking on New York's own
Paul "The Magic Man" Malignaggi.
The frenzied crowd, which had spurted some minor eruptions throughout the ten previous bouts on the Bob
Arum promoted Top Rank pay-per-view card, was in full blown delirium mode, even before Cotto began
making his ring entrance to defend his title belt!
The Cotto faithful would be given plenty to cheer and kept in their euphoric state from the first heavy
handed punch landed in round one, through the twelve rounds of dominance from their homeland's newest
hero and boxing champion, en route to his resounding unanimous decision victory over the game and willing,
yet over-matched, Malignaggi.
Carrying the torch passed by the once again retired Felix "Tito" Trinidad, Cotto showed his brilliance
when he caught the usually slick and hard-to-hit Malignaggi with a beautifully placed left hand bomb to
the jaw, which quickly dropped his hurt foe, early in round two. Although easily beating referee
Steve Smoger's count and not appearing too severely affected, the impact of Cotto's power would
change the fast talking fighter's outlook, and more importantly, his fight plan.
Miguel Cotto takes it to a battered and bruised, yet unyielding, Paulie Malignaggi during their 12 round Jr
. Welterweight Championship bout at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.
A big underdog coming into the fight, Malignaggi now ditched the best attack he had against the bigger and
stronger Cotto, which was using his superior hand speed and boxing skills to befuddle, frustrate, breakdown,
and eventually overtake his formidable opponent. The likable, Brooklyn-breed fighter reverted to
clinching and holding, as a mode of surviving, until the later rounds were Cotto's conditioning would
be tested. While Malignaggi was in the best fighting shape of his five year pro career, Cotto, who
constantly battles making the 140lb weight limit, was in his championship condition as well, which
led to the demise of Malignaggi.
Miguel Cotto takes it to a battered and bruised, yet unyielding, Paulie Malignaggi during their 12 round
Jr. Welterweight Championship bout at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.
With a possible broken jaw and broken nose, as well as nasty cut over the left eye, the usually seldom
hit Malignaggi must be commended for his larger than life heart and the guts & fortitude in making this
fight happen and giving his all throughout the entire twelve rounds. The first true test in his
promising career, although a loss, much was gained for Malignaggi in the way of respect and his
truly earning the badges of courage he will be walking around with for sometime to come.
Cotto, who later stated that he will be moving up to challenge the best of the welterweights within the
147 pound division, stayed perfect at 27-0 (22 KO's) with his close to perfect outing. Malignaggi sees
the first loss on his ledger, now at 21-1 (5 KO's), and having world champion Miguel Cotto as your
only loss is nothing to be ashamed of.
A triumphant Miguel Cotto leaving the ring after his dominating twelve round unanimous decision win.
On the Top Rank Promotions pay-per-view undercard:
The night's co-feature saw Notre Dame football player Tommy Zbikowski making his pro debut,
against Akron, Ohio's Robert Bell. Tommy Z, with 90 amateur fights (75 wins, 15 losses)
crushed his opponent as if he were a wayward quarterback trying to cross the line of scrimmage.
With many of his teammates and alma mater rooting him on in attendance, the senior Fighting
Irish strong safety sent his overwhelmed opponent to the canvas, on his knees, with a big
two-fisted barrage. With referee Arthur Mercante Jr. close by Tommy Z drilled his still
dazed foe with a monstrous right hand which spun Bell into the ropes and forced a stoppage
at the 49 second mark of round one. Bell, who came into the ring sporting an archrival
Ohio State football jersey, left with a 2-3 (2 KO's) record.
"I felt great," exclaimed an exuberant Zbikowski. "I wanted to prove to everyone that I'm a fighter,
not just a football player. I'm a fighter."
Zbikowski was under the watchful eye of legendary Angelo Dundee, and also trained by Sam Collona.
Irish John Duddy also brought many of his fans with him, in droves, as he battered Chicago's Freddie
Cuevas (now 25-9-1, 17 KO's) into submission. The gutsy Cuevas, his face showing the adverse affects
of going seven rounds with the granite fisted Duddy, was unable to come out for round eight. The
extremely popular Derry, Ireland fighter, who is slated back at MSG for more action this coming
August 5th, made Cuevas his fifteenth knockout victim and stayed perfect at 17-0.
Former world champion Kevin Kelly returned home, challenging Bobby Pacquiao (fistic superstar Manny
Pacquiao's younger brother) for his minor WBC title belt. Unfortunately for the "Flushing Flash",
Bobby fought too much like Manny and gave the former NY golden glove champ a very Pac Man-like working over.
Dropping Kelley in round three with a big left hand, Pacquiao kept Kelley down for good at 1:24 of the
fourth with a crushing left hook to the body. Pacquiao improved to 27-11-3 (12 KO's), while Kelley
slipped to 58-7-2, with 39 KO's.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was able to pad his unbeaten record, now 26-0, with another hand picked
mid-western fighter. Aaron Drake made the trip from Kansas City, Kansas to become the 20th
knockout victim of boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez's son, via second round tko. Drake slips
to a very deceivable 10-2, with 8 KO's).
In the opening televised fight for the pay-per-view paying public, Puerto Rico's Juan Manuel
Lopez started the party off early with an impressive six round unanimous decision win over Mexico's
Sergio Mendez. Mendez, dyed hair and all, gave it the true Mexican effort and forced Lopez to earn the victory.
Both undefeated fighters entering the ring, Lopez stays perfect at 12-0 with 10 knockouts, while the
valiant Mendez is now 5-1 (1 KO).
The non-televised portion of the eleven bout fight card included some decent boxing action.
In a rare female bout, Jersey City's Noriko Kariya rewarded those who came out early with a dazzling
and impressive display of skills. Winless Kerri Hill, now 0-4, traveled from Little Rock, Arkansas
for her beating. Kariya, 4-1-1, the victim of some hard luck judging recently, had to be happy with
her confidence boosting outing, while picking up her first KO win as referee Sammy Viruet rightfully
stopped the one-sided bantamweight affair at 1:27 of the third round.
Jersey City's Noriko Kariya improved to 4-1-1 with her impressive performance against Kerri Hill,
0-4, who was unable to withstand Kariya's assault and didn't make it out of the third round of their
scheduled six round bantamweight fight.
A late penalty for holding cost young super featherweight Bobby Campbell dearly, as Coney Island's
Washington Hago picked up the four round majority decision win, in a battle of New Yorkers. Campbell
appeared on his way to victory when he got caught with a big shot by Hago, which hurt the Bethpage fighter.
The one-point deduction, after Campbell continually held on to weather the storm, resulted in two
judge's verdicts of draws being changed to nods for Hago, who now is 3-2 (2 KO's), Campbell drops to 1-1 (1 KO).
Brooklyn's Curtis Stevens pounded his way to a sixth round technical knockout win in light heavyweight
action against Eric Howard. Displaying his entire knockout arsenal: nasty left hooks, big right uppercuts,
a stinging left jab, as well as two-handed combinations, Stevens was taken deep into the fight, until finally
catching up with the game Howard (11-12-1, 6 KO's) with only 45 seconds left in the bout. Stevens stays
unblemished at 13-0, with Howard being his eleventh victim not standing at the final bell.
Popular New York middleweight Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin raised his record to 5-0, with his fourth knockout,
against Eddie O'Neal (9-12-2, 1KO). Annihilating his Lawton, OK opponent from the fight's onset,
"Kid Chocolate" proved he wasn't all that sweet - hammering his opponent to the canvas twice in round one,
before the mismatch was waved off at 1:31 of the opening stanza.
The night's opening bout saw Ray "Boom-Boom" Gonzalez come off the deck to stop Luis Sanchez, via TKO,
after Sanchez was unable to continue following a wild first round. Gonzalez improved to 2-0 - both
wins by KO, while Sanchez slips to 1-2-1.
** ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF: EMILY HARNEY ** |
