ZION
01-27-2008, 12:20 AM
Great lineup with a great rematch of Cintron vs. Margarito AND my boy Cotto is doing a tune up fight against Gomez. (If you remember, Gomez is from the contender and he retired Gatti)
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3215318
Welterweight titleholder Kermit Cintron will get the chance to avenge his only professional defeat, a fifth-round TKO loss in 2005 to then-titleholder Antonio Margarito after Cintron promoter Main Events reached agreement with Margarito promoter Top Rank on Friday.
The fight will take place April 12 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on an HBO card headlined by another welterweight bout featuring titlist Miguel Cotto defending against first-season "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez.
At stake besides the title for Cintron and Margarito: a July 26 big-money date with Cotto, as long as he takes care of business against Gomez.
Mexican Antonio Margarito hits Kermit Cintron with a solid right during their 2005 showdown in Las Vegas. Margarito won with a fifth-round knockout.
The July fight will take place at either New York's Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium, Top Rank President Todd duBoef told ESPN.com.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum had been negotiating with former undisputed champion Zab Judah to face Margarito but they were far apart on money. At the same time, duBoef was talking to Main Events, which knew Judah was in the mix.
"Judah came to Las Vegas to meet with Bob [on Wednesday] and I was talking to [Main Events CEO] Kathy Duva about Cintron," duBoef said. "And Margarito had given us the approval for either guy. Things came together this afternoon with the Cintron people and it was all wrapped up in no time. We're looking forward to the doubleheader."
Cintron (29-1, 27 KOs), who will be making his third defense, recently resumed training after suffering ligament damage in his right hand during a 10th-round TKO of Jesse Feliciano on Nov. 23. It was an injury that cost him a February unification bout with Paul Williams, but may now lead to even bigger fight with Cotto.
"This is an opportunity for Kermit to erase the one mark that is on his record," said John Hornewer, Cintron's attorney. "That was appealing to him. He's got plenty of time to train now. When you're given an opportunity to get your revenge you can't pass that up. It's a great opportunity and it was the most attractive option on the table. We feel that once Kermit gets through the Margarito fight, he will be superstar by the end of the year."
When they met the first time, Cintron fell apart under the pressure of his first major fight and Margarito (35-5, 25 KOs) stopped him in dominant fashion.
While Margarito eventually lost his belt to Williams in July before returning with a first-round blowout of Golden Johnson in November, Cintron steadily put his career back together.
He hooked up with Hall of Fame trainer and manager Emanuel Steward, who's made a big difference, he's won five in a row by knockout and claimed a title.
"Emanuel is what I needed in my career to become a champion," Cintron said before the Feliciano fight. "I didn't have him when I first fought Margarito, but when I fight him again I will have his help and I will win."
Cintron blamed his poor performance against Margarito in part because of a right hand injury he had heading into the bout.
"The Margarito fight was the worst I've ever done," he said. "I was injured and was not ready. You better believe I will be ready the next time around. People are waiting for me to fight Margarito. That is a fight that I want, and that is what people think I need. I think to make people shut up I need to fight Margarito, and I need to win. When I win and I beat Margarito, people will stop talking then."
Cintron could have rescheduled the fight with Williams but he's gambling that he can beat Margarito and face Cotto for substantially more money that he would have earned against Williams.
And that fight could happen at Yankee Stadium in the hallowed ballpark's final season before the Yankees move into a new stadium across the street.
DuBoef said Top Rank has Madison Square Garden on hold in case a deal can't be finalized with Yankee Stadium. But he added that Stadium officials approached Top Rank about doing a fight involving Cotto, who is tremendously popular in New York's Puerto Rican community.
Yankee Stadium has hosted several significant prize fights, but none since Top Rank promoted Muhammad Ali's heavyweight championship defense against Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976.
Cotto figures to draw well regardless of it he fights Cintron or Margarito. Last summer, he drew a Madison Square Garden-record crowd of 20,658 to watch his knockout victory against Judah. In November, Cotto's defense against Shane Mosley drew almost 17,135.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3215318
Welterweight titleholder Kermit Cintron will get the chance to avenge his only professional defeat, a fifth-round TKO loss in 2005 to then-titleholder Antonio Margarito after Cintron promoter Main Events reached agreement with Margarito promoter Top Rank on Friday.
The fight will take place April 12 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on an HBO card headlined by another welterweight bout featuring titlist Miguel Cotto defending against first-season "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez.
At stake besides the title for Cintron and Margarito: a July 26 big-money date with Cotto, as long as he takes care of business against Gomez.
Mexican Antonio Margarito hits Kermit Cintron with a solid right during their 2005 showdown in Las Vegas. Margarito won with a fifth-round knockout.
The July fight will take place at either New York's Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium, Top Rank President Todd duBoef told ESPN.com.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum had been negotiating with former undisputed champion Zab Judah to face Margarito but they were far apart on money. At the same time, duBoef was talking to Main Events, which knew Judah was in the mix.
"Judah came to Las Vegas to meet with Bob [on Wednesday] and I was talking to [Main Events CEO] Kathy Duva about Cintron," duBoef said. "And Margarito had given us the approval for either guy. Things came together this afternoon with the Cintron people and it was all wrapped up in no time. We're looking forward to the doubleheader."
Cintron (29-1, 27 KOs), who will be making his third defense, recently resumed training after suffering ligament damage in his right hand during a 10th-round TKO of Jesse Feliciano on Nov. 23. It was an injury that cost him a February unification bout with Paul Williams, but may now lead to even bigger fight with Cotto.
"This is an opportunity for Kermit to erase the one mark that is on his record," said John Hornewer, Cintron's attorney. "That was appealing to him. He's got plenty of time to train now. When you're given an opportunity to get your revenge you can't pass that up. It's a great opportunity and it was the most attractive option on the table. We feel that once Kermit gets through the Margarito fight, he will be superstar by the end of the year."
When they met the first time, Cintron fell apart under the pressure of his first major fight and Margarito (35-5, 25 KOs) stopped him in dominant fashion.
While Margarito eventually lost his belt to Williams in July before returning with a first-round blowout of Golden Johnson in November, Cintron steadily put his career back together.
He hooked up with Hall of Fame trainer and manager Emanuel Steward, who's made a big difference, he's won five in a row by knockout and claimed a title.
"Emanuel is what I needed in my career to become a champion," Cintron said before the Feliciano fight. "I didn't have him when I first fought Margarito, but when I fight him again I will have his help and I will win."
Cintron blamed his poor performance against Margarito in part because of a right hand injury he had heading into the bout.
"The Margarito fight was the worst I've ever done," he said. "I was injured and was not ready. You better believe I will be ready the next time around. People are waiting for me to fight Margarito. That is a fight that I want, and that is what people think I need. I think to make people shut up I need to fight Margarito, and I need to win. When I win and I beat Margarito, people will stop talking then."
Cintron could have rescheduled the fight with Williams but he's gambling that he can beat Margarito and face Cotto for substantially more money that he would have earned against Williams.
And that fight could happen at Yankee Stadium in the hallowed ballpark's final season before the Yankees move into a new stadium across the street.
DuBoef said Top Rank has Madison Square Garden on hold in case a deal can't be finalized with Yankee Stadium. But he added that Stadium officials approached Top Rank about doing a fight involving Cotto, who is tremendously popular in New York's Puerto Rican community.
Yankee Stadium has hosted several significant prize fights, but none since Top Rank promoted Muhammad Ali's heavyweight championship defense against Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976.
Cotto figures to draw well regardless of it he fights Cintron or Margarito. Last summer, he drew a Madison Square Garden-record crowd of 20,658 to watch his knockout victory against Judah. In November, Cotto's defense against Shane Mosley drew almost 17,135.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.