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Cotto-Margarito 24/7 Brings The Drama, Emotion
An HBO 24/7 doesn’t have to feature Floyd Mayweather or Miguel Cotto to be compelling. The Saturday debut of the Cotto-Margarito episode one cemented that.
Liev Schrieber, aka The Voice, told watchers that the Dec. 3 rematch between the Puerto Rican and Mexican-born hitters is a battle between the good guy and the bad guy, the guy who has never been and will never be accused of being anything less than a principled professional, and the guy who quite possibly has cheated his way to prominence.
“He used it, he used the plaster the night of the fight with me. He looks and he acts like a criminal,” Cotto says. “I’m a clean fighter, there was nothing illegal,” responds Margarito, looking like he should play Tony Montana in a “Scarface” remake, of the circumstances of their 2008 clash.
In Cocoa Beach, FL, we see Cotto, having come from Orlando, working out. Cotto said he’s better today than in 2008, because his passion is back. His trainer is Pedro Diaz, the third cornerman in his last four fights. His uncle Evangelista, ex strength and conditioning coach Joel Santiago and Manny Steward were at the helm before.
Cotto said people will know Margarito was cheating after he wins on Dec. 3, and he’s right, people will assume that Margarito was using loaded gloves in their first tangle if Cotto gets it done.
Margarito is training in Temoaya, Mexico, about 10,000 feet above sea level, as opposed to Southern California. The show mentioned that his career took a dive when in January 2009 the California commission confiscated hardened pads which were being inserted into the fighter’s gloves before he was set to fight Shane Mosley. It does strike me that it is strange that Margarito doesn’t hammer ex trainer Javier Capetillo, who he supposedly viewed as a father figure, for inserting hard pads into his gloves, which resulted in the diminishment of the boxer’s reputation. Cynics would say of course Margarito doesn’t hammer Capetillo, because Capetillo has allowed the bus to run over him, allowed himself to bear the blame for the event, and Margarito owes him one. “We are moving on,” Margarito says. Easier said than done..
We see Capetillo, who can work with boxers but can’t corner them. He says that he grabbed pads already out on the table and says he wasn’t paying attention. “I paid and I’m still paying for it. And I’m not guilty of anything. And neither is Margarito,” he says.
Cotto begs to differ. He said he wondered if the plaster pads were used against him. Mostly, he’s taken the high road when asked if Margarito cheated. He’s said he wasn’t sure. But he is vehement now.
We saw a synopsis of the 2008 clash. Then Cotto shows his photo which he says proves the wraps were iffy. “It could have been twisted. It could have been a booger I had there,” Margarito says of the discoloration seen on the wrapped fist. Schrieber says that Cotto says the redness seen is dye from the gloves, but then Cotto says the redness on the pad is the same as the redness on a confiscated pad…so that left me confused. All in all, the “evidence” wouldn’t fly in court, so we will be left to wonder.
“He play with my health..thank God I’m healthy, but it could be worse,” Cotto says. Margarito says he told Cotto to his face he could wrap his hands, and he would beat him.
The cataract surgery at the end of May is referenced. “Everything is perfect,” Margarito says. That remains to be seen, through the eyes of the NY commission. Trainer Robert Garcia says Margarito looks superb in training and appears to have no worries about the artificial lens in the eye. (Side note: I do not dismiss out of hand the word of the doctors Top Rank has assembled who say Margarito is in no more danger than any other boxer. I don’t think they’ve collected a couple joker hacks to say this. And without knowing the specifics of the case, I do know that advances in medical technology can oftentimes mean that manmade devices and prosthetic body parts can be as sturdy or even more so than the original device or body part. But to the best of my knowledge, their doctors do not specialize in boxing. And, I do not know of a precedent for this, of any other boxer who had the artificial lens inserted and then fought with the lens in. And judicial bodies like to see precedents, because that allows them cover in case things go wrong. Everyone is worried in this day of age about getting their pants sued off. So they tend to veer toward the side of caution. And, we also hope, that powers that be all have the health and well being of the boxers in mind. We all hope that is the paramount reasoning used in this and all situations, that goes without saying. And until explicitly shown otherwise, I will assume that there is no other agenda for the NY commission than the health and well being of the boxer. We all have to be judicious with our judgements and assumptions. Talk of this being a morality play, or a reaction to the UFC’s pending suit against the state for not licensing MMA..I need to see compelling evidence those are anything more than suppositions. I suggest we all, until it’s proven otherwise, assume that all involved are doing the right thing, and lobbying with a clean conscience.)
Brandon Rios cracks wise in Margarito camp. “He’s like a big kid,” Margarito says of Bam Bam. The camp looks to have a happy atmosphere.
Back in Florida, we hear about the death of Cotto’s dad Miguel Sr, who died last January from respiratory distress stemming from asthma. Miguel’s mom Juana has stepped in for dad; she oversees the camp, reluctantly. “He was my friend. He was my angel,” mom says. “My father? He was everything,” Cotto says, as he gets misty. He has taken the death hard and sometimes doesn’t want to get out of bed, but does out of obligation.
His father’s face is etched on his left shoulder, in ink. “He watch my back, every moment of my life,” he says.
His dad was by his side in the hospital after the 2008 fight, and he treasures those moments. His dad will be his corner on Dec. 3, he says.
“Why does he cry so much?” Margarito says, mockingly.
“He doesn’t have the same plaster this fight. So it’s going to be different,” Cotto says.
This fight will happen, it’s just a matter of where. A New York Athletic Commission doctor will examine Margarito today and give his assessment to chair Melvina Lathan, who will provide a ruling on licensing tomorrow. A cataract surgery had previously been a disqualifier to get licensed in NY, but the commission has allowed for debate, rather than an automatic DQ. I know of no other boxer that has boxed with an artificial lens but there may be examples I’m unaware of. Stay tuned, fight fans…
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A No-Brainer: Turki Alalshikh is the TSS 2024 Promoter of the Year
Years from now, it’s hard to say how Turki Alalshikh will be remembered.
Alalshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some see him as a poacher, a man who snatched away big fights that would have otherwise landed in places like Las Vegas, New York, and London, and planted them in a place with no prizefighting tradition whatsoever merely for the purpose of “sportswashing.” If that be the case, Alalshikh’s superiors, the royal family, will turn off the spigot once it is determined that this public relations campaign is no longer needed, at which time the sport will presumably recede into the doldrums from whence it came.
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that boxing is in much better shape today than it was just a few years ago and that Alalshikh, operating under the rubric of Riyadh Season, is the reason why.
One of the most persistent cavils lobbied against professional boxing is that the best match-ups never get made or else languish on the backburner beyond their “sell-by” date, cheating the fans who don’t get to see the match when both competitors are at their peak. This is a consequence of the balkanization of the sport with each promoter running his fiefdom in his own self-interest without regard to the long-term health of the sport.
With his hefty budget, Alalshikh had the carrot to compel rival promoters to put down their swords and put their most valuable properties in risky fights and he seized the opportunity. All of the sport’s top promoters – Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn (pictured below), Bob Arum, Oscar De La Hoya, Tom Brown, Ben Shalom, and others – have done business with His Excellency.
The two most significant fights of 2024 were the first and second meetings between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. The first encounter was historic, begetting the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. Both fights were staged in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season, the months-long sports and entertainment festival instrumental in westernizing the region.
The Oct. 12 fight in Riyadh between undefeated light heavyweights between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol produced another unified champion. This wasn’t a great fight, but a fight good enough to command a sequel. (Beterviev, going the distance for the first time in his pro career, won a majority decision.) The do-over, buttressed by an outstanding undercard, will come to fruition on Feb. 22 in Riyadh.
Turki Alalshikh didn’t do away with pay-per-view fights, but he made them more affordable. The price tag for Usyk-Fury II in the U.S. market was $39.99. By contrast, the last PBC promotion, the Canelo vs. Berlanga fight on Amazon Prime Video, carried a tag of $89.95 for non-Prime subscribers.
Almost half the U.S. population resides in the Eastern Time Zone. For them, the main event of a Riyadh show goes in the mid- to late-afternoon. This is a great blessing to fight fans disrespected by promoters whose cards don’t end until after midnight, and that goes double for fight fans in the U.K. who can now watch more fights at a more reasonable hour instead of being forced to rouse themselves before dawn to catch an alluring match anchored in the United States.
In November, it was announced that Alalshikh had purchased The Ring magazine. The self-styled “Bible of Boxing” was previously owned by a company controlled by Oscar De La Hoya who acquired the venerable magazine in 2007.
With the news came Alalshikh’s assertion that the print edition of the magazine would be restored and that the publication “would be fully independent.”
That remains to be seen. One is reminded that Alalshikh revoked the press credential of Oliver Brown for the Joshua-Dubois fight on Sept. 21 at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium because of comments Brown made in the Daily Telegraph that cast a harsh light on the Saudi regime.
There were two national anthems that night, “God Save the King” sharing the bill, as it were, with the Saudi national anthem. Considering the venue and the all-British pairing, that rubbed many Brits the wrong way.
The Ring magazine will always be identified with Nat Fleischer who ran the magazine from its inception in 1922 until his death in 1972 at age 84. It was written of Fleischer that he was the closest thing to a czar that the sport of boxing ever had. Turki Alalshikh now inherits that mantle.
It’s never a good thing when one man wields too much power. We don’t know how history will judge Turki Alalshikh, but naming him the TSS Promoter of the Year was a no-brainer.
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The Ortiz-Bohachuk Thriller has been named the TSS 2024 Fight of The Year
The Aug. 10 match in Las Vegas between Knockout artists Vergil Ortiz Jr and Serhii Bohachuk seemingly had scant chance of lasting the 12-round distance. Ortiz, the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, was undefeated in 21 fights with 20 KOs. Bohachuk, the LA-based Ukrainian, brought a 24-1 record with 23 knockouts.
In a surprise, the fight went the full 12. And it was a doozy.
The first round, conventionally a feeling-out round, was anything but. “From the opening bell, [they] clobbered each other like those circus piledriver hammer displays,” wrote TSS ringside reporter David A. Avila.
In this opening frame, Bohachuk, the underdog in the betting, put Ortiz on the canvas with a counter left hook. Of the nature of a flash knockdown, it was initially ruled a slip by referee Harvey Dock. With the benefit of instant replay, the Nevada State Athletic Commission overruled Dock and after four rounds had elapsed, the round was retroactively scored 10-8.
Bohachuk had Ortiz on the canvas again in round eight, put there by another left hook. Ortiz was up in a jiff, but there was no arguing it was a legitimate knockdown and it was plain that Ortiz now trailed on the scorecards.
Aware of the situation, the Texan, a protégé of the noted trainer Robert Garcia, dug deep to sweep the last four rounds. But these rounds were fused with drama. “Every time it seemed the Ukrainian was about to fall,” wrote Avila, “Bohachuk would connect with one of those long right crosses.”
In the end, Ortiz eked out a majority decision. The scores were 114-112 x2 and 113-113.
Citing the constant adjustments and incredible recuperative powers of both contestants, CBS sports combat journalist Brian Campbell called the fight an instant classic. He might have also mentioned the unflagging vigor exhibited by both. According to CompuBox, Ortiz and Bohachuk threw 1579 punches combined, landing 490, numbers that were significantly higher than the early favorite for Fight of the Year, the March 2 rip-snorter at Verona, New York between featherweights Raymond Ford and Otabek Kholmatov (a win for Ford who pulled the fight out of the fire in the final minute).
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
It’s the end of the year.
Here are our awards for the best in women’s boxing. But first, a rundown on the state of the sport.
Maybe its my imagination but it seems that fewer female fights of magnitude took place in 2024 than in previous years.
A few promoters like 360 Promotions increased their involvement in women’s boxing while others such as Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions seem stagnant. They are still staging female bouts but are not signing new additions.
American-based promotion company Top Rank, actually lost 50 percent of their female fighter roster when Seniesa Estrada, the undisputed minimumweight champion, retired recently. They still have Mikaela Mayer.
A promotion company making headlines and creating sparks in the boxing world is Most Valuable Promotions led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. They signed Amanda Serrano and have invested in staging other female fights
This year, the top streaming company Netflix gambled on sponsoring Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, along with Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor and hit a monster home run. According to Netflix metrics an estimated 74 million viewers watched the event that took place on Nov. 16 at Arlington, Texas.
“Breaking records like this is exactly what MVP was built to do – bring the biggest, most electrifying events to fans worldwide,” said Nakisa Bidarian co-founder of MVP.
History was made in viewership and at the gate where more than 70,000 fans packed AT&T Stadium for a record-setting $17.8 million in ticket sales outside of Las Vegas. It was the grand finale moment of the year.
Here are the major contributors to women’s boxing in 2024.
Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
Other candidates: Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Franchon Crews, Dina Thorslund, and Yesica Nery Plata.
Amanda Serrano was chosen for not only taking part in the most viewed female title fight in history, but also for willingly sacrificing the health of her eye after suffering a massive cut during her brutal war with Taylor. She could have quit, walked away with tons of money and be given the technical decision after four rounds. She was ahead on the scorecards at that moment.
Instead, Serrano took more punches, more head butts and slugged her way through 10 magnificent and brilliant rounds against the great Taylor. Fans worldwide were captivated by their performance. Many women who had never watched a female fight were mesmerized and inspired.
Serrano once again proved that she would die in the ring rather than quit. Women and men were awed by her performance and grit. It was a moment blazed in the memories of millions.
Amanda Serrano is the Fighter of the Year.
Best Fight of the Year – Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor 2
Their first fight that took place two years ago in Madison Square Garden was the greatest female fight I had ever witnessed. The second fight surpassed it.
When you have two of the best warriors in the world willing to showcase their talent for entertainment regardless of the outcome, it’s like rubbing two sticks of dynamite together.
Serrano jumped on Taylor immediately and for about 20 seconds it looked like the Irish fighter would not make the end of the first round. Not quite. Taylor rallied behind her stubborn determination and pulled out every tool in her possession: elbows, head butts, low blows, whatever was needed to survive, Taylor used.
It reminded me of an old world title fight in 2005 between Jose Luis Castillo a master of fighting dirty and Julio Diaz. I asked about the dirty tactics by Castillo and Diaz simply said, “It’s a fight. It’s not chess. You do what you have to do.”
Taylor did what she had to do to win and the world saw a magnificent fight.
Other candidates: Seniesa Estrada versus Yokasta Valle, Mikaela Mayer versus Sandy Ryan, and Ginny Fuchs vs Adelaida Ruiz.
KO of the Year – Lauren Price KO3 Bexcy Mateus.
Dec. 14, in Liverpool, England.
The IBO welterweight titlist lowered the boom on Bexcy Mateus sending her to the floor thrice. She ended the fight with a one-two combination that left Mateus frozen while standing along the ropes. Another left cross rocket blasted her to the ground. Devastating.
Other candidates: Claressa Shields KO of Vanessa LePage-Joanisse, Gabriela Fundora KO of Gabriela Alaniz, Dina Thorslund vs Mary Romero, Amanda Serrano KO of Stevie Morgan.
Pro’s Pro Award – Jessica Camara
Jessica Camara defeated Hyun Mi Choi in South Korea to win the WBA gold title on April 27, 2024. The match took place in Suwon where Canada’s Camara defeated Choi by split decision after 10 rounds.
Camara, who is managed by Brian Cohen, has fought numerous champions including Kali Reis, Heather Hardy and Melissa St. Vil. She has become a pro fighter that you know will be involved in a good and entertaining fight and is always in search of elite competition. She eagerly accepted the fight in South Korea against Choi. Few fighters are willing to do that.
Next up for Camara is WBC titlist Caroline Dubois set for Jan. 11, in Sheffield, England.
Electric Fighters Club
These are women who never fail to provide excitement and drama when they step in the prize ring. When you only have two-minute rounds there’s no time to run around the boxing ring.
Here are some of the fighters that take advantage of every second and they do it with skill:
Gabriela Fundora, Mizuki Hiruta, Ellie Scotney, Lauren Price, Clara Lescurat, Adelaida Ruiz, Ginny Fuchs, Mikaela Mayer, Yokasta Valle, Sandy Ryan, Chantelle Cameron, Ebanie Bridges, Tsunami Tenkai, Dina Thorslund, Evelin Bermudez, Gabriela Alaniz, Caroline Dubois, Beatriz Ferreira, and LeAnna Cruz.
Claressa Shields Movie and More
A motion picture based on Claressa Shields titled “The Fire Inside” debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 25, nationwide. Most boxing fans know that Shields has world titles in various weight divisions. But they don’t know about her childhood and how she rose to fame.
Also, Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) will be fighting Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight world championship on Sunday Feb. 2, at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. DAZN will stream the Salita Promotions fight card.
“Claressa Shields is shining a spotlight on Flint – first on the big screen and then in the ring on Sunday, February 2,” said event promoter Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions. “Claressa leads by example. She is a trailblazer and has been an advocate for equality since she was a young lady. This event promises to be one of the most significant sporting and cultural events of the year. You don’t want to miss it, either live, in person or live on DAZN.”
Shields is only 29 years old and turns 30 next March. What more can she accomplish?
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