where was it held? i know it was in atlantic city..but was it at the convention center..or the borgata casino? :dunno: who was Torres subbing for??
He was Subbing for 1 of those Branco Cats...Perhaps Gianluca... REED Actually Wrote a Pre Fight Piece about it...He'll Dig it Up & Post it... REED
Even though U've been SLACKING on your R by R & Predition TALLY Duties, here ya Go, ILLU...Enjoy... MIGUEL COTTO : “Whoever they Bring, I’ll Fight†<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> You’ve gotta love WBO super lightweight champion, Miguel Cotto, or at the very least, it’s near impossible to dislike the man. Only recently removed from the “prospect†phase of his career, Cotto has already amassed one of boxing’s better resumes. THE best resume amongst younger fighters. On top of this, Cotto keeps a busy fight schedule. Since 2003, Cotto has fought at least four times per year, against the likes of DeMarcus Corley, Mohammed Abdullaev, Lovemore N’Dou and Randall Bailey. Both Carlos Maussa and Kelson Pinto were undefeated when Cotto KO’ed them. <o></o> In less than 5 years of prizefighting, Cotto has established a pattern of consistently engaging in meaningful bouts. That’s all any hardcore fight fan can ask, honestly. <o></o> To the naked eye, Cotto’s date this weekend, on HBO’s “Boxing after Darkâ€, would appear to deviate from the norm. Undefeated Colombian bomber, Ricardo “Mochuelo†Torres, probably endures spells of anonymity in parts of his own country. So the HBO viewing audience should be granted a pass if Torres’ exploits don’t register. But like a D-cup in a sports bra, a gaudy KO ratio instantly grabs attention. 28 wins, 0 losses, 26 KO’s. Torres has been the distance twice, going 10 rounds once. Other than that, no fight of “Mochuelo’s†has gone past the 6<SUP>th</SUP> round. Apparently, he’s not paid by the hour. <o></o> Torres is a very aggressive boxer-puncher. He’s not the face first brawler, that his record may indicate. He keeps a high guard and isn’t foreign to playing the role of counter puncher. Above average hand speed allows Torres to lead with hooks and uppercuts, or quickly fire right hands over the top of orthodox jabs. He’s most comfortable at close quarters, where he fires dangerous uppercuts with both hands. Once “Mochuelo†has his man hurt, he’s capable of unrelenting volley’s of powershots. <o></o> Ricardo Torres poses more of a threat to Miguel Cotto than Gianluca Branco would’ve. And he’s the mandatory challenger for Cotto’s title. <o></o> When asked if he was concerned about the change of opponent, Cotto’s promoter, Bob Arum said, “It generally is a source of trepidation. There wasn’t so much in this case because, in truth, Miguel was planning to fight him in December and we were all agreed that we’d get rid of the mandatory in December. So this is just a consequence of moving the mandatory up a few months. In other words, before all these big plans could be put in effect, we knew Miguel would be facing Ricardo Torres. We just didn’t think it would be now.†<o></o> Cotto’s response was of the calm, collected and worry free variety that we’ve become accustomed to. He even revealed that he’s familiar with Ricardo Torres. “To me, the change of opponent doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really affect what I need to do in the ring. I’ve not only seen Torres fight before, I fought him in the amateurs. It was right before the Olympics, in the pre-Olympic tournament. I won 11-5 or 11-7, something like that. But changing opponents didn’t bother me. Whoever they bring, I’ll fight.†<o></o> No traces of verbal excrement spewing from his mouth, yet his words exude confidence. No police blotter entries or pending cases. No over the top personality or flamboyance (some would say to the detriment of his career). Miguel Cotto just plugs along at an active pace, and almost always against a worthy opponent. <o></o> No matter what happens Saturday night, thank you Mr. Cotto! Every 3-4 months, we’re privy to the next stop on your pugilistic excursion. It’s to the point that we can pencil in your dates and set our watches by your consistency. See you again later this year. REED
Yeah, Gianluca Branco got injured in training. So Torres stepped since he had fought only a few weeks earlier (KO'd Edwin Vasquez in 3 on Telefutura) and felt in he was in good shape. Plus I think there were already talks of Cotto facing Torres in December that year on a Top Rank PPV.
