"Fast & Furious" is the only way to describe this epic 12-round world welterweight title bout between two of boxing's top pound for pound superstars -- undefeated WBA world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and four-time world champion Sugar Shane Mosley. Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, "Fast & Furious" fight will take place Saturday, November 10, at the "Mecca of Boxing," Madison Square Garden.
Miguel Cotto (30-0, 25 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, has headlined at the 'Mecca of Boxing' on the eve of New York's annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade the last three years. On June 9, in front of a capacity crowd of over 20,500, Cotto, 26, knocked out two-division world champion Zab Judah to retain his title and improve his Garden record to 3-0.
"I am very excited to be returning to Madison Square Garden and I will be completely prepared for the biggest fight of my career," said Cotto. "Shane is a great fighter but he will not be the better fighter on November 10. I will be leaving the ring the same way I will be entering it -- undefeated and still world champion."
A man who needs no introduction to fight fans is three-division world champion Sugar Shane Mosley, 35, (44-4, 37 KOs), from Pomona, Calif., who is firmly established as one of the greatest fighters of this era, having defeated Oscar de la Hoya and Fernando Vargas twice each, as well as world champions Phillip Holiday, Raul Marquez, Jesse James Leija and John John Molina. Most recently, Mosley decisioned Luis Collazo for the WBC Interim Welterweight title and plans on adding the WBA Welterweight belt to his collection this fall.
"Cotto is a great fighter, but so am I, and we're going to light up the Garden on November 10," said Mosley. "I don't think I've ever been more excited for a fight. I can't wait to get in the ring and get it on."
"The welterweight division is the most exciting in boxing today and when two great champions like Miguel Cotto and Sugar Shane Mosley agree to fight each other, you virtually guarantee the fans an amazing fight," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions.
Added Bob Arum of Top Rank, "We are looking forward to this fight which we truly believe will be one of the greatest boxing events of the year."
"Cotto-Mosley is a must-see matchup between two of the best fighters in the sport today," said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "For the young champion Cotto, it is the signature fight that could launch him to superstardom. And for the future Hall of Famer Mosley, it's the most important fight since his battles with Oscar De La Hoya."
The Garden is a home away from home for both fighters as both Cotto and Mosley have been headliners in the historic building three times each. Mosley fought his Garden battles scoring TKO wins over Eduardo Morales in 1998 and Antonio Diaz in 2000 before losing his welterweight title to Vernon Forrest in a hard-fought decision in 2002. Cotto was the main event at the Garden when he stopped Mohammad Abdullaev in 2005, scored a decision win over Paul Malignaggi in 2006 and most recently, his thrilling stoppage of Zab Judah earlier this summer.
"A fight of this proportion deserves The World's Most Famous Arena," said Joel Fisher, SVP Madison Square Garden Sports Properties. "Madison Square Garden has a rich tradition of hosting historic championship bouts and Cotto versus Mosley will undoubtedly add to the arena's legacy."
As the old saying goes, styles make fights! Both Cotto and Mosley have proven to be aggressive punchers who leave it all in the ring and that can only mean a dream come true for fight fans.
Promoters Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya formally announced their lineup of supporting fights filling the Madison Square Garden card with popular boxers for the HBO pay-per-view broadcast, which will include - Antonio Margarito, Joel Casamayor and rising prospect Victor Ortiz.
"Instead of doing what so many promoters -- including ourselves -- have done in the past and put on a junk undercard, we decided we would pack this card so we could show how great the sport is, and how many great fighters there are in the sport," Arum said.
Antonio Margarito (34-5, 24 KOs), who lost his WBO welterweight title belt to Paul Williams in July, will fight NABF champ Golden Johnson, who upset Oscar Diaz last November. Margarito already is campaigning to fight the winner of Cotto's meeting with Mosley for the WBA welterweight title.
Joel Casamayor (34-3-1, 21 KOs), the former Cuban Olympian who won the WBC lightweight title last year by beating the late Diego Corrales, will get his first action in 13 months when he fights former titleholder Jose Armando Santa Cruz.
Victor Ortiz (19-1-1, 14 KOs), Arum's prize junior welterweight prospect, will fight former champion Carlos Maussa, who was knocked out by Ricky Hatton in November 2005. __________________
cotto is fantastic great boxer . i love him for his manners . and i would love to see him winning . but mosley is someone who is fast and has lot of experience. the result will be very disapointing this time. and mosley will win cuz he is very sneaky boxer.
WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe is a -160 favorite to beat WBC/WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler in their unification superfight on Saturday at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Kessler backers can get +130. Over 40,000 tickets have already been been sold and 50,000+ are expected to be in the house in the early hours of Sunday morning. At 35, Calzaghe (43-0, 32 KOs) is boxing's longest-reigning champion, having held his title for more than a decade. The 28-year-old Kessler (39-0, 29 KOs) has already unified the WBC/WBA belts during his three-year title reign, but Calzaghe is by far his toughest test to date. Calzaghe-Kessler is scheduled to go off at 1:25AM, but don't be late. There will be no admittance into the stadium after 10:30PM, so plan on snacking on at least three hours of fistic hors d'oeuvres before getting to the main course. Want even more boxing? First fight is at 8:15PM and a total of 76 rounds are scheduled.
HBO Saturday, November 3 2007 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler (WBC, WBA and WBO Super Middleweight Championships) Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Mohamed Azzaoui (WBO Cruiserweight Championship)
Showtime Saturday, November 3 2007 Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Rocky Juarez (WBC Featherweight Championship) Robert Guerrero vs. Martin Honorio (IBF Featherweight Championship)
Saturday, November 3 2007 Seven Feathers Casino and Resort, Canyonville, Oregon Kelsey Jeffries vs. Elizabeth Villareal (GBU Featherweight Championship)
Sunday, November 4 2007 Tokyo, Japan Takefumi Sakata vs. Denkaosen Singwangcha (WBA Flyweight Championship)
Thursday, November 8 2007 Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT Mike Oliver vs. Al Seeger (IBO Super Bantamweight Championship) Tony Grano vs. David Polk (heavyweights)
Friday, November 9 2007 Washington Avenue Armory, Albany, New York Russell Jordan vs. Alphsono Williams (super welterweights) Wayland Willingham vs. TBA (light welterweights) Tommy Rainone vs. TBA (welterweights) Chris Horn vs. Jerry Spiegel (cruiserweights) Francisco Palacios vs. Harvey Murray (featherweights) Guillermo Sanchez vs. Thomas McCuiston (super featherweights) Alo Kelly vs. TBA (light heavyweights) Telon Burris vs. Aubrey Bickerstaff (super middleweights)
Friday, November 9 2007 New Alhambra, Philadelphia, PA Mike Jones vs. Israel Cardona (welterweights) John Poore vs. Dan Whetzel (heavyweights)
Telefutura Friday, November 9 2007 Utopia Paradise Theater, Bronx, New York Francisco Lorenzo vs. Guadalupe Rosales (junior lightweights) Argenis Mendez vs. Pasqual Rouse (featherweights)
Friday, November 9 2007 Ice Arena, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom Carl Froch vs. Robin Reid (BBBofC British Super Middleweight Championship) John Murray vs. Dean Hickman (BBBofC English Lightweight Championship) Neil Tidman vs. Paul David (BBBofC Midlands Area Super Middleweight Championship) Darren Gethin vs. Adnan Amar (BBBofC Midlands Area Welterweight Championship) Esham Pickering vs. Sean Hughes (super bantamweights) Andrew Kooner vs. Andy Bell (super bantamweights)
Saturday, November 10 2007 Madison Square Garden, New York, New York Miguel Angel Cotto vs. Shane Mosley (WBA and WBC Welterweight Championships) Joel Casamayor vs. Jose Santa Cruz (WBC Interim Lightweight Championship) Antonio Margarito vs. Golden Johnson (welterweights) Victor Ortis vs. Carlos Maussa (super lightweights)
Saturday, November 10 2007 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Olivier Lontchi vs. Cruz Carbajal (NABA Super Bantamweight Championship)
Saturday, November 10 2007 Oceanfront Arena, Wildwood Convention Center, Wildwood, New Jersey Chuck Mussachio vs. TBA (light heavyweights) Pawel Wolak vs. Jonathon Reid (junior middleweights) Antonio Espinosa vs. TBA (lightweights) Patrick Majewski vs. Nick Collins Dennys Lozada vs. Bobby Jordan (light heavyweights) Alfred Kinsey vs. TBA Linwood Hurd vs. TBA (lightweights)
Saturday, November 10 2007 Stade Marcel Cerdan, Paris, France Jean-Marc Mormeck vs. David Haye (WBC/WBA Cruiserweight Championships)
cotto/mosley...hummm tough one. i would say mosley for the speed. if he hits cotto a few times on the chin(lack there of)...it's lights out for cotto. mind you, cotto has heart and will get up but might fall right back down. if the 3 knock down rule is in effect...then he might be in trouble. that being said. if cotto can bring mosley into the later rounds...mosley might gas out from trying to knock cotto out...therefore cotto will win. i do like both boxers btw.....