Miguel Cotto hits Las Vegas for Mayorga Showdown

Earlier tonight at the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto made his official arrival into the city for his March 12th clash against former welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga. The two fighters will be facing off at the MGM Grand with a showdown against Antonio Margarito said to be awaiting the winner this summer.

Cotto vs Mayorga

Cotto was signed by Top Rank coming out of the Olympics and plied his craft under the bright lights of Las Vegas early in his career. Victories over fading former contenders Justin Juuko and John Brown were displays of dominance and Cotto was solid all the way around in stopping former champion Cesar Bazan at the Mandalay Bay in February of 2003.

Of course, Cotto has also endured his share of heartache in the city as well, with his lone losses on his ledger taking place within a 16-month span of one another inside of the MGM Grand. In July of 2008 Cotto was overwhelmed by a surging Antonio Margarito as he was dropped twice by the Tijuana brawler on his way towards an 11th round TKO loss. In November of 2009 the Puerto Rican fought valiantly early against Manny Pacquiao but couldn’t cope with his speed or fluidity, again being dropped twice and losing via late-round stoppage.

In many ways those two losses are what has haunted Cotto as well as motivated him to keep pushing forward. His victory over Yuri Foreman last summer was an excellent comeback performance and he has made no secrets that before he calls it a day, he would love another crack at both Margarito and Pacquiao.

Prior to hitting Nevada, Cotto had been training out of the Heavyweight Factory Gym in Miami, Florida. A rematch with Margarito, tentatively scheduled for June, would likely take place in either Las Vegas or New York.

Mayorga offensive firepower will be a problem for Cotto

WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KO’s) probably has no business fighting in the junior middleweight division, because at only 5’7″, he’s little more than the typical height for lightweights. He’s been able to get by at welterweight because the division has been so weak in the past few years, and because he never fought certain guys like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Andre Berto and Mike Jones.

As it is, Cotto was destroyed by Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao. Recently, Cotto moved up in weight to take on Yuri Foreman, a fighter that possessed no power to speak of and was considered a paper champion. It didn’t matter how small Cotto was, because Foreman was too weak and too hobbled because of a bad knee to win.

Cotto won the fight, but it doesn’t really say much because Foreman wasn’t much of a junior middleweight and Cotto didn’t have to face a powerful or talented junior middleweight to capture the WBA title. Had he fought Alfredo Angulo or Erislandy Lara, you can pretty much guess what would have happened to Cotto. It wouldn’t have been pretty, believe me. Cotto vs Mayorga on March 12th at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This fight is going to be a big problem for Cotto, because Mayorga still has his offensive skills almost completely intact despite his 37-years of age. Granted, his skills are a little dust covered from non use in the past four years, but Mayorga is still more than good enough to take out the little 5’7″ Cotto and beat him up as easily as Pacquiao and Margarito did. If Mayorga lands shots for more than three rounds, he’ll have Cotto bleeding like a stuck pig. The fight will be easy from there on out, because Cotto retreats when he’s bleeding and seems to lose his senses completely while trying to survive. Once Mayorga has Cotto on the run, it’s going to be an easy fight at that point.

Cotto vs Mayorga: Ricardo will prove that Miguel is a paper champion on 3/12

WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KO’s) has lost two out of his last five fights, and you can make a good argument that Cotto should have lost three out of his last fight bouts, because one of his victories was a questionable 12 round decision over Joshua Clottey in June 2009. I saw the fight, and like many boxing fans, I felt that Cotto lost that fight and looked like he was ready to quit when the going got tough. On March 12th, watch Cotto vs Mayorga Live at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayorga, 37, is still a very gifted and powerful fighter more than capable of beating up and stopping the 30-year-old Cotto. Cotto’s promoter Bob Arum has done his best trying to keep Cotto from getting brutally knocked out again like he was against Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao. Cotto was put in with the feather-fisted Yuri Foreman in his last fight and still ended up taking punishment. And now Arum has chosen Mayorga, a fighter with a name but who is considered to be old and over the hill.

However, Mayorga showed in his last fight against Michael Walker last December that he still has a lot left in the tank. Even though he’s not the same fighter he once was, Mayorga is like a loaded shell that’s been found under the ground after many years. He’s still capable of exploding if you don’t handle him with the utmost care. Perhaps this is why Cotto’s trainer Emanuel Steward is giving Cotto instructions to box Mayorga at all costs and avoid slugging with him. But Cotto isn’t capable of following instructions for a long term fight.

Cotto invariably falls back into his old slugging role no matter what Steward tells him. You can’t take the slugger out of Cotto. That’s not a good thing because it’s been established that Cotto’s skin breaks down quickly when he’s punched, and his face swells up to the point where it looks like a fright mask. It doesn’t take a lot for Cotto to swell up, bust up and bleed all over the place. Mayorga won’t have to do much to have Cotto looking like he just escaped a terrible car wreck on March 12th. All Mayorga has to do is load up with everything for five or six rounds and Cotto’s skin will do the rest by busting up and bleeding.

Watch Cotto vs. Mayorga on PPV

With their highly anticipated world championship confrontation less than one month away, boxing fans will get exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to the training camps and lives of boxing superstars Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga when  Relentless, a 30-minute preview of the first major pay-per-view world championship boxing event of 2011, premieres tonight/Friday, Feb. 18, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

Cotto, the Pride of Puerto Rico, will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight title against two-division world champion Mayorga on Saturday, March 12, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas . Cotto vs. Mayorga will be produced and distributed LIVE by SHOWTIME PPV®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

 Relentless provides exclusive interviews and reactions from their explosive, trash-talking, kickoff press conference in New York , where Mayorga promised to force Cotto to retire following the March 12 showdown.

In addition to the fireworks expected in the ring, the event also marks the first time in five years that Hall of Fame promoters Bob Arum and Don King have joined forces for a promotion.  Relentless will take a look back at some of the legendary fights that Arum and King have promoted, including flashbacks to the unforgettable Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier battles and footage from Sugar Ray Leonard s controversial split-decision victory over  Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1987.

 Relentless also takes a look at World Boxing Council (WBC) female super welterweight champion Christy Martin and her miraculous comeback trail in search of her landmark 50th professional victory against Dakota Stone.

Finally, the preview piece builds on and explores the relationship between Cotto and Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.  Relentless will investigate the connection between the two boxing icons, who started working together following Cotto s win over former WBA super welterweight champion and future rabbi Yuri Foreman in June of 2010. On March 12, Foreman will take on Top-10 contender Pawel Wolak in an undercard 10-round super welterweight rumble.

Cotto, of Caguas , Puerto Rico , has held a world title every year since 2004 and has won 15 of the 17 world championship bouts he has fought. Mayorga, of Managua , Nicaragua , is known for his reckless abandon and fearlessness inside the ring  a style of fighting that has produced 23 knockouts out of his 29 victories and legions of fans.

Cotto and Mayorga have fought a boxing who s who of the last decade, including Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya,  Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Vernon Forrest, Cory Spinks, Fernando Vargas and Felix Trinidad.

The Cotto vs. Mayorga pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95. It will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. For Cotto vs. Mayorga fight week updates, log on to www.sports.SHO.com or www.toprank.com

Cotto vs Mayorga Press Conference (Video)

The videos from Miguel Cotto vs Ricardo Mayorga’s New York press conference last month, featuring Mayorga doing a lot of finger pointing and disrespecting while Cotto looks on ominously and Steward is cracking up beside him.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a Mayorga press conference without incident and although the same old routine, his general disregard for every opponent still manages to entertain. His fights are no less exciting either so March 12 with Cotto, who also always come to fight, should be a good show.

Ricardo Mayorga trash talking

Miguel Cotto answers back

Cotto vs. Mayorga Preview & Prediction

Miguel Cotto’s recuperation from shoulder surgery is effectively over, and his next opponent has been announced. On March 12, “Junito” will square off with the Nicaraguan thug Ricardo Mayorga. This is an important, must-win fight for both men. The 37 year old Mayorga had apparently reached the end of his career, and was so stymied in his effort to make a comeback that he had been considering a jump to MMA. Beating Cotto and taking the WBA Light Middleweight Title would give him a new lease on life. Questions have dogged Cotto ever since he was beaten to a pulp by Antonio Margarito in 2008. While Cotto might not gain more than a payday from a win over the much-older Mayorga, a loss would signal the beginning of the end for Cotto’s career.

Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1 with 23 KOs)

37 years old, 5’9″, 70″ reach
Nicaraguan
Former welterweight champion, former light middleweight champion

“El Matador” must be hard up for cash, because otherwise it is hard to imagine why he would take such a do-or-die encounter. True, Mayorga’s power and brawling style are the sort of features that age well on a boxer. However, his chin has weakened over time. Mayorga might still be able to pitch, but the man can’t catch. Ricardo Mayorga has also lost four of his last eight outings, with his last win of any substance being over a Fernando Vargas who was even farther past his sell-by date than Mayorga. The Nicaraguan is not just over the hill, but also rusty. His December 2010 tune-up against a journeyman was Mayorga’s first outing since Shane Mosley walloped him in 2008.
Miguel Cotto (35-2 with 28 KOs)

30 years old, 5’7″, 67″ reach
Puerto Rican
Current WBA Light Middleweight Champion, former welterweight and light welterweight champion

Miguel Cotto is widely regarded as damaged goods following his beat-down from a concrete-fisted (literally) Antonio Margarito and his clash with that speedy assassin from the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao. The question is “just how damaged is he?” After all, even if the Yuri Foreman bout proved nothing, Cotto came out on top in a bout with Joshua Clottey in 2009.

“Junito” has clearly lost something in terms of snap, the cost of too many wars, but his main problems are that his face is virtually made out of scar tissue, and personal distractions. When an opponent pops his noggin with a good shot, Cotto’s face turns red and he loses his cool. Cotto is also distracted by domestic troubles and the death of his father. Hopefully, all of that is behind him, and with the help of new trainer Emmanuel Steward, Cotto can make the most of his remaining talent.

Ricardo Mayorga will be the bigger man in the ring that night, hands down. I expect him to come forward with his usual wild assault, and the outcome of the fight will be decided entirely on how well that assault does in the initial two or three rounds. If Mayorga can connect with hard blows and bust open Cotto, he will seize the initiative and probably keep it, and in so doing will leave Cotto gushing blood and win by stoppage.

However, if Miguel Cotto can box Mayorga the way he did Joshua Clottey, then he will be able to stymie the Nicaraguan thug’s bull rush and start scoring. Clottey is more of a plodder than Mayorga, but by the same token Mayorga lacks any of Clottey’s point defense and is there to be counter-punched. After three or four rounds, the punishment will take much of the steam out of the worn-down Mayorga. In this case, Mayorga will rally later and make another stab at overwhelming Cotto, but fail. Cotto will get cut sooner or later, but will be able to avoid having the cut jack-hammered into a bloody mess and carry a solid points victory.

Mayorga may be the bigger man, but Cotto is more tuned-up and, despite the wear and tear, the younger and fresher of the two fighters. I expect an early fight scare, but Cotto will weather the storm and box his way to victory.

Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga Showtime Photos

WBA Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto of Caguas, Puerto Rico and two-division world champion Ricardo Mayorga of Managua, Nicaragua pose during a video shoot in New York City Tuesday. Cotto and Mayorga are in town for a press conference Wednesday at B.B.King’s Blues Club in Times Square to announce their upcoming world title fight on Saturday, March 12, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cotto vs. Mayorga will be promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cotto Promotions, Don King Productions, Tecate and MGM Grand and televised on SHOWTIME Pay Per View.

Photo Credit Chris Farina of Top Rank.

Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga Showtime Photos

Miguel Cotto Workout (Video)

WBA super welterweight champion Miguel Cotto shows his form as he prepares for his March 12 title defense against former champion Ricardo Mayorga. The bout Cotto vs Mayorga will be seen on SHOWTIME PPV.

Watch Miguel Cotto Workout (Video)

Miguel Cotto Media Day (Photos)

WBA Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, Caguas,Puerto Rico skips rope during media day for his upcoming world title fight against two-division world champion Ricardo Mayorga, Managua, Nicaragua on Saturday, March 12, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Cotto vs. Mayorga is promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cotto Promotions, Don King Productions, Tecate and MGM Grand and will be televised on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View.

Miguel Cotto Media Day (Photos)

Miguel Cotto vs Ricardo Mayorga Live Stream, Updates and Videos

WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KO’s) plans on trying to box 37-year-old challenger Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KO’s) on March 12th instead of going to war with him and risking suffering a cut or potentially a knockout loss when they go at it at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cotto, 30, is trying to get back to his old boxing style of fighting and slugging less. He’s going to need to do this because if he goes to war with the sturdy, powerful and unorthodox Mayorga, Cotto is going to be at a great risk to getting knocked out again. Cotto just doesn’t seem to have the beard to be able to stand and trade with big punchers like he used to.
It could be that he never really had the size or the chin to take a lot of punishment, but whatever the case, Cotto has been badly beaten up when he has tried to trade in the past three years in defeats to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao, as well as the terrible punishment Cotto took in his close win over Joshua Clottey.

Cotto’s trainer Emanuel Steward says “Miguel was always a beautiful boxer and I am trying to get him back to doing that more. Mayorga is wild and throws punches from everywhere and that’s the biggest challenger for Miguel in this fight.”

I don’t think Cotto is capable of following a set pattern of boxing Mayorga. Cotto is too set his ways and while he may start off boxing Mayorga at the start of the fight, Cotto will do what Cotto always does and that’s slug. When that happens, I see Mayorga doing really well with his head shots.

It won’t take long before Cotto’s face is swollen to the point where he’s going to look like he was stung by an angry horde of bees. His lips will be swollen, nose bleeding and both eyes cut. These are almost a given for Cotto in his fights nowadays. If you put hands on Cotto and he responds by swelling and bleeding. The thing is Mayorga hits hard enough to really hurt Cotto if he’s able to land shots for more than three or four rounds. It won’t take long for Mayorga to have Cotto looking terrible.

Get more updates on Cotto vs Mayorga Fight.