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Battle at the Garden: Can Miguel Cotto Survive Joshua Clottey in New York
City?
By Daniel Poland-May 13, 2009
You can look through the boxing history books and you will find some of
boxing’s iconic figures have all graced the ring at the legendary arena that
is the Mecca of boxing: Madison Square Garden, New York. From the days of
Sugar Ray Robinson to Joe Louis to Muhammad Ali to the modern era in Roy
Jones, JR., and Bernard Hopkins, they have all found a home there. The first
fight of the greatest boxing and sporting rivalry of all time took place at
the Garden, when “Smokin” Joe Frazier, Heavyweight Champion of the World at
that time, handed Muhammad Ali his first loss as a professional back in
March 1971.
One thing for certain is that in thirty or forty years time, the history
books will show that one fighter turned the Garden into his fortress, turned
it into a second home, and a fighter who has never been more well received
then any other fighter who stepped into the ring at the Garden, that man,
that fighter is Puerto Rican’s beloved son Miguel Cotto.
Cotto’s love affair with Madison Square Garden began back in June 05 on the
eve of the Puerto Rican day parade when he successfully defended his WBO
Light Welterweight Title against one time amateur rival Mohamad Abdulaev
with a ninth round knockout. Cotto’s debut at the Garden in front of
thousands of Puerto Ricans was a hit and it only seemed right that the
following year again on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade that he once
again defend his championship, only this time against the brash talking New
Yorker undefeated Paulie Malignaggi. The very quick and elusive Malignaggi
had his moments during the fight but Cotto’s brute force was simply too much
for him to handle. A knockdown in the second round gave Cotto the early
advantage and although at times found Malignaggi’s elusiveness difficult to
handle, he managed to bully his way to a unanimous decision leaving
Malignaggi’s face horrendously swollen.
Read More ·
*** Courtesy of
www.ringsidereport.com
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