[sportsfan2006]

By Carlos Guzman
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The Top Rank show hit NYC on Tuesday with all participants of this Saturday’s bout in Atlantic City in attendance. It’s a great show with two welterweight titles on the line. First, the WBA welterweight title is up for grabs as Carlos Quintana and Miguel Cotto, two Puerto Rican fighters, put their unblemished records on the line. Then you have WBO welterweight champion Antonio “Tony” Margaritio, the most-feared champion of the division, defending his title against Joshua Clottey.

At the podium Clottey spoke of going to war, standing in front of Margarito and making the fight. Clottey doesn’t believe Margarito is much of a hitter and is too slow. “I will see what he brings, but I want a war” said Clottey.

In previous articles, I expressed my lack of confidence in Clottey for some of the tools that are missing in his arsenal. But he said something interesting that has me thinking: “For this fight I’m going to use my jab.” Ah, the key tool I’ve been clamoring about. Without a jab, Clottey is a sitting duck. If Clottey can implement a solid jab into his game plan, then this fight will go the distance. Otherwise, Margarito will run over Clottey like he isn’t there. Floyd Mayweather turned down $8 million to fight Margarito, and I think it’s because he knows he is the real deal.

Margarito also spoke about a war, with the idea that it favors him: “I hope he’s a man of his word and comes to war. The fans deserve a good fight. I’m the bigger guy.” Looking at both men side-to-side, I agree with Clottey that although Margarito is taller, Clottey looks like the stronger guy.

In the end, I think Clottey will put up a solid performance, but he drains himself too much to make the weight. I predict Margarito has enough to stop Clottey inside of 8.

Cotto and Quintana approached this conference like an IBM meeting. They were courteous, had nothing bad to say and expressed to the crowd that they are ready. Cotto looked solid at that weight, and surprisingly he was eating food! What about the suspect chin? I think Cotto wil be strong and be more resilient to punches at his new weight. I expect the first couple of rounds to be fought on even terms. Quintana will box and have some success while Cotto grows confidence. The championship rounds will belong to Cotto as he becomes the two-time world champion via unanimous decision. Lets face it, this is a huge step up for Quintana against one of the best fighters in the game. Quintana will falter, but fail valiantly.

Check out what Clottey, Margarito and promoter Bob Arum had to say just days away from this Saturday's doubleheader: http://www.fightbeat.com.

This card will be televised on Showtime.

“El Gato” vs “The Star of David”

My buddy David Selwyin contacted me with an update on the potential Edgar Santana vs Dmitriy Salita bout.

"Dmitriy Salita has declined a February 2007 fight with Edgar Santana that would've landed on HBO's Boxing after Dark series.

"In a conversation I had with Salita last week, Dmitriy stated that the money would be about the same as one of his Broadway Boxing main events and fighting Santana for this amount was not worth the risk."

"He must know about the risk involved because when both were trained by Hector Roca they sparred numerous times. A few witnesses to their sparring sessions said that Santana had no problem with Salita.
Now the word is that Salita has agreed to fight New York state junior welterweight champion Frankie "El Gato" Figueroa. It is not known if this fight will be on HBO.

"Dibella Entertainment has booked The Hammerstein Ballroom for Feb. 17, and the word is that he has to give HBO the two proposed bouts this week. The main event will be Paul Malignaggi vs. TBA."

Thanks, David, for that update. “El Gato” feels relieved his hard worked has finally paid off:

“If everything is finalized and the fight is scheduled on TV, then the nation will get to see me in action. It's about time I work hard for it in the ring and out with my marketing and promoting tactics (talking a lot). I think it's a great opportunity for Salita to show the world that he's finally stepping up to hush his critics. I also think it's a great opportunity for me to show the world that I'm going to perform a display of boxing that's been missing in this sport for a while (entertainment). Mix of quick power, combination and toe-to-toe action, boxing at it's finest. Oh, and not to mention counter-punching."

Fight Night In Tampa

One of boxing’s most accomplished 160-pound fighters returns to action in a middleweight showdown when World Championship Boxing: Winky Wright vs. Ike Quartey and Jeff Lacy vs. Vitali Tsypko is seen live in HD from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on Saturday night (9:45 p.m. ET/6:45 p.m. PT/8:45 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and Emanuel Steward will be ringside for the event.

For the past few years, St. Petersburg resident Wright (50-3-1, 25 KOs) has achieved what previously seemed to elude him during his productive career -- the opportunity to fight the elite boxers in the 154- and 160-pound divisions. Wright’s most recent ring encounter produced a hard-fought 12-round draw with middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in June in Memphis. Now, the slick left-handed vet will showcase his considerable skills against a dangerous foe in front of his Bay area fans.

Quartey (37-3-1, 31 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, is well-known to boxing fans. Having accepted the biggest challenges presented to him at 147 and 154 pounds, he moves up to 160 pounds to challenge the resourceful Wright in a 12-round battle. Wright is a solid favorite on WagerWeb.com.

Sharing the stage in Tampa will be super middleweight Lacy (21-1, 17 KOs), also of nearby St. Petersburg. Lacy last fought Joe Calzaghe in a 168-pound unification fight in Manchester, England, last March. The loss was Lacy’s first professional setback; now he looks to reestablish his credentials.

Squaring off with Lacy in the 10-round super middleweight fight will be Tsypko (17-1, 10 KOs) of Ukraine. Tsypko is a tough, skilled southpaw who first met Lacy in 2004, when their elimination showdown ended with a second round “no-contest” stoppage following an accidental head butt.

More middleweight action will be presented live on HBO a week after the Wright-Quartey showdown in Tampa when middleweight king Taylor defends his title against Kassim Ouma in Little Rock on Dec. 9.


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