The Neutral Corner

Marcus Henry

After overcoming a setback with his broken wrist, IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi will take on English star and Ring Magazine 140-pound champion Ricky Hatton in a unification bout on November 22 at the MGM Grand.

“I am thrilled to be involved in the biggest 140-pound fight of ’08," Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) said in a statement."This will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which makes it all the more exciting. Las Vegas’ nickname is the “City of Lights”, so it is only fitting that on November 22, 2008 “The Magic Man” will be lighting “The Hitman” up all over the MGM Grand Garden Arena.”

Hatton (44-1, 31 KOs), suffered the first loss of his career to Floyd Mayweather in a welterweight bout 2007. But he came back with a unanimous-decision win over Juan Lazcano last May.

“I am looking forward to returning to America, fighting again at the MGM Grand and challenging Maglignaggi for his title,” Hatton said in a press release. “Las Vegas is like a second home to me. The fans treat me like gold and I promise them another exciting value for money fight.”

HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito welterweight title fight this Saturday, Aug. 2 at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team, which was ringside for the live event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will call all the action. The replay will be available in HDTV. It will be part of a doubleheader that will include the previously announced welterweight title bout between welterweights Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey.

-- CASSIDY

Miguel Cotto, left, battles Antonio Margarito

Maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr. was on to something? Sugar Shane Mosley too. Both of these future Hall-of-Famers turned down fights against Antonio Margarito.

Give Miguel Cotto credit. He took a fight that many top boxers avoided. But he ended up paying a stiff price, a punishing TKO loss that cost him his WBA welterweight title. Margarito stopped Cotto in the 11th round Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden. He dropped Cotto twice and
the champion's corner stopped the fight with 55 seconds left in the round.

(Click through photos of the Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto fight here)

Cotto was 32-0 entering the fight and had been extremely impressive since moving up in weight and capturing the WBA welterweight title in December of 2006. The rise from 140 pounds seemed to invigorate his career.

But at the end of the day, Margarito (37-5) was bigger and stronger. He turned pro at the age of 15 in Mexico and always fought near the welterweight limit (147). In fact, some of his fights came at 154 pounds. In contrast, Cotto turned pro at lightweight (135 pounds). Margarito is the more natural welterweight and that was the difference.

The one fault in Cotto the fighter always appeared to be his chin. And while he withstood some heavy shots, Margarito's power and relentless attack was too much for him to take. Margarito, however, was able to absorb all of Cotto's power.

The win moves Margarito into position to face Oscar De La Hoya in what could be the final fight of Oscar's career. There was speculation that Cotto would be that opponent, now the most obvious choice in Margarito. Oscar has fought nearly every great fighters of his era (aside from Winky Wright), it will be interesting to see if he is a bit more selective when it comes to Margarito. -- CASSIDY

Through six rounds, Cotto is winning. Instead of meeting Margarito in the middle of the ring, Cotto is making Margarito chase him. Margarito is paying the price.

After six rounds: Cotto 58, Margarito 56

Round 7: Cotto was seriously hurt in the seventh after a series of uppercuts from Margarito. Margarito's pressure is getting to Cotto. Margarito certainly won round seven.

After seven rounds: Cotto 67, Margarito 66

Round 8: Cotto gained a measure of control and side stepped much of Margarito's power shots, but it's getting tougher and tougher for Cotto.

After eight rounds: Cotto 77, Margarito 75

Round 9: Cotto looks tired, but he's landing the cleaner shots, including several unanswered flurries. Margarito needs to get more aggressive and land more power shots.

After nine rounds: Cotto 87, Margarito 84

Round 10: Cotto was sticking and moving in the 10th and was winning the round until Margarito hurt him with a body shot with less than 40 seconds left. Margarito stole the round late, but he'll still need a knockout to win it.

After 10 rounds: Cotto 96, Margarito 94

Round 11: It's over. A tiring Cotto could not deal with Margarito's relentless attacks. Cotto doubled over after a hard shot from Margarito. After a quick recovery, Margarito came back again and Cotto just gave in. 2:05 into the 11th.

It was a great win for Margarito as his pressure was just too much for Cotto. Margarito's willingness to bide his time until he found an opening served him well. And again, I tip my hat to my friend and colleague Bobby Cassidy, who predicted a 10th-round TKO by Margarito. It was a round late, but nonetheless as close to accurate as you can get without being right on the money.

I really thought Cotto would catch Margarito in the sixth or seventh with a left hook. But Margarito showed his mettle and withstood Cotto's best shots. Margarito's win leaves the welterweight division wide open, especially with Floyd Mayweather retired.

As for Margarito's immediate future, who knows? But Margarito, based on his post-fight comments, appears to want to step in the ring with Oscar De La Hoya in an all Mexican affair. If not that, Paul Williams, who beat Margarito, is still out there.

-MARCUS HENRY

On Saturday, at 9 p.m., Miguel Cotto takes on Antonio Margarito in a welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Here are Newsday's predictions:

Wallace Matthews: I like Cotto by decision in a terrific fight because he just does more things better than Margarito does, and the move up to 147 has made him a much better and more durable fighter than he was at 140. Margarito has a great chin which is why I think this one goes the distance, but his attack is too limited and dependent on the left hook for him to beat Cotto.

Marcus Henry: This fight is being billed as the fight of the year. And for good reason. With Floyd Mayweather "retired", Cotto was instantly touted the best welterweight in the world. He'll get a chance to prove it in what should be a great matchup. For Margarito, it's the fight of his career. With no big-time wins under his belt, Margarito needs to put on a good showing. But I doubt that will be the case. Margarito hasn't faced a fighter with the power of Cotto. Margarito's aggressiveness and power should serve him well, but Cotto has one of the toughest chins in the business. In 32 career fights Cotto has been hurt seriously twice (Ricardo Torres, DeMarcus Corley). But in both fights he recovered quickly and won by knockout. This fight will be brutal and bloody. But Margarito will walk into one. Cotto by knockout in round 6.

Mario Gonzalez: I think it will be a brutal fight with plenty of close rounds between Cotto and Margarito. In the end, I think Cotto will pull out the victory by a split decision.

Mike Rose: The Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has a tremendous history in boxing. I expect this fight to be another great one in the rivalry. While Margarito is a very good fighter, Cotto is better. Cotto can box and he moves well. I think Cotto can counter what will be an undoubtedly relentless attack by Margarito by using his jab. Cotto needs to have a fast start -- something he doesn't always do. Margarito will look to gain momentum and win rounds early because once Cotto gets going he is unstoppable. Margarito is the stronger puncher, but I think Cotto's skill wins the fight. Cotto by unanimous decision.

Bobby Cassidy: This is a tremendous matchup, one of the best the sport has to offer right now. And I agree with Mike Rose, this will only bolster the great rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican champions. Cotto is one of the hottest fighters in the game. He has power and speed and a tremendous left hook. But the fact that Cotto has been hurt by lesser punchers than Margarito -- Torres, Corley and Judah -- says a lot. His one weakness aligns perfectly with Margarito's greatest strength. Power. I think it will be a war, but Margarito scores a 10th-round TKO to upset Cotto.

Jose Moreno: This fight will pit Cotto’s boxing ability against the chaos that is Margarito. While Cotto has the power and stamina to rumble with anyone in his weight class, he will try to dictate the pace of the fight by controlling a “safe” distance with a jab or three punch combo. Margarito wants exactly the opposite. He needs chaos and a close brawl where he can use his unorthodox punching angles to overwhelm Cotto with a constant barrage of punches. But Margarito should be careful. If (and when) Margarito swarms him, Cotto has the ability to land his patented and devastating left hook to the body. While Cotto hasn’t faced anyone of Margarito’s intensity, his wins over Zab Judah and Shane Mosely are evidence of his superior boxing technique as well as his ability to adapt. Cotto will win by decision.

Roy Jones Jr. issued a statement through boxing publicity boss Ed Keenan after Joe Calzaghe injured his hand and had to postpone their September 20 fight at Madison Square Garden.

Here is what Roy had to say:

“It sounds to me as though Joe has a normal and usual injury. He had shown some concern recently about his hand not being ready. I still wanted to move forward with the September date, since HBO had already laid out the red carpet for a pay-per-view success when we took the De La Hoya-Mayweather date. But I don’t want him to be no less that his best – so if this is what it takes for that, then so be it.”

Jones and Calzaghe may ultimately meet now in November:

“I have been informed by my people at Square Ring that the fight will most likely be rescheduled for November 8, 2008 on HBO Pay-Per-View at Madison Square Garden. I am glad we are close to being able to put together a new date for the fight within 24 hours of learning of Joe’s injury. I am thankful that the people at HBO and Madison Square Garden were able to open things up for us.”

Jones' twist is to fight for two world titles in the same night:

“I had originally proposed something kind of different for this fight. And that is that Joe and I would first weigh-in for the fight at 168 and fight for Joe’s Super Middleweight titles. Then we would step off the scales, drink some water and weigh-in again at more than 168 so that we could also fight for Joe’s Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight title. I only recall this happening once before, in the Leonard/Lalonde fight and I think it would really add something unique to the promotion. Joe initially expressed concern about his ability to make 168 by September 19, but now that we have another 7 weeks, I hope that he will go for it and that the WBA, WBO and the WBC will sanction it.”

On November 7, 1988, twenty years and one day ago from the new proposed fight date, Sugar Ray Leonard and Donny Lalonde fought for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight title and the WBC Light Heavyweight title. Leonard was knocked down early in the fight, but then stopped Lalonde at 2:30 of round 9.

-- CASSIDY

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that the Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones fight, scheduled for Sept. 20 at Madison Square Garden, is off because Calzaghe, the light heavyweight champion, injured his right wrist punching the heavy bag over the weekend.

Rafael reports that the fight could be rescheduled for November.

-- MR

Szuzina, left, and Miceli at a Ring 8 function

First it was Franz Szuzina and now Joe Miceli. They were a pair of contenders who boxed in an era when the word contender meant something.

It meant they were stars in boxing.

Both men have passed away and the Long Island boxing community has lost two of its finest veterans.

Szuzina, a middleweight, died June 29 at the age of 77 at St. Francis Hospital of complications stemming from open-heart surgery he had in May. Szuzina resided in Rockville Centre.

Miceli, a welterweight and middleweight, died on July 19 at the age of 80. He had been battling lung cancer since February. Miceli resided in Brentwood.

Szuzina was born December 29, 1939 in Bremen, Germany and turned pro there in 1950. He made his way to New York by 1956 and immediately established himself as a force in the 160-pound division. But Franz often fought bigger men. He lost to Gustav Scholz, who would later challenge Hall-of-Famer Harold Johnson for the light heavyweight title. Franz won a decision over Willi Besmanoff, who would rise in weight and fight legends like Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston and Archie Moore.

Franz once told me, "We all watched American fighters like Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson. In Germany, the idol was Max Schmeling. I met him many times. He was a hell of a nice guy. I became the German Youth Champion and then I turned pro. I fought everyone, heavyweights, light heavyweights and I was really just a big welterweight. Someone told me, ‘Get away from that manager, he’s going to get you killed.’ ... I fought Virgil Akins in his hometown and I fought Joey Giardello three times. After my fight with Giardello in Washington, the crowd was very unhappy with the decision. There was almost a riot. I was supposed to fight Bobo Olson for the title. That’s why I came here, to fight for the title. But it never happened."

Franz fought nothing but tough guys -- often in their own backyards -- while compiling a record 48-23-14 (24). He held wins over Randy Sandy, welterweight champ Virgil Akins and Charley Cotton. He also fought Hall-of-Famer Joey Giardello, Rory Calhoun, Spider Webb and Henry Hank. He retired in 1961.

The same for Miceli. Joe's 110-bout career stretched from 1948 to 1961. He fought in 19 different states, plus the District of Columbia, as well as Cuba, Argentina and Canada. Miceli played all of boxing's grandest venues -- Madison Square Garden, the Olympic Auditorium, Legion Stadium, Chicago Stadium, St. Nicholas Arena, Boston Garden, War Memorial, Miami Beach Auditorium, The Arena in Philly and a lot more.

Throughout his career, Miceli fought a dozen world champions and six Hall of Famers. He met the best in the lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions and 37 of his fights were televised. Here is his ledger against Hall-of-Famers - Ike Williams (Joe beat him 2-out-of-3), Kid Gavilan (Joe lost a split decision at the Garden), Gene Fullmer (L), Joey Giardello (Draw), Luis Rodriguez (L) and Curtis Cokes (L).

I had many conversations with Miceli and his family. I remember him telling this story about fighting Ike Williams: "When I beat Ike Williams the first time, that was the biggest thrill of my life. He was lightweight champ of the world and we fought a 10-round non-title fight in Milwaukee. I saw him fight on television and he was tall, lanky and a hard puncher. I thought to myself, this guy is a great fighter, never thinking that I was going to fight him. I was still growing then. I was 139, 140 pounds. They knew I was a strong kid but a guy like Ike Williams doesn't fear nobody. I just went in against him and fought my heart out. I was young then and I had all the stamina I needed. He was a complete boxer. He did everything well, including punch. I was 21 years old and I beat the champ of the world. I was shocked myself. He gave me a rematch but never for the title."

Both Miceli and Szuzina were members of Ring 8 in New York.

They will be greatly missed.

-- CASSIDY

According to a report by the Associated Press, welterweight Oscar Diaz should survive his brain injury. The fighter remains in critical but stable condition.

The story quotes Dr. David Jimenez saying, "Overall, I think ultimately he should survive the injury and should recover."

The doctor, however, was cautious, saying, it's too early to tell whether the 25-year-old Diaz, who collapsed before the 11th round of the televised fight, will be able to lead a normal life.

"I think the fact that he's young, the fact that he's healthy, the fact that he doesn't have a whole lot of medical problems, is on his side," said Jimenez, who removed a piece of Diaz's skull to relieve brain swelling.

-- CASSIDY