Sunday, April 13, 2008 Quijano: RP versus Mexico? No, it's PR versus Mexico By Jingo Quijano Last Round
LONG before the much hyped Mexico vs. Philippines rivalry in boxing, Puerto Ricans boxers have been holding their own against their Mexican counterparts. This has resulted in several exciting, if not brutal wars over the years, fights that can only be labeled as classics.
And this is quite impressive considering that Puerto Rico’s demographics do not even come within punching range (less than four four million to more than a hundred for Mexico.)
Think Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez. Gomez vs. Lupe Pintor. Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Hector Camacho. Camacho vs. Bazooka Limon. Trinidad vs. Vargas (or dela Hoya).
Today, we are privileged to get not one, but two installments of this riveting conflict between these two ethnic groups with rich boxing traditions, as only these hombres can dish out.
What’s even more exciting is that any of these fights are potential fight-of-the-year candidates and they are duking it out at the hottest weight division in boxing today, welterweight.
MIGUEL COTTO (31-0, 25 KOs) VS. ALFONSO GOMEZ (18-3, 8 KOs).
It’s not going to be a leisurely stroll in the park for undefeated Puerto Rican phenom Miguel Cotto. There’s one bad Mexican dude waiting in the bushes to ambush him and he thinks he is “mas macho” than Miguel.
Gomez first came into prominence during the boxing reality show “The Contender”. He upset early tournament favorite Peter Manfredo Jr. in the first round and went on to cop third place.
In his most impressive performance, Gomez stopped Arturo Gatti in seven rounds, sending the latter into retirement. And fittingly so, as Gomez could be the new Arturo Gatti. He doesn’t like to take a backward step, has heavy hands and likes to bang and grind it out to the finish.
This young kid has never been stopped and seems to shine in situations when he is least expected to. He wasn’t supposed to win against Manfredo the first time, and everybody expected Gatti to outwit the young upstart.
Gomez seems to possess the uncanny ability to morph his skills to another level as the need arises.
A plus factor for him going into this fight is his height and reach advantage over Cotto. This also served him well against Gatti and if he is able to find his range, Cotto might be in for the fight of his life.
Gomez has also fought previously as a middleweight and junior middle, and so he will definitely be the bigger man in the ring.
Be that as it may, I would have to pick Cotto to win via late stoppage, probably in the 11th round. Miguel didn’t get to where he is right now if he was not an intelligent fighter. His victories over Zab Judah and Sugar Shane Mosley weren’t exactly blowouts and it was his ring savvy which enabled him to make proper adjustments mid-fight and turn the tide in his favor.
Hide the women and children. It’s going to be a war.
ANTONIO MARGARITO (35-5, 25KOs) VS. KERMIT “The Killer” CINTRON (29-1, 27KOs)
The last time out, Margarito showed he had more kill in him than “The Killer” with a stunning fifth round knockout. But since then, the Puerto Rican kayo artist has added five more stoppages to his resume.
In the interim, Margarito lost his WBO welterweight belt to Paul Williams but bounced back nicely with a first round knockout over Golden Johnson
Kermit likes to come forward behind a thudding jab to set up his big right hands while Margarito likes to bang and sneak in that monstrous uppercut which has served him quite well on several occasions
Sometimes it’s difficult to explain, but some fighters just have the other’s number. And no matter how many times they meet, the result is going to be the same. This could be the case with Margarito and Cintron.
Margarito by knockout in seven.
THE LAST ROUND. It’s on my Latagaw brod, Atty. Reinerio “Yo” Miranda Jr. for passing the Bar exams. Cheers compañero!
