Cintron "'I'm nobody's steppingstone"

Cintron: 'I'm nobody's steppingstone'

By Lyle Fitzsimmons
Reading Eagle correspondent

On one side of the ring, there's a hard-hitting prospect with a long knockout streak who's among the latest flavors of the month for boxing-interested cable television networks.

And on the other side, there's Kermit Cintron.

The Wyomissing resident - in spite of a 30-2-1 professional record, 27 wins by knockout and an 18-month reign as welterweight world champion that ended just last year - recognizes his perceived role in Hollywood, Fla., this weekend is one of bit player . . . not leading man.

But that doesn't mean he has to like it.

"I'm nobody's steppingstone; I'm nobody's opponent," a defiant Cintron said as he wound down prep work for Saturday night's bout with unbeaten junior middleweight Alfredo Angulo, to be broadcast as part of HBO's "Boxing After Dark" from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at 9:45 p.m.

"Sure, it's motivating to be thought of in that way. Of course it is," Cintron said. "And I'm going down there to do a job. It's my job to make sure I'm victorious and my job to show people that my time in this sport is not done. We'll see what happens, but I'm saying they made a mistake picking me for an opponent."

The fight is Cintron's third since April 2008 when he lost his IBF title by sixth-round knockout to Antonio Margarito, the since-disgraced Mexican slugger who was suspended following a January loss to Shane Mosley for having illegal material in his hand wraps.

Margarito was also responsible for Cintron's other loss, via fifth-round TKO, in April 2005.

"I leave all that alone," Cintron said. "Only God knows if he did things against me that he wasn't supposed to be doing, and the bottom line is that he's getting punished now and I'm still out there doing my thing. (The losses) might have hurt my career a little bit, but I still have one right now."

He returned seven months after the second defeat and took a wide decision from Lovemore N'dou in an elimination bout for another shot at the IBF championship, most recently held by Joshua Clottey.

Subsequent negotiations with Clottey stalled, however, prompting Cintron to step up to 154 pounds for a more lucrative match with WBC interim champion Sergio Martinez. Their bout in February ended in a draw, though most ringside media members had Martinez well ahead.

The Reading Eagle scored it 115-111 for Martinez.

Reports in February indicated Cintron's purse for the Martinez fight was $200,000, compared to the $125,000 he stood to make at that point by agreeing to meet Clottey.

Clottey, who has since vacated the IBF title, will fight WBO champion Miguel Cotto in a Madison Square Garden main event June 13.

"I have no regrets taking the path that I took," Cintron said.

Angulo, a native Mexican now living in California, turned pro as a middleweight in 2005 and won decisions in three of his first four fights through March 2006.

He moved to 154 pounds and scored a one-round KO over Javier Arce four months later, beginning a stoppage streak that reached 11 with his fifth-round TKO of Cosme Rivera in February - on the same show where Cintron fought Martinez.

At 5-10, he is 1 inch shorter than Cintron, and, at age 26, three years younger.

"If I go out there and just be myself, I know I'm capable of doing it," Cintron said. "If I knew I couldn't beat him, I wouldn't have opted to take the fight. But I'm very confident of what I can still do in this sport. If I beat Angulo, the money will be there, and the fights will be there."

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Thoughts?


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awww how cute, you guys are kissing and making up!!!

love is in the air

 

So what do you think of Cintron's chances?

AKA(taking the high road)

 

I think that is the logical prediction, but Kermit can punch really, really hard so we will see.