Quoted from ESPN Boxing.com: "Two of Top Rank's biggest stars, middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik and former welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto, are planning their next fights after coming off losses. Top Rank's Bob Arum told ESPN.com he's planning their returns for Feb. 21 in an unusual split-site pay-per-view card. It would feature Cotto, in his first fight since being stopped by Antonio Margarito in July, at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall with the three leading candidates to face him being England's Michael Jennings for the welterweight belt Paul Williams vacated last week, ex-titlist Kermit Cintron or fringe contender Jesus Soto Karass. Following Cotto's match, the action would shift to the Chevy Center in Youngstown, Ohio, where Pavlik, coming off a nontitle light heavyweight loss to Bernard Hopkins in October, would make a hometown mandatory defense against Marco Antonio Rubio. Arum said HBO and Showtime passed on the doubleheader, which is why he's planning a PPV. "They have the right to turn down any fight they want and I have the right to do any fight I want," Arum said. A Cotto victory would likely propel him into a summer rematch with Margarito." Now thats a PPV fight worth buying! :happy:good:bbb
That's a crap PPV if Cotto faces Jennings. It would be two mismtaches. It's not surprising that Showtime and HBO are passing on it.
I have to agree - this will be a nice card. Too bad HBO & SHO passed on it. Would rather get this for free - rather than paying for it - but either way - I'll be watching.
That wod be great. Although I hope Cotto fight Cintron, probably thertoughest test out of the lot. Not assed about Pavlik, if he is fighting after Cotto I will probably just go to bed.
I'd SO much rather see this on Versus or ESPN than PPV...Just because Pavlik and Cotto need more exposure on a major basis and PPV isn't it. Assuming we could sandwich some decent undecard fights on the card, I can deal. ALSO Cotto is above Pavlik in terms of draw power...why would HE be on the undercard?
The fact that it's a double header only just compensates for the fact that they're both fighting relative no-hopers. Still, it'll be nice to see Kelly bash another novice up as he did Lockett.
Rubio is a mandatory (an awful one at that but most of MW is awful) and Jennings would be for a title so that's kind of a stuck issue for both of them. In a perfect world it'd be Abraham vs Pavlik coupled with Cotto vs Clottey but alas...nothing doing there.
on paper it looks nice, Cotto and Pavlik to both fight on the same night but the reality is if their splitting ppv money their oponents will be got on the cheap. I think its the matches HBO and Showtime mustve past on, even though both guys kinda need a gimme to get over their previous fights. So as far as I can see Cotto will def be fighting Jennings for the vacant WBO belt, and Pavlik will fight the easiest guy in the top 15... Sounds like $50 for a coupla mismatches, this should be on Free tv.
Kelly could have choose to have this fight in Cleveland drawing over 13,000 himself. However, he is choosing to have it here in Y-town at the chevy centre that will only seat approx 6,500, to give back to his fans who have traveled 1000's of miles to see him. He is taking a cut in pay for this fight.
JSK is being considered for a Cotto opponent??? :scaredas: Oh man, I'd be torn in that one. On the one hand, I'd hate to see the great momentum Jesus has built up spoiled by a wounded lion on the comeback trail; on the other a loss for Cotto would be devastating (and not unthinkable - I've long said JSK has the tools to develop into an even better version of Margarito...not sure how close he is now, or by Feb. 21...) :think