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WBA welterweight champ Miguel Cotto (28-0, 23 KOs) returns to his native Puerto Rico to make a mandatory defense of his title against veteran Oktay Urkal (38-3, 12 KOs) of Germany.
The fight will be nothing more than a showcase to build up Cotto's June 9 bout against Zab Judah, scheduled to take place in New York's Madison Square Garden. Urkal is good boxer who's seen better days. At 37-years-old, I'm not sure what he can possibly do to upset Cotto. Even if I turned back the clock by ten years when Urkal was in his prime and a much better fighter, I would not give him a shot at winning.
Most people think Urkal will provide some kind of a test because he gave Kostya Tszyu some tough moments almost six-years ago. As previously stated, the fight with Tszyu was six-years ago. In 2004, he lost back to back bouts to Vivian Harris at 140, and soon after he moved up in weight to beat four fighters that have no signicance in the welterweight division to somehow earn a mandatory shot at Cotto. I'm still scratching my head on that one.
Urkal was stopped once in his career by Harris when they met for the second time in 04. If Urkal is able to last twelve rounds with Cotto, who will be gunning all night for a knockout to pleasse the hometown crowd, it will be a miracle from God. [details]
The fight will be nothing more than a showcase to build up Cotto's June 9 bout against Zab Judah, scheduled to take place in New York's Madison Square Garden. Urkal is good boxer who's seen better days. At 37-years-old, I'm not sure what he can possibly do to upset Cotto. Even if I turned back the clock by ten years when Urkal was in his prime and a much better fighter, I would not give him a shot at winning.
Most people think Urkal will provide some kind of a test because he gave Kostya Tszyu some tough moments almost six-years ago. As previously stated, the fight with Tszyu was six-years ago. In 2004, he lost back to back bouts to Vivian Harris at 140, and soon after he moved up in weight to beat four fighters that have no signicance in the welterweight division to somehow earn a mandatory shot at Cotto. I'm still scratching my head on that one.
Urkal was stopped once in his career by Harris when they met for the second time in 04. If Urkal is able to last twelve rounds with Cotto, who will be gunning all night for a knockout to pleasse the hometown crowd, it will be a miracle from God. [details]