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There's a terrible shortage on articles for this fight.. Here's one. 
Judah Talks Smack In NYC: "Cotto Is A Robot"
During a formal press conference Wednesday afternoon in the old Felt Forum in New York City, Top Rank in association with Prize Fight Promotions announced that the showdown between the former undisputed welterweight champion Zab “Super” Judah and the Puerto Rican welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden on June 9 is official.
“Thirty is the new twenty,” Jay-Z said on the “Thirty-Something” track off of his new album Kingdom Come. Well if that is true then the former three-time world champion Judah, who is just a few months shy of his 30th birthday, has nothing to worry about as he approaches his June 9 scrap with the significantly younger Cotto on the eve of Puerto Rican Day Parade, right? Not so fast.
Judah, (34-4, 2NC, 25 KO’s) of Brooklyn is coming off of a yearlong suspension for his role in the 10th round fracas that occurred in his bout with Floyd Mayweather April 8. And just last Friday, in his first fight back, Judah managed to go less than a full round with journeyman Ruben Galvan, who was cut on his forehead. The bout was ruled a no contest. Age plus inactivity could possibly equal disaster for a fighter making a comeback. Considering that he is going up against arguably the best body puncher in Cotto, what does Judah bring to the table?
“Cotto is a robot,” Judah said, while looking very dapper in the process. “I don’t mean he is a robot as a person. He is a very humble person and I like that. I am talking about his ring style. That’s what is robotic. I went to Puerto Rico to watch his fight with Oktay Urkal and I went to sleep. Now that’s real talk. Cotto is predictable. Zab Judah is unpredictable.”
So what about fighting on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade?
“I will have more Latino fans than him because I live in New York,” Judah said. “I’m surrounded by them. Some of my best friends are Puerto Rican. I go to Red Hook (Brooklyn), to Harlem Uptown (Spanish Harlem), to the L.E.S. (Lower East Side of Manhattan). (All of which are predominantly Latin neighborhoods.) I got a huge Latino fan base in New York.”
Cotto disagreed with Judah’s assertion.
“All I have to say is that I am Puerto Rican,” he said stoically.
This will mark the third consecutive year that Cotto (29-0, 24 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will headline Madison Square Garden, the ‘Mecca of Boxing’ on the eve of the parade. Last year Cotto defeated the previously unbeaten Paulie Malignaggi to retain his junior welterweight title in front of a near capacity crowd. Cotto eventually went on to win the vacant WBA welterweight title last December when he stopped Carlos “El Indio” Quintana in five rounds. In his subsequent fight Cotto successfully defended his prestigious trinket via an 11th round TKO over Urkal. Cotto, who was as quoted as saying, “I want the big names,” in his post fight interview, has gotten his wish. So now the time to walk the talk is here.
Cotto acknowledges that Judah will be his best opponent thus far. “I know that he is a good boxer and he is looking to resume his career. But they [Team Judah] choose the wrong guy to do it against. It’s Miguel Cotto’s time now. I have been waiting a long time for the “big fights”. I have worked hard and now it’s finally paying off. I am going to make the most out of every opportunity presented to me,” he said.
So exactly how much better is Cotto as a fighter now that he is a full-fledged welterweight? “I feel better, stronger, with more stamina at 147 pounds than 140," said Cotto.
That may well be so, but Judah is just as strong, if not stronger. “But the strongest thing about me is my mind,” Cotto answered.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Judah can maintain his composure if things don’t go his way during the fight.
“You can trust me to keep a cool head,” Judah told TSS. “The year did me good. I have learned my lesson.”
Keep in mind that Judah said the same thing after being reinstated, six months after assaulting referee Jay Nady. (This happened after being knocked out by Kostya Tszyu.)
Judah Talks Smack In NYC: "Cotto Is A Robot"
During a formal press conference Wednesday afternoon in the old Felt Forum in New York City, Top Rank in association with Prize Fight Promotions announced that the showdown between the former undisputed welterweight champion Zab “Super” Judah and the Puerto Rican welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden on June 9 is official.
“Thirty is the new twenty,” Jay-Z said on the “Thirty-Something” track off of his new album Kingdom Come. Well if that is true then the former three-time world champion Judah, who is just a few months shy of his 30th birthday, has nothing to worry about as he approaches his June 9 scrap with the significantly younger Cotto on the eve of Puerto Rican Day Parade, right? Not so fast.
Judah, (34-4, 2NC, 25 KO’s) of Brooklyn is coming off of a yearlong suspension for his role in the 10th round fracas that occurred in his bout with Floyd Mayweather April 8. And just last Friday, in his first fight back, Judah managed to go less than a full round with journeyman Ruben Galvan, who was cut on his forehead. The bout was ruled a no contest. Age plus inactivity could possibly equal disaster for a fighter making a comeback. Considering that he is going up against arguably the best body puncher in Cotto, what does Judah bring to the table?
“Cotto is a robot,” Judah said, while looking very dapper in the process. “I don’t mean he is a robot as a person. He is a very humble person and I like that. I am talking about his ring style. That’s what is robotic. I went to Puerto Rico to watch his fight with Oktay Urkal and I went to sleep. Now that’s real talk. Cotto is predictable. Zab Judah is unpredictable.”
So what about fighting on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade?
“I will have more Latino fans than him because I live in New York,” Judah said. “I’m surrounded by them. Some of my best friends are Puerto Rican. I go to Red Hook (Brooklyn), to Harlem Uptown (Spanish Harlem), to the L.E.S. (Lower East Side of Manhattan). (All of which are predominantly Latin neighborhoods.) I got a huge Latino fan base in New York.”
Cotto disagreed with Judah’s assertion.
“All I have to say is that I am Puerto Rican,” he said stoically.
This will mark the third consecutive year that Cotto (29-0, 24 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will headline Madison Square Garden, the ‘Mecca of Boxing’ on the eve of the parade. Last year Cotto defeated the previously unbeaten Paulie Malignaggi to retain his junior welterweight title in front of a near capacity crowd. Cotto eventually went on to win the vacant WBA welterweight title last December when he stopped Carlos “El Indio” Quintana in five rounds. In his subsequent fight Cotto successfully defended his prestigious trinket via an 11th round TKO over Urkal. Cotto, who was as quoted as saying, “I want the big names,” in his post fight interview, has gotten his wish. So now the time to walk the talk is here.
Cotto acknowledges that Judah will be his best opponent thus far. “I know that he is a good boxer and he is looking to resume his career. But they [Team Judah] choose the wrong guy to do it against. It’s Miguel Cotto’s time now. I have been waiting a long time for the “big fights”. I have worked hard and now it’s finally paying off. I am going to make the most out of every opportunity presented to me,” he said.
So exactly how much better is Cotto as a fighter now that he is a full-fledged welterweight? “I feel better, stronger, with more stamina at 147 pounds than 140," said Cotto.
That may well be so, but Judah is just as strong, if not stronger. “But the strongest thing about me is my mind,” Cotto answered.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Judah can maintain his composure if things don’t go his way during the fight.
“You can trust me to keep a cool head,” Judah told TSS. “The year did me good. I have learned my lesson.”
Keep in mind that Judah said the same thing after being reinstated, six months after assaulting referee Jay Nady. (This happened after being knocked out by Kostya Tszyu.)
Very true.
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