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GL: Can you give us some thoughts on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito promotion? "I'm really excited about the fight. I think it's going to be tremendous and I can't wait to see it. The response at the box office has been absolutely incredible. In the first half hour, they sold almost a million dollars worth of tickets. We're looking to have a sell out within a week. The response in Mexico City and Los Angeles, and now we had a great press conference in New York, has been tremendous and we're looking forward to the one in San Juan tomorrow."
GL: Can you give us some thoughts on this fight's significance?
Bob Arum: "The reason this is such a great fight is because there are fighters who are defensive fighters and there are fighters who are offensive fighters. When you get two really skilled offensive fighters against each other you get dynamite explosive fights and that's what this is going to be. Neither guy fights backing up, they both fight going forward so you're going have a tremendous fight. When you have an offensive fighter and a defensive one you have good fights but it's not as exciting as watching two guys go after each other."
GL: Do you think this fight goes the distance?
BA: "I think so. They've both got good chins. Cotto looked like his chin was questionable early on, but that was because he was struggling to make 140. Now that he's been fighting at 147, he's been taking some good shots and they haven't moved him. Margarito got a chin like granite. I'm not predicting that the fight ends in a knockout, I think there's a good chance the fight goes an exciting twelve rounds."
GL: You've had a front row seat to all of Cotto and Margarito's big fights. Who do you like to win?
BA: "I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out."
GL: (starts laughing)
BA: "I really can't and that's the truth. I can't figure it out because these two guys at their best are really close because, I would think if you had to give somebody a slight edge it would have to be Cotto because he's a better boxer, but I don't know."
GL: Who will be on the undercard?
BA: "The undercard bouts will be three action packed match-ups. I want to showcase some of my younger talent, but not in bull**** fights. I'm definitely going to have this Bernabe Concepcion my 122-pounder. I think he's a future star and the successor to Pacquiao. Mike Alvarado will also be on the show in a real tough fight and Bruce is going to make a third fight, I don't know who yet."
GL: June 7 is right around the corner, can you give us some thoughts on the Pavlik-Lockett promotion?
BA: "Kelly is training dilligently and so is the Welshman. I think that's going to be a surprisingly good fight. I know people are looking at that as a easy win for Kelly, but I think Lockett is a tough customer and I think it's going to be an interesting fight. The undercard bout on that show with Ponce De Leon and Juan Manuel Lopez is going to be absolutely sensational."
GL: In your opinion where does the winner of Cotto-Margarito stand in the welterweight division?
BA: "I think #1. I don't consider Floyd Mayweather in the welterweight division. I don't consider him to be a real fighter who fights other fighters. I think the winner of this fight will be #1. Zab Judah is going to be fighting Joshua Clottey for the vacant IBF title. Todd talked to Zab's manager today and hopefully that fight will take place on August 2nd on HBO Boxing After Dark."
GL: Where?
BA: "We're looking into the Casino's in Connecticut."
GL: Closing thoughts?
BA: "We're looking at some great fights. On June 28, we've got Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz and that's really heating up and it's going to be a helluva battle. The Cotto-Margarito fight everybody knows is going to be a battle. There's good fights. Assuming Clottey-Judah gets made, which I believe it will that's another good fight for the fans. On July 5 we have Kendall Holt and Ricardo Torres going at it in a rematch of their controversial fight and that should be a terrific fight."
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GL: Can you give us some thoughts on this fight's significance?
Bob Arum: "The reason this is such a great fight is because there are fighters who are defensive fighters and there are fighters who are offensive fighters. When you get two really skilled offensive fighters against each other you get dynamite explosive fights and that's what this is going to be. Neither guy fights backing up, they both fight going forward so you're going have a tremendous fight. When you have an offensive fighter and a defensive one you have good fights but it's not as exciting as watching two guys go after each other."
GL: Do you think this fight goes the distance?
BA: "I think so. They've both got good chins. Cotto looked like his chin was questionable early on, but that was because he was struggling to make 140. Now that he's been fighting at 147, he's been taking some good shots and they haven't moved him. Margarito got a chin like granite. I'm not predicting that the fight ends in a knockout, I think there's a good chance the fight goes an exciting twelve rounds."
GL: You've had a front row seat to all of Cotto and Margarito's big fights. Who do you like to win?
BA: "I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out."
GL: (starts laughing)
BA: "I really can't and that's the truth. I can't figure it out because these two guys at their best are really close because, I would think if you had to give somebody a slight edge it would have to be Cotto because he's a better boxer, but I don't know."
GL: Who will be on the undercard?
BA: "The undercard bouts will be three action packed match-ups. I want to showcase some of my younger talent, but not in bull**** fights. I'm definitely going to have this Bernabe Concepcion my 122-pounder. I think he's a future star and the successor to Pacquiao. Mike Alvarado will also be on the show in a real tough fight and Bruce is going to make a third fight, I don't know who yet."
GL: June 7 is right around the corner, can you give us some thoughts on the Pavlik-Lockett promotion?
BA: "Kelly is training dilligently and so is the Welshman. I think that's going to be a surprisingly good fight. I know people are looking at that as a easy win for Kelly, but I think Lockett is a tough customer and I think it's going to be an interesting fight. The undercard bout on that show with Ponce De Leon and Juan Manuel Lopez is going to be absolutely sensational."
GL: In your opinion where does the winner of Cotto-Margarito stand in the welterweight division?
BA: "I think #1. I don't consider Floyd Mayweather in the welterweight division. I don't consider him to be a real fighter who fights other fighters. I think the winner of this fight will be #1. Zab Judah is going to be fighting Joshua Clottey for the vacant IBF title. Todd talked to Zab's manager today and hopefully that fight will take place on August 2nd on HBO Boxing After Dark."
GL: Where?
BA: "We're looking into the Casino's in Connecticut."
GL: Closing thoughts?
BA: "We're looking at some great fights. On June 28, we've got Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz and that's really heating up and it's going to be a helluva battle. The Cotto-Margarito fight everybody knows is going to be a battle. There's good fights. Assuming Clottey-Judah gets made, which I believe it will that's another good fight for the fans. On July 5 we have Kendall Holt and Ricardo Torres going at it in a rematch of their controversial fight and that should be a terrific fight."
http://**********.com/pag/article15763.html