Marquez-Diaz Head To Head

When: Saturday, July 31

Where: Las Vegas 

TV: HBO Pay-per-view, 6 p.m. PT / 9 pm. ET

Weight: Lightweight (135 pounds)

Title(s) at stake: Marquez’s RING magazine championship (and WBA and WBO titles)

Also on the card: Daniel Jacobs vs. Dmitry Pirog, 12 rounds, for vacant WBO middleweight title; Robert Guerrero vs. Joel Casamayor, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Sakio Bika vs. Jean Paul Mendy, 12 rounds, super middleweights; Jorge Linares vs. Rocky Juarez, 10 rounds, lightweights.


MARQUEZ

The essentials

Age: 36
Height / Reach: 5-7 (170cm) / 67 (170cm)
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Turned pro: 1993
Record: 50-5-1 (37 knockouts)
Trainer: Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain
The Ring rating: Lightweight world champion


Titles: IBF featherweight (2003-05; was stripped of title); WBA featherweight (2003-05; was stripped of title); WBO interim featherweight (2006; vacated to move up in weight); WBC super featherweight (2007-08; lost title to Manny Pacquiao); THE RING world lightweight title (2008-present).


Biggest victories: Marco Antonio Barrera, March 17, 2007, UD 12 (to win WBC super featherweight title); Joel Casamayor, Sept. 13, 2008, TKO 11 (to win THE RING world lightweight title); Juan Diaz, Feb. 28, 2009, TKO 9.


Worst losses / draw: Freddy Norwood, Sept. 11, 1999, UD 12 (for Norwood’s WBA featherweight title); Manny Pacquiao, May 8, 2004, draw 12; Chris John, March 4, 2006, UD 12 (for John’s WBA featherweight title); Pacquiao, March 15, 2008, SD 12 (lost junior lightweight title); Floyd Mayweather Jr., Sept. 19, 2009, UD 12.


DIAZ

The essentials

Age: 26
Height / reach: 5-6 (168cm) / 67 (170cm)
Stance: Orthodox
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Nickname: Baby Bull
Turned pro: 2000
Record: 35-3 (17 knockouts)
Trainer: Ronnie Shields 
The Ring rating: None

Titles: WBA lightweight (2004-08; lost it to Nate Campbell); WBO lightweight (2007-08; lost it to Campbell); IBF lightweight (2007-08; lost it to Campbell).


Biggest victories: Acelino Freitas, April 28, 2007, RTD 8 (for Freitas’s WBO lightweight title); Julio Diaz, Oct. 13, 2007, TKO 9 (for Diaz’s IBF lightweight title); Michael Katsidis, Sept. 6, 2008, SD 12; Paullie Malignaggi, Aug. 22, 2009, UD 12.


Losses: Nate Campbell, March 8, 2008, SD 12 (for his WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight titles); Juan Manuel Marquez, Feb. 28, 2009, TKO 9; Paulie Malignaggi, Dec. 12, 2009, UD 12.

HEAD-TO-HEAD


Skills: No disrespect to Diaz but apart from Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ivan Calderon there are no better pure boxers in the sport right now who can execute as well as Marquez does. Even at 36, the Mexico City veteran is a textbook technician-counter puncher whose timing and accuracy make his combination punching a thing of beauty and brutality. Diaz, who exhibits a quick educated jab and decent lateral movement when he wants to, is an underrated boxer but he still takes a backseat to Marquez.


Edge: Marquez


Power: Neither fighter is defined by his power. Marquez is known as a technician. Diaz is a pressure fighter. However, the older man’s superior technique -- the proper leverage he gets on his punches and the correct manner in which he turns his shots over -- translates into superior power, especially when he puts his punches together. Marquez, a natural featherweight, was the first (and only) fighter to stop Joel Casamayor and Diaz, and he did so because of his excellent punching form. Diaz has scored some impressive stoppages too (Acelino Freitas and Julio Diaz stand out), but he did so with volume and pressure. He forced both vets to quit on their stool. He didn’t drop them or score clean knockouts. 


Edge: Marquez


Speed and athletic ability: Because of his pudgy appearance, Diaz is often written off as a mediocre athlete, a boxer who has excelled because of his work ethic. However, while he is a classic overachiever, he’s also a deceptively quick and agile fighter. His early title defenses against then-undefeated Jose Cotto (27-0) and ultra-rugged Fernando Angulo were not the result of relentless pressure, but rather fast combinations and nimble footwork backed by hair-trigger reflexes. Marquez has a better-looking physique but he’s not faster or necessarily more explosive than Diaz. 


Edge: Diaz


Defense: Diaz can be a defensive-minded boxer who stays on the outside of his opponent’s reach when he puts his mind to it as his split-decision over Michael Katsidis proved, however, his heart and youthful aggression often get the better of his common sense as his losses to Nate Campbell and Marquez illustrate. Marquez is not that hard to find with punches but he edges Diaz in this category because of his superior form and his ability to remain poised and stay within his gameplan. 


Edge: Marquez

Experience: Diaz has tremendous pro seasoning for a 26-year-old fighter but just about everyone save for Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley have to defer Marquez, a veteran of 56 pro bouts who has been world-class since 1997, in the experience department. Despite being blatantly avoided for much of his career, Marquez has faced 11 titleholders/champs. Diaz, who has faced seven titleholders, is no slouch but he’s not in Marquez’s league. 


Edge: Marquez


Chin: Marquez has been down (four times versus Pacquiao, once against Freddy Norwood, and once against Mayweather) but he’s never been stopped in more than 50 pro bouts. Diaz has been down against lesser fighters (much lesser), including Ubaldo Hernandez and Eleazar Contreras Jr. ‘Nuff said.


Edge: Marquez


Conditioning: Both fighters lead Spartan lifestyles, enjoy training hard in the gym and are extremely dedicated to the sport. Diaz has gone the 12-round distance eight times without stamina issues. Marquez has fought the 12-round distance 12 times in his hall-of-fame career and has never faded in the late rounds. 


Edge: Even


Wear and tear: The common thought is that Diaz is on the downside of his career because he’s 2-3 in his last five bouts. Some say his aggressive, full-tilt style has helped lead to early burnout, and these observers might be correct. However, that doesn’t mean that Diaz has more wear and tear than Marquez, a 17-year vet. Apart from his losses to Campbel and Marquez, Diaz hasn’t absorbed many beatings in his 10-year career. Marquez has been in some grueling contests late in his career, including his victory over Diaz. Because of the dramatic ending, many fans forget about the punishment the vet took over the first half of the bout. The hotly contested 24 rounds he went with Pacquiao, plus his bloody shootouts with the lesser-known likes of Terdsak Kokietgym (AKA Terdsak Jandaeng) and Jimrex Jaca, have to have taken a toll on his 36-year-old body. His recent welterweight venture with Mayweather didn’t do his body any favors, either. 


Edge: Diaz


Corner: Marquez’s longtime coach Nacho Beristain has been called Mexico’s greatest active trainer and is respected as one of the best in the world. His resume, which includes tenures with a dozen renown former titleholders, merits that distinction. However, Diaz’s trainer Ronnie Shields has trained and worked the corners of just as many notable fighters, many of whom are in the hall of fame (or will be). And Shields, who is quite a few years younger than Beristain, appears to be coming into his own as a trainer, while the veteran coach may have seen better days.


Edge: Even


Outcome: Both fighters will begin this rematch with the respect that was earned in their thrilling first bout. It won’t start fast but it won’t take long for it to heat up. Diaz will work behind his jab more consistently in this fight than he did last February and his lateral movement will limit their exchanges and Marquez’s ability to counter punch him, but by the middle rounds of the bout the veteran champion will begin to cut the ring off and land right hands over Diaz’s jab. The moment Diaz is rocked by one of Marquez’s well-timed right-hand bombs the boxing match will end and the fight will begin. As he did in the early rounds of the first bout, Diaz will find that he’s able to push Marquez back on his heels and land left hooks when he charges forward. Marquez will absorb punishment but he’ll keep his composure and fire back with uppercuts from both hands and hooks of his own. The two lightweights will trade power shots through the late rounds of the bout, but Marquez will land the harder and more accurate punches.


Prediction: Marquez by close unanimous decision.








Source: http://www.ringtv.com/














(The Blogger Says: I'm rooting for Juan Manuel. He's one of my favorites. Though he came from a loss and been out off action for almost a year, I know that his experience will be enough. And he's a very smart fighter. I now he learned a lot from their first fight. For me, it will be a lopsided win for Juan Manuel.)

Will It Be Cotto vs. Mayweather?

   When Floyd Mayweather recently stayed at a luxury hotel in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, and it was hinted that Floyd might hook up with WBA super welterweight world champion Miguel Cotto, fueling speculation that the the pair would meet to discuss a super fight between the two superstars. However, that meeting never took place. “A fight between Miguel and Floyd will be great for the sport and exciting for the fans around the world,” Bryan Pérez, Executive Director of Promociones Miguel Cotto told Fightnews.com. “Mayweather only have to say ‘yes’ to the challenge.”








Source: http://www.fightnews.com




(The Blogger Says: This fight will be a big one, whatever happen. But Floyd can't escape the truth that he DUCKED OUT of the biggest fight and challenge he can have.) 

Pacquiao - Margarito Set?

   Will it be Manny Pacquiao vs, Antonio Margarito at super welterweight on Nov. 13 this year? Looks like it will be if Margarito can provide his license to fight again at Las Vegas, But alternate location will be at Monterey, Mexico. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that Manny have already beaten Miguel Cotto last year so a fight against Margarito would be more lucrative. Arum also added that he's already working on the negotiations and will try to finalize it all this week. The WBC super welterweight belt vacated by Sergio Martinez will be at stake.



(The Blogger Says: This is what I am really praying for besides the Pac-May! I think their style will compliment each other and Margarito's size advantage will surely leash out the best in Pacquiao.)

Goldberg Really Wants "One Last Match"

   In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, former wrestling champion Bill Goldberg said he wants one final wrestling match because he wants his family to see him wrestle live.

   “If the money was right, I’d go out there and do it in two seconds,” Goldberg said. “I’d have to be totally prepared for it, because I wouldn’t want to tarnish my image, but I’d like to be in the ring one more time so that my wife and my son can see me wrestle live.”

   He also discussed his love/hate relationship with the wrestling industry in the interview.

   “I don’t ever want to say that I miss anything about the wrestling business,” Goldberg said. “I miss the ability to put a smile on a kid’s face, more than one at a time. That was a true charge for me.”

(The Blogger Says: I don't believe that Bill doesn't miss anything. I'm pretty sure he does miss something out of pro wrestling. I mean, he's got more energy and passion than anyone else active today than when he was. He enjoys it. I think. If not, he'd be stuck making movies.)

WBC's Night of Champions Awardees Announced

   Scheduled for July 31, 2010 in Cardiff, Wales, the World Boxing Council will present Green and Gold Fist Award for the Best of 2009 to the following fighters:

Vitali Kiltschko - Champion of the Year 2009
Ina Menzer - Female Champion of the Year 2009
Giacobbe Fragomeni vs. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk - Most Dramatic Fight of 2009
Toshiaki Nishioka - Knockout of the Year 2009
Sergio Martinez - Fighter of the Year Honorary Mention

WWE Money In The Bank PPV Results

The full Money in the Bank 2010 results are listed below.


PPV Results:

1. Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Kane defeated Big Show, "Dashing" Cody Rhodes, Christian, Matt Hardy, Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

2. Divas Championship Match: Alicia Fox © defeated Eve Torres with an axe kick.

3. WWE Unified Tag Team Championship Match: The Hart Dynasty © (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd) with Natalya defeated The Usos (Jimmy and Jay Uso) with Tamina when Kidd made Jay Uso submit with a sharpshooter.

4. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rey Mysterio © defeated Jack Swagger with a hurricanrana.

5. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Kane cashed in his Money in the Bank contract won earlier in the night and defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

6. WWE Womens Championship: Layla © defeated Kelly Kelly by countering a sunset flip into a pin.

7. Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match: The Miz defeated Edge, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Evan Bourne, Ted DiBiase, John Morrison, and Mark Henry to earn a shot at the WWE Championship.

8. Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship: Sheamus © defeated John Cena by escaping the cage. Cena made Sheamus submit with the STF, but the referee had been knocked down. Nexus prevented Cena from escaping over the cage, allowing Sheamus to climb over the opposite side. After the match, Cena attacked Nexus, bashing Michael Tarver in the face with the ringside steps.








Source: www.fanhouse.com

Montiel, Bradley Destroys Foes

   WBO jr welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs) moved up to welterweight to outbox previously unbeaten Luis Carlos Abregu (29-0, 23 KOs) over twelve rounds on Saturday night at the Agua Caliente Resort Rancho Mirage, California. Bradley was in command the entire fight as he compiled a 118-110, 117-111, 116-112 win.


   WBC/WBO bantamweight world champion Fernando Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs) scored an explosive third round KO over former interim super flyweight titlist Rafael Concepcion (14-5-2, 8 KOs) on Saturday night at the Palenque de la Feria in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Montiel dropped Concepcion twice in round two, then put him down for the count in round three. Time was 1:07.






Source: www.fightnews.com

Pacquiao - Mayweather Megafight Officially Off

   As for the 78-year old Top Rank boss Bob Arum, the fight that all boxing fans dying to see will have to wait for at least up to May 2011 as Floyd Mayweather's camp failed to beat the deadline Arum gave him.

   One speculated reason why Mayweather failed to sign the deal is because is uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather will go on trial in Las Vegas after he assaulted a female boxer he trains. As for Manny Pacquiao, his promoter Arum will start negotiating with either Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito next week, depending on who Pacquiao prefers to fight.




The Blogger Says: I think this fight won't happen anytime soon. Unless, Manny Pacquiao suddenly retires and if Floyd is still active after a year or two, I'm pretty sure that Floyd will call him out or, if Manny gets worn out by fighting all of top contenders out there except Floyd. Better luck next time, Bob!

Donaire, Viloria Victorious; Sonsona, Bernabe Unlucky

   Young star Bernabe Concepcion of Philippines lasted only less than 6 minutes to WBO featherweight champ Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico as he failed to claim his first world title.

   The Puerto Rican champion took control early as he bombarded Concepcion with a flurry of powerful punches that sent him down. After the knock down, "Juan-Ma" looks for the finishing touches as he aggressively attacked the Filipino with another set of punches. But with his back against the ropes and looking like to kiss the canvass again, Concepcion fired a left hook out of nowhere that sent the champion down.

   In the second round, the champion showed why he is still unbeaten as he took control of his younger opponent by sending him down twice and ended the fight at 2:30 as the referee had enough of what Concepcion have been receiving from Lopez. The champion improved to 29-0, 26KO while the challenger dropped to 28-4-1 with 14KO.

   In the co-main event, Filipino Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (24-1, 16KO) showed his ring brilliancy by defeating Hernan "Tyson" Marquez (25-2, 18KO) of Mexico by 8th round TKO to retain his interim WBA's 115 lbs. belt.

   Donning a southpaw stance for the first 4 rounds, Donaire still managed to control the fight with his jabs and uppercuts. In the 5th, he switched back to his typical orthodox stance that sent down Marquez before the end of the round. He continued his control over Mexican on the 7th and by round 8, a powerful uppercut to the head sent Marquez down again that made the referee stop the fight.

"So clinical was Donaire’s demolition of Marquez that he should be, from hereon, labelled Doctor Donaire instead of the Filipino Flash." says Ed Tolentino, a boxing analyst on a article from PhilBoxing.com. "Skill-wise, Donaire once again showed that he is the only Filipino fighter right now who can carry the torch for Philippine boxing after Pacquiao archives the gloves. Donaire, however, needs to step up to the big leagues. An impending showdown with Fernando Montiel might just give his career back the momentum it lost after his spectacular knockout win over Vic Darchinyan in July 2007." he added.


   In the undercard,  another Filipino, Eden Sonsona lost to Jonathan Oquendo via 9th round KO in a match full of low-blows where Sonsona played as the receiver. Sonsona was leading on the scorecards despite being hit by numerous low-blows until he was dropped by Oquendo in the 9th.


   Back in his hometown, Filipino Brian Viloria defeated Mexican Omar Soto by split decison in a 10-round match at Ynares Sports Arena, Manila, Philippines.






(The Blogger Says: Today, I believed in two things. One, that Juan-Ma was really too good and too powerful for a young Bernabe. Just before their match, I already believe that only a miracle will take Concepcion to snag his opponent's belt just by looking to the quality of their previous opponents. It is not just Concepcion's time yet and big factor might be the disappearance of Freddie Roach from his camp. Two, I agree with Mr. Ed Tolentino's opinion that Nonito needs to step-up to the big leagues. Aside from the boxers he mentioned,  I would also love to see him fight the theatrical Jorge Arce or Eric Morel. For sure, we all want to see what's Nonito really got in him.)




Photos: www.fightnews.com

Lesnar Still Champ

   If the fight ended in the first round, challenger Shane Carwin could have ended as the champion. But it wasn't the way the fight ended on the second round as Brock Lesnar retains his heavyweight belt via arm-triangle on UFC 116 at Las Vegas, Nevada.

   Carwin proved his strength early on as he chased the champ when he knocked him down with a huge uppercut. As from the looks of by the end of the 1st round, Carwin has it going when he left Lesnar bloodied to his corner. But the 2nd round turned to be for Lesnar as he took the tired challenger to the mat and went for the submission at 2:19.

Dave Batista vs. Bobby Lashley?

   There's no contract yet for Filipino-Greek Dave Bautista (WWE's Batista) to be on Strikeforce but news around buzzing is Strikeforce CEO Scott Cooker is said to be very interested on bringing him in and matching him up on Bobby Lashley, also a former WWE champ. Cooker said that a good undercard and a CBS deal would make them high on ratings.

   Bautista said that he would like a few fights first before clashing with Lashley. He now training boxing, wretling and jiu-jitsu while Lashley is still recovering from a knee injury.

Deadman is "Wrestling's Most Absurd Storyline"

   According to UGO Entertainment's official website, UGO.com, WWE's "Phenom" The Undertaker character is it's most absurd storyline ever. Joining the likes such as "HBK tagging with God", "Hornswoogle as Vince's son", "Mae Young gives birth", the "Deadman" ranks no. 1 among them.

Here's what UGO.com has posted: "Make no mistake: The Undertaker is a tremendous talent. His longevity as a performer, his constantly evolving ring work, his masterful understanding of wrestling psychology and his instantly recognizable gimmick all ensure that he is a future Hall of Famer. However, that gimmick is absolutely ridiculous." Then added: "When The Deadman debuted, professional wrestling was a very different place, and The Undertaker fit in perfectly. However, as the rest of the landscape changed, toning down the more outrageous gimmick, The Undertaker retained every wacky bit of his, including his control over lightning, his ability to appear out of nowhere and even the loyal druids that attend him. And on top of that, try explaining to someone who doesn’t know anything about wrestling why the huge, creepy undead dude with magical powers is a good guy."

Chavez Jr. Still Unbeaten!

   Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. kept his record clean after he dominated John Duddy of Ireland via unanimous decision in a good action packed fight at Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

   The fight was close but Chavez Jr. proved to be the more accurate puncher towards the end of the fight that got him the advantage on the judge's scorecards. After the fight, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said that Miguel Cotto is a possible opponent for Chavez Jr.'s next fight.

   With the win, Chavez Jr. improved to 41-0-1, 30KO while Duddy dropped to 29-2, 18KO.

   In the undercard, another Mexican, Marco Antonio Barrera (66-7, 43KO), beat Adailton De Jesus (26-5, 21KO) in a 10-round unanimous decision at lightweight division.

Lesnar, Booker T Disses Batista About His MMA Plans

   Former WWE champs Booker T and Brock Lesnar, UFC's heavyweight champ, both criticized Dave Batista, also a former WWE champ, about his confirmation that he will be joining the likes of Lesnar and Bobby Lashley or entertainer-wrestlers who jumped to MMA.

   In a recent interview by TMZ, Batista confirmed that he will be joining MMA in a company called Strikeforce. But TMZ also learned that Batista haven't signed up yet with the company.

   TMZ also posted an interview with Booker T, who had a real backstage fight with Batista in 2006 saying he won't "last 5 minutes" with Bobby Lashley and he don't think Batista can match-up with the big boys of Strikeforce.

   While in an interview with MMAFighting.com, UFC champ Brock Lesnar asked about Batista, he responded "Get in line. Everybody and their dog wants to get into fighting. Next question, We're talking about a heavyweight championship fight, not some wannabe."

Omar Niño Romero Crushes Rodel Mayol

   Mexican Omar Niño Romero successfully won the WBC lightweight belt yesterday after he won a 12-round unanimous decision over Filipino Rodel Mayol in a bloody fight at Mexico.

   The fight favored for Mayol in the early rounds but Niño proved to be the stronger fighter as the fight goes on but had to be stopped for several times to check the cuts suffered by both fighter due to occasional head butts.

   These two fighters also met earlier this year that ended in a draw after three rounds due to Romero's low blow and hard punch to Mayol that almost knocked him out.

Batista Talks About His Reasons For Leaving and Doing MMA

   As noted before, Batista was at this week's Strikeforce MMA show and made it clear that he left WWE because he was unhappy with the direction of the company. Dave Meltzer asked Batista if he would do something like Chris Jericho and return in a year or two. Batista said he didn't want to be compared to Jericho and said he had no plans on returning but did not rule out a return one day.
   Batista joked that he was in Los Angeles looking for work and said he's open for offers, be it MMA or acting. Batista has had discussions about doing a reality TV show.

   Apparently Batista has been approached with an offer by a non-major MMA group. Word is that it's a big money offer and is for two fights, likely pay-per-view events and the first opponent would be a well-known former headliner. This is the same offer that Batista hinted around about when he was leaving WWE. Batista has been training regularly at the Affliction gym and has dropped considerable weight since leaving WWE. Most believe that a MMA career for Batista is highly unlikely, given his age and experience, among other things.

   Batista's contract with WWE has expired and he is a free agent. TNA did make an offer to Batista but with the large amount of money they have spent on bringing in other big names recently, they couldn't come close to matching what he had been earning in WWE.


Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Rampage Wants WWE!

   After a hosting stint last week at RAW along with his A-Team co-stars, former UFC champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson expressed his desires to join WWE via his Tweeter account.

   He said "I was like a kid today,I have not been happy this past week,but meeting my child hood heros,and making new friends was all I needed I'm back," Quinton said. "I will tell y'all everything tomorrow,it's late here,I'm still on tour,I will let y'all know what I'm doing so y'all can keep u,btw I want n." He then added "Everybody was cool! They r a bunch of big kids like me,doing what they love. Big Show was so funny! He showed me the choke slam. I want n!!!".

Franklin KOs Liddell

   Are the days of Chuck "Iceman" Liddell finally over at the octagon? Well he probably showed that it is after he suffered a first round KO from former champ Rich Franklin in the main event for UFC 115 at Vancouver, Canada.

   Franklin was forced to use his right hand mostly as he broke his left while blocking a Liddell kick. And it was a blessing in disguise for Franklin as a right hand counter was the one that ended the fight and left Liddell out cold at the last five seconds of the opening round.

Cotto Defeats Foreman "Twice" In One Night

   Former welterweight king Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico bounced back from his welterweight defeat from Manny Pacquiao and grabbed the super welterweight crown from the handicapped Yuri Foreman of Israel in a interesting night of slugfest at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York.

   Cotto, though not favored to win because of  his size disadvantage, unleashed the most of the heavier bombs to Foreman. But being the more bigger fighter, Foreman showed the more agile and faster fighter by moving and skipping around the ring.

   The two fighters looked sharp in the first six rounds, until the seventh came and Foreman stumbled by slipping twice due to wet canvass. The slip cause him to have a limping effect that Cotto took advantage. But "The Fighting Rabbi" continued to exchange blows with the Puerto Rican until someone threw a towel from Yuri's corner. But the referee cleaned up the ring again as he wanted the fight to continue because according to the rules, the towel must be waived from the fighter's corner as it may come from an unauthorized person if thrown. But Foreman still wanted to fight, continued until Cotto dropped him in the 0:42 of the 9th round. The referee halted the fight as Yuri had enough.