Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Furious Five. We will cover a variety of topics today, including a couple of highly anticipated summer matches scheduled for the near future.

1) First and foremost, let me begin this article by stating on behalf of everyone here at sportstalkbuzz that our thoughts and prayers are with critically injured welterweight Oscar Diaz. The young fighter collapsed unconscious after the 10th round of his fight this past Wednesday night in San Antonio and was immediately rushed to hospital. Although doctors are cautiously optimistic, Diaz currently remains in a coma and isn’t breathing on his own. There has already been some discussion from certain media outlets that the fight should have been stopped much earlier in the night, but this isn’t the right time to discuss the circumstances of the match. Once again, our thoughts and prayers are with Diaz and his family during this extremely difficult time.

2) We are now only one week away from arguably the most highly anticipated match of the summer, as Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will fight to determine the new king of the welterweight division. The style of both fighters has the potential to make this one of the most exciting fights in recent memory, as both Cotto and Margarito are power punchers that aren’t afraid to exchange blows. When you factor in the Mexico vs Puerto Rico dynamic, the undefeated Cotto facing his toughest challenge yet, and the WBA welterweight title at stake…..this fight has the potential to be a classic. For the record, my money is on Margarito to pull off the major upset.

3) The depth of the Welterweight division will further be on display during the week following Cotto/Margarito, as Joshua Clottey and Zab Judah will fight for the vacant IBF title in Las Vegas on August 2nd. Although it probably won’t rival the caliber of the Cotto/Margarito fight, it presents an intriguing bout for a variety of different reasons. There is no question that Zab Judah is one of the most talented athletes in the sport when he is mentally prepared to fight. However, we haven’t seen a truly dedicated Judah enter the ring for years now….so why should we expect August 2nd to be any different? Well essentially, this is the last opportunity for Judah to remain relevant in the sport and garner the attention he obviously craves. I think Clottey is the more dangerous fighter and will use this opportunity next month to secure a prominent position in the welterweight division by defeating Zab. However, I wouldn’t bet against a desperate Zab Judah.

4) The boxing world continues to hear whispers about potential opponents for Oscar De La Hoya on Dec 6th, as Golden Boy Promotions continues its efforts to secure one last mega fight for Oscar. As of right now, the two most popular options seem to be Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquaio. Although the presence of either Cotto or Pacquaio on the Dec 6th card would make it a blockbuster, I would personally prefer to see Pacquaio get a shot at De La Hoya. For one, Pacquaio recently assumed the mantle of best pound for pound fighter in the world and it would be extremely entertaining to watch the battle tested De La Hoya in the ring with him. Secondly, the style of Pacquaio makes him one of the most exciting fighters currently in the sport and he wouldn’t disappoint in a fight of this magnitude. Third, who knows what condition Cotto will be in after his fight against Margarito next week. I’m sure Golden Boy Promotions will wait for the outcome of the Cotto/Margarito fight before making a decision. However, in my humble opinion this decision is already an easy one…….Pacquaio should be the choice.

5) I must admit that I was a little disappointed when I learned that Kelly Pavlik will move up in weight class to fight Bernard Hopkins on Oct 18th. If you follow this column on a regular basis you will know that I don’t hold Hopkins in the highest regard, as his dirty tactics in the ring and lack of sportsmanship have always annoyed me. That being said, I will thoroughly enjoy watching Pavlik give Hopkins the type of beating he has deserved for years. I also find it interesting that Pavlik was unable to secure a fight with some of the big name fighters currently available, like Joe Calzaghe, Paul Williams and Winky Wright. I think this is a reflection that some fighters are a little intimidated by just how dangerous Kelly Pavlik has become in the ring, and I believe they will be even more hesitant to fight him after Oct 18th.

Alright Everyone, that’s all I have for now. I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful summer weekend, and be sure to check out some of the other great articles across this site.

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Tags: Antonio Margarito, Joe Calzaghe, Joshua Clottey, Kelly Pavlik, Manny Pacquaio, Miguel Cotto, Oscar Diaz, Paul Williams, Winky Wright, Zab Judah