STAR-STUDDED WORLD WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 25 Feb 2009
The recent victory of Miguel Cotto over Michael Jennings and the upset win of Sugar Shane Mosley over Antonio Margarito added color and glitter to the already star-studded world welterweight division. Plus the fact that ?The Dream Match? between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya was the top-grossing welterweight fight in world boxing history.
The authoritative Ring Magazine, the most credible ranking among boxing experts, included a star-laden list in the top ten of their latest rankings. However, The Ring Magazine welterweight title remains vacant as of the present.
At the top contender is Mosley (USA) who is ranked number one, followed by: Cotto (Puerto Rico), Margarito (Mexico), Joshua Clottey (Ghana), Pacquiao (Philippines), Carlos Quintana (Puerto Rico), Andre Berto (USA), Luis Collazo (USA), Zab Judah (USA), and Isaac Hlatswayo (South Africa).
The welterweight division is between 140 and 147 pounds. Henry Armstrong holds the welterweight record of 18 title defenses. However, the longest reigning welterweight champion in history was Freddie Cochran for four years, six months, and three days. Jose Napoles came in a close second being champion for four years, six months, and two days.
Sugar Ray Robinson is considered by most boxing experts as the greatest welterweight of all time. Other prominent welterweights in history include Barney Ross, Jackie Fields, Ted "Kid" Lewis, Jimmy McLarnin, Jack Britton, Fritzie Zivic, Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio, and Emile Griffith.
In the later years, big-name champions added honor and glory to the prestigious world welterweight division. The all-star cast includes Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Felix Trinidad, Ricky Hatton, Arturo Gatti, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The current world welterweight champions are Mosley (WBA), Berto (WBC), Clottey (IBF), and Cotto (WBO). The computerized top 100 welterweight boxers by IBO placed Mosley at the top, followed by Margarito, Cotto, de la Hoya, and Clottey in the top five.
Hatton, the upcoming Pacquiao foe, was once the WBA welterweight champion and the current IBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight champion. Mayweather, who will come out of retirement anytime now to face Pacquiao, Hatton or Mosley, was the former WBC welterweight champion.
Mosley has beaten de la Hoya twice, the first one in a WBC and IBA welterweight title fight, the second one is a super-welterweight title fight. But Cotto defeated Mosley by unanimous decision. Margarito also stopped Cotto in a now-suspect result due to the controversial illegal hand wrapping incident during the fight of Margarito and Mosley.
There are several great possibilities for multi-million world welterweight title fights. The world will be waiting for the coming out of Mayweather from retirement as the ?Pretty Boy? is still a box-office hit among retired boxers who wants to get into action once again.
Top photo: Two-time world champion Miguel Cotto(L),Caguas,Puerto Rico knocks down Michael Jennings of England for the first time in round four before finishing him off in the fifth round to win the vacant WBO Welterweight belt, Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Chris Farina - Top Rank.
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