NEW YORK, NY (June 8, 2006) — Photo by Teddy Blackburn – Ripped and Ready: Paulie Malignaggi shows off his ripped abs yesterday as he poses with champ Miguel Cotto, clearly indicating that the “Magic Man” is in mint condition for his challenge this Saturday night at the Garden.
NOW PITCHING FOR THE NEW YORK YANKEES, MIGUEL COTTO! Undefeated WBO jr. welterweight champion Miguel Cotto will join the Yankees’ pitching rotation, throwing out the ceremonial First Pitch at Tonight’s Yankees – Red Sox game. What kind of pitch will Miguel throw tonight? “I’m going with the Knuckle Ball, the same pitch I’ll be throwing at Paulie Malignaggi’s face all night at Madison Square Garden!”
…THE WEIGHT IS OVER! University of Notre Dame football defensive star and team captain, and Chicago Golden Gloves finalist Tommy Zbikowski, who will be making his pro boxing debut Saturday night, will have his official weigh-in Today! at 1 P.M. at the Madison Square Garden Mall. Tommy Z’s opponent, Robert “The Disciple” Bell, (2-2, 2 KOs), from Akron Ohio, will also be weighing in..
… WEIGHT! THERE’S MORE! The Official weigh-in for the rest of the card takes place Tomorrow! at the Madison Square Garden Mall. Cotto and Malignaggi step on the scale at 2 P.M. …
VIVA PUERTO RICO! FELIX TRINIDAD IS IN THE HOUSE! Three-division world champion and Puerto Rican icon Felix Trinidad will be in attendance at Madison Square Garden lending support to Cotto’s title defense
… FIGHTIN’ IRISH EYES ARE SMILING! Thirty to forty members of the University of Notre Dame football team are expected to form a protective wedge as they escort team captain Tommy Z into the ring Saturday night
… RYAN, FOREMAN & MATTHEWS GRAB SOME AIR! Tim Ryan, Big George Foreman and Wally Matthews will be the all-star broadcast team for the six-bout pay-per-view card which begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
… TOMMY Z vs. ROBERT BELL — PRELUDE TO NOTRE DAME vs. OHIO STATE? Tommy Z’s opponent, Robert Bell, hails from Akron Ohio and is a HUGE Ohio State fan. Bell plans to wear an Ohio State football jersey (#12) into the ring Saturday night. “I cannot stand Notre Dame, a fact I will impress on “Rudy” when we meet in the ring,” said Bell. “Tommy, THIS Bell tolls for thee! Tommy Z will become Tommy Zzzzzzzzz when I land my powerful “Big Ten-Count” on his chin and put him to sleep.”
… MAJOR DUNDEE QUOTABLE! Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee, who will be in Tommy Z’s corner Saturday night, predicted “Bell is going to feel like he was hit by the Four Horsemen when he rumbles with Tommy Z!”
… PAULIE WANTS A CRACK AT COTTO! Undefeated Brooklyn buzz saw and top-10 contender Paulie Malignaggi cannot wait until Saturday night when he can finally put his mitts on Miguel Cotto. “No one pushes Brooklyn around,” said Paulie as he displayed his “six pack” to a packed news conference yesterday. “June 11 may be the Puerto Rican Day Parade, but on June 10, I will expose Cotto as the “Puerto Rican Charade.” I’m going to break his face. He’s going to fall harder in the ring at Madison Square Garden than King Kong did from the Empire State Building!”
… COTTO HAS ROUNDTRIP TICKET FOR PAULIE! “I can’t wait to send Paulie back to the hole he climbed out of,” said Miguel Cotto. “After Saturday night, Paulie will return to where he belongs, fighting in in ballrooms and small club shows.”
… NEIMAN GIVES COTTO-MALIGNAGGI THE BRUSH OFF! World-famous artist LeRoy Neiman will be ringside Saturday night capturing “the moments” of this championship night on canvas
… SELLING OUT! With less than 3,000 tickets remaining, promoter Bob Arum projected that Madison Square Garden will “go clean” with a complete sellout given the fact that over 3,000 tickets were sold during fight week for last year’s Cotto-Abdullaev world title fight at The Garden
… HARD PRESSED! Media from all over the country and as far away as England has pushed the number of approved press credentials for Saturday’s boxing extravaganza to over 250!
… WATCH IT! Accept no substitutions. The Cotto-Malignaggi six-bout Pay-Per-View card is available on all major cable systems throughout the United States via iNDEMAND. The show is also available to all DirecTV and Dish Network satellite TV subscribers. Make sure you specify the “Cotto-Malignaggi” Pay-Per-View Boxing Card