Cotto-Malignaggi guarantees fireworks!

27/03/2006

Cotto-Malignaggi guarantees fireworks!

June 10 is on fire -- the super-steamed Miguel Cotto vs. Paulie Malignaggi showdown at Madison Square Garden will include the pro debut of Notre Dame football player Tommy Zbikowski and a middleweight title defense for Irish sensation John Duddy,  announced Bob Arum of Top Rank today. Cotto, Malignaggi, Duddy and Tommy Z will be at a Top Rank press conference at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Wednesday, 11:30 am.

The Cotto vs. Malignaggi championship card on June 10 will include:

Kevin Kelley, the Flushing Flash, 58-6-2, 39 KOs.

Irish John Duddy, 16-0-0, 14 KOs. The sensational, hard-punching middleweight will make the first defense of his WBC/Continental Americas title.

Notre Dame defensive back Tommy Zbikowski of Arlington Heights, Ill. This will be the pro debut for Tommy Z, a heavyweight. He is going into his senior year for the Fightin' Irish football team.  When he played at Buffalo Grove, Ill. High School, Tommy was a quarterback and was named USA Today first-team All-America and was selected the Chicago Player of the Year.

The Son of the Legend,  Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., 24-0-1, 18 KOs, Culiacan, Mexico.

Hot featherweight prospect Juan Manuel Lopez, 10-0, 9 KOs, of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Arum said he plans to have six bouts on the Top Rank Pay Per View telecast.

"It's an exciting card from top to bottom," Arum said. "We all know what Paulie has been saying about Miguel Cotto so I'm anxious to see how that plays out when the two get into the ring. 

"Everyone wants to see Tommy Zbikowski of Notre Dame on June 10," Arum said.  "Bruce Trampler (TR matchmaker) told me Tommy had a lot of amateur fights. This will be Tommy's first professional fight."

Tickets are $300, $200, $100 and $50 and are now on sale at Madison Square Garden.