Tinley Park Rumble" Fighters To Sign Autographs During Thunderbolts Homestand

Fighters Set To Sign Autographs At Thunderbolts' Weekend Homestand

June 2 (Merrillville, In) - On Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th, Octavius James' One In A Million Inc. will join forces with the reigning Frontier League champions in the form of the Windy City Thunderbolts when fighters from the upcoming sensational card dubbed "Tinley Park Rumble" will be on hand at Standard Bank Stadium, 14011 S. Kenton Ave- Crestwood, IL, to sign autographs; gates open at 6 p.m. with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

"The Thunderbolts have dominated and been the class of the Frontier League these past few years and we are definitely excited about going out to the beautiful Standard Bank Stadium," said Octavius James, C.E.O. of One In A Million Inc. "This is a great opportunity for boxing fans and baseball fans alike to come meet some of the top fighters the world of boxing has to offer while enjoying a night of professional baseball."

Michael "Midnight Stalker" Walker (19-2-2, 12 KOs), "Iron" Orphius Waite (5-0, 3 KOs), Ed "2 Fast 2 Furious" Ochoa (8-0, 8 KOs), Bobby Jaskierny (3-1, 2 KOs), Josh Crouch (4-0, 4 KOs) and Angel Hernandez (12-3, 10 KOs) are scheduled to be in attendance for pictures and autographs; subject to change.

Walker vs. Waite will make up the explosive main event for the "Tinley Park Rumble," while the undercard will feature the electric Angel Hernandez (12-3, 10 KOs), Chicago's Bobby Jaskierny, unbeaten Josh Crouch, middleweight Meegel Harper (1-0, 1 KO) and female sensation Evette Collazo (4-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring with opponents to be named soon.

Tickets for "Tinley Park Rumble" are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at VIP $100, VIP ringside $75, ringside $50 and general admission $30 and they are available from any Ticket Master location at (800)745-3000, (866) 438-7372 or http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

The Tinley Park Convention Center, which is just 25 minutes from Northwest Indiana, doors will open at 7 p.m. with the first bout at 8 p.m.

Mosley says he is set to fight Pacquiao in October

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley said Wednesday that only a few details stand between him and an October 17 fight with Philippines superstar Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao flattened England's Ricky Hatton in the second round last month while Mosley stopped Mexico's Antonio Margarito in the ninth round back in January.

US veteran Mosley anticipates squaring off with the Asian powerhouse seen as the world's top pound-for-pound fighter at a catch-weight once negotiations are complete based upon comments Pacquiao made in his homeland.

Mosley, 46-5 with 39 knockouts, challenged Pacquiao, 49-3 with two drawn and 37 knockouts, and the Filipino star told GMA News on Wednesday that, "No problem. We can fight. As long as we negotiate."

Mosley took that as a challenge answered and said he will give Pacquiao the larger share of a 60-40 purse split and meet him at a catch weight lower than the welterweight limit in order to make the fight happen.

"Now that Manny has stated that he is ready to fight me, the only thing left to finish are negotiations," Mosley said.

"(Promoters) Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum are working out the details now. I will be ready to fight Pacquiao on October 17."

Mosley might just be getting a bit ahead of himself, however. Pacquiao's willingness to fight and securing a finalized contract with boxing's top man of the moment are far from the same thing.

Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said last month after the victory over Hatton that nothing would be decided about who Pacquiao fights next until Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto's fight in 10 days against Joshua Clottey at New York.

Mosley had been mentioned as a potential upcoming opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jnr, the unbeaten American who abdicated the pound-for-pound throne in favor of retirement.

Mayweather returns to the ring next month against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez. He announced the fight just hours before Pacquiao knocked out Hatton to steal his thunder.

Judge rejects Conte’s motion in Mosley lawsuit

NEW YORK (AP)—A judge has rejected BALCO founder Victor Conte’s motion for summary judgment of boxer “Sugar” Shane Mosley’s defamation lawsuit.

Mosley accuses Conte of lying when he repeatedly said the former three-division world champion knowingly took illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Conte’s Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative was at the center of the scandal that enmeshed Barry Bonds and many other athletes.

Mosley lawyer Judd Burstein said Wednesday that Justice Louis York of the New York State Supreme Court rejected Conte’s request. A summary judgment would have ended the suit in Conte’s favor before the case went to trial.

Mosley has said he unwittingly used steroids produced by BALCO.

GUERRERO SEEKS NEW OPPONENT AFTER EDWARDS PULLS OUT

By RingTV.com editors Photo by Daisy Rosas

Johnnie Edwards has pulled out of his scheduled June 12 junior lightweight bout with Robert Guerrero, according to Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions, which is putting on the ESPN2-televised card from San Jose, Calif.

Edwards (15-4-1, 8 knockouts) informed Golden Boy Promotions in writing that he pulled a back muscle and would have to withdraw from the fight on Monday, according to Gomez.

"He included a letter from his doctor," Gomez said. "Now we're scrambling for a replacement."

One of the leading candidates to replace Edwards is Jackson Asiku, a featherweight and junior lightweight fringe contender who traveled to Southern California with featherweight titleholder Chris John, who is training in Oxnard, Calif. in preparation for his June 27 rematch with Rocky Juarez at STAPLES Center in L.A.

Asiku (25-3, 13 KOs), one of John's sparring partners, has only lost to then-contenders Nedal Hussein, Gairy St. Clair, and Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym, and has never been knocked out. The Australia-based Ugandan is currently on a 14-bout win streak, including a ninth-round TKO of St. Clair in a rematch earlier this year.

Mario Serrano
Publicist
boxingpublicist@aol.com

Mosley defamation case against Conte upheld by judge

NEW YORK (AFP) - Welterweight boxing champion Shane Mosley won a victory outside the ring on Wednesday when a New York State Supreme Court judge upheld his defamation case against BALCO steroid scandal lynchpin Victor Conte.

Judge Louis York ruled in favor of US veteran fighter Mosley, reigning World Boxing Association welterweight champion, by denying Conte's bid to have the case dismissed for lack of merit.

BALCO founder Conte has said Mosley would take a limousine to office visits with him where he would provide the fighter with steroids and has claimed he saw Mosley knowingly inject himself with endurance-boosting EPO.

"This is one step along the road of securing justice for Shane," said Judd Burstein, Mosley's lawyer. "Conte can run, but he cannot hide from me."

Mosley, 46-5 with 39 knockouts, stopped Mexico's Antonio Margarito in the ninth round in January to claim a share of the throne.

He is in talks to face Philippines superstar Manny Pacquiao and has also been mentioned as a possible future foe for undefeated US star Floyd Mayweather Jnr., who returns to the ring from retirement next month.

Conte's BALCO laboratories sparked major doping scandals in athletics and baseball.

In testimony before a BALCO grand jury that was to have remained sealed, Mosley said he took steroids and EPO while training for a 2003 fight with Oscar de la Hoya but did not know the substances he was using were banned.

Mosley defeated de la Hoya by unanimous decision for the WBA and World Boxing Council light middleweight crowns.

DANNY "SWIFT" GARCIA SPEAKS ABOUT HIS FIGHT ON ESPN "FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS" JUNE 12, 2009

PROSPECT WATCH: DANNY GARCIA
By Ryan Burton ~ BoxingTalk.com

Ryan Burton: Tell us about your upcoming fight with Pavel Miranda?

Danny Garcia: It is on June 12th. It is the co main event live on ESPN 2 on Friday night fights. I have been training hard and will be ready for whatever he brings to the table.

RB: How does it feel to be the co main event to Robert Guerrero?

DG: Wow man I have been waiting to get some airtime and show the people that watch boxing that I can fight and I can't wait. I feel blessed.

RB: How has training been going?

DG: It went real well. Everything went pretty good. I feel real strong and I am ready to go.

RB: Was there anything you did specifically for this opponent?

DG: I just trained harder and stayed focus. We have been sparring with bigger guys around 154. Miranda is pretty tall, 5'11" and its kinda hard to find someone at my limit, 140 at that height so we got the heavier sparring partners who are tall. Continue reading...

Mario Serrano
Publicist ~ Shelly Finkel Management
boxingpublicist@aol.com
(408) 607-5756

Haye pulls out of Klitschko fight with injury

LONDON (AP)—David Haye has pulled out of his IBF and WBO heavyweight title fight against Wladimir Klitschko because of an injury.

The British fighter had been scheduled to challenge Klitschko before a sellout crowd of more than 60,000 at Schalke’s football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on June 20.

Haye’s camp said Wednesday he sustained an injury in training and had to pull out. The nature of the injury was not immediately known.

Haye is 22-1 and has recently moved up from cruiserweight. Klitschko, considered the best of the heavyweights, is 52-3.

At recent news conferences promoting the fight, Haye wore T-shirts depicting him standing in the ring with the dismembered heads of Klitschko and his brother, WBC champion Vitali.

“WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3”, JUNE 26TH AT THE UIC PAVILION

TICKET ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHICAGO, IL (June 1, 2009) Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, has announced details of “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3”, their next action packed evening of world class professional boxing set for Friday, June 26th at the UIC Pavilion.

Tickets for “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3”, starting at $31, are on sale now through the 8 Count Productions office at 312-226-5800 and through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Headlining “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3” is an outstanding junior welterweight showdown between undefeated Chicago fan favorite, Ivan Popoca and Tulare, California’s Hector Alatorre.

The all-action aggressive Popoca, 10-0-1 (7KO’s) is coming off an excellent decision win over Canadian Sebastien Hamel on April 24th at the UIC Pavilion. Since turning professional two years ago, Popoca has become a must-see attraction for Chicago area fight fans.

The 27 year old Alatorre, 15-7-0 (5KO’s), returns to Chicago following a terrific ten round battle with former World Champion Carlos Hernandez on August 15th. Known for his strength and toughness, Alatorre battled back and forth with Hernandez losing a very close ten round split decision.

The eight round co-feature at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 3” is a super middleweight title fight between Chicago ’s Andrzej “THE POLISH PRINCE” Fonfara and Rockford, Illinois’ Skyler Thompson for the WBF All-Americas Super Middleweight Title.

The 21 year old Fonfara, 12-2-0 (3KO’s), a native of Warsaw , Poland , now residing in Chicago , is coming of a terrific six round decision win over Kendall Gould on March 27th.

The heavy handed Thompson, 11-3-0 (9KO’s), will look to get back on the winning track after a tough loss to veteran Sammy Sparkman on March 7th.

In a special feature attraction, Chicago fan favorite Rita “LA GUERA” Figueroa and Lynnwood, Washington native Tammie “THE TASMANIAN DEVIL” Johnson will square off once again in a rematch of their draw on March 27th at the inaugural “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT”.

Coming into the rematch, the undefeated Figueroa brings a record of 10-0-1 (3KO’s) into battle while Johnson’s record stands at 3-2-2.

The undercard features Chicago natives; featherweight Juan Bailon, junior welterweights Ramiro Carrillo and Ryan Smedick along with welterweight Achour Esho in separate bouts.

Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine , just one block south of the Eisenhower Expressway. For further information, please visit their website at www.uicpavilion..com

Additional information on this card will be announced shortly.

8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia, opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

For more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxing.com

Walker vs. Waite Heating Up For "Tinley Park Rumble" Friday, June 12th

CHOOSE THE WINNER

WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTH OF THESE GREAT FIGHTERSAND TELL US WHO YOU THINK IS GOING TO WIN AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT!!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR SUBMISSION!

Walker And Waite Finally Get Their Chance To Settle In The Ring At The "Tinley Park Rumble"

May 28 (Merrillville, In) - The glares that Michael "Midnight Stalker" Walker (19-2-2, 12 KOs) and "Iron" Orphius Waite (5-0, 3 KOs) shoot towards each other while training at the Octavius James' One In A Million Inc. training facility would knockout any regular man, but these two talented middleweight prospects aren't your average men nor fighters.

These are two of the world's top middleweights and there is a bitterness amongst one another that has leaked over from their days of sparing, but on Friday, June 12 at the Holiday Inn/Tinley Park Convention Center they will have an opportunity to put all the talking aside in the Main Event of the "Tinley Park Rumble."

"I could tell Orphius (Waite) was sizing me up during our sparring sessions, he wants to be me and he is trying to fight like I do, I'm ready and he is ready so let's get it on," said Walker. "(Waite) is messing with a different level of fighter and I don't feel any respect at all, but I will get that respect when I whoop him."

The powerful pair of fighters were originally meant to battle it out on the spectacular "Date With Destiny" card back in April, but Walker took a fight against unbeaten and highly touted Daniel Jacobs (15-0, 14 KOs) on the Manny Pacquiao- Ricky Hatton pay-per-view while Waite battled a very solid veteran of the ring Cedric Johnson (10-3, 8 KOs).

"(Walker) had his chance to shine and he didn't do too well and now it's my turn," added Waite. "When we walk into the training facility we both get that weird vibe and when we sparred I left his face battered a few times even with the head gear."

"Walker vs. Waite is one of those Main Events that will have the world of boxing talking, because you have two guys that know each other so well and aren't willing to budge even a little bit," said Octavius James, C.E.O. of Octavius James' One In A Million Inc. "It's going to be a bruising and brutal fight and it's going to definitely be worth the price of admission."

Also scheduled as part of another sensational undercard are undefeated welterweight sensation Ed "2 Fast 2 Furious" Ochoa (8-0, 8 KO's) vs. rugged veteran Jessie Davis (11-12, 8 KO's), the electric Angel Hernandez (12-3, 10 KOs) is facing the always tough Guadalupe Diaz (5-4, 1 KO), Chicago's Bobby Jaskierny (3-1, 2 KOs) faces Mexico's Jose Guzman (5-2, 4 KO's), unbeaten Josh Crouch (4-0, 4 KOs) will fight the ring savvy Josh Rodriguez (4-8, 3 KO's), middleweight Meegel Harper (1-0, 1 KO) and female sensation Evette Collazo (4-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring with opponents to be named soon.

Tickets for "Tinley Park Rumble" are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at VIP $100, VIP ringside $75, ringside $50 and general admission $30 and they are available from any Ticket Master location at (800)745-3000, (866) 438-7372 or http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

The Tinley Park Convention Center, which is just 25 minutes from Northwest Indiana, doors will open at 7 p.m. with the first bout at 8 p.m.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!

Berto easily retains welterweight title

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP)—Andre Berto retained his World Boxing Council welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Colombia’s Juan Urango on Saturday night.

The undefeated Berto’s quickness frustrated Urango throughout their bout at the Hard Rock Live Arena.

Preferring to keep his distance, Berto landed repeatedly with lead left jabs to the head, and also was effective with rights to the head.

Urango continued to pursue Berto, but only found quick lefts and rights to the head for his strategy.

Berto, of Winter Haven, Fla., won on two judges’ scorecards 118-110 and 117-111 on the third.

In the fourth round, Urango finally pinned Berto and enjoyed one of his best rounds, landing lefts to the head and body. Berto also countered with rights to the head.

Berto (25-0) didn’t allow Urango the space for infighting situations in the middle rounds as he connected repeatedly with right uppercuts and lefts to the head. Berto also was effective at landing a lead right, immediately clinching Urango and avoiding any possible counter shots.

The crowd became bored with an action-lacking ninth, booing during what appeared a round in which Berto reduced his punch volume while Urango (21-2) kept chasing the defensive-minded champion.

Berto picked up the pace in the final three rounds and again landed lead rights to the head.

Although he moved up to the 147-pound welterweight class, Urango retains the International Boxing Federation junior-welterweight title he won Jan. 30.

Berto weighed 145 pounds for Saturday’s bout, one less than Urango.

In another bout, former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron ended Alfred Angulo’s unbeaten record with a convincing unanimous decision.

Cintron (30-2-1) scored with lead left jabs, keeping Angulo at a distance for most of their 12-round junior-middleweight bout. Using his quickness, Cintron also outpointed the pressure minded Angulo (15-1) with rights to the head.

Angulo did his best work in the middle rounds, when he shortened the punching range and connected with combinations to the head.

But Cintron resumed his lead left jab strategy in the closing rounds and didn’t let Angulo get close to him.

All three judges scored the bout for Cintron 116-112. There were no knockdowns.

Cintron and Angulo both weighed 153 pounds.

Mosley eager to face Filipino Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley says he is eager to fight Philippines superstar Manny Pacquiao and is willing to change weight classes to do it.

Mosley, the WBA's 147-pound champ, is hopeful he and Pacquiao can come to a compromise on an ideal weight (or catch weight) to make the fight happen.

"There are conflicting reports from the Pacquiao camp an upcoming fight between me and Manny Pacquiao," Mosley said.

"I want it to be known that I want to fight Pacquiao and I want to fight him now. I'm willing to meet at a catch weight to make that happen.

"I know this is what Freddie Roach wants as well. I am the best fighter in boxing and I am ready to reclaim the title of number one pound-for-pound fighter."

In his last fight, Mosley pounded Antonio Margartio in January, registering a ninth-round knockout.

Pacquiao, considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, is coming off a second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in May.

Valuev’s title defense against Chagaev called off

By STEPHAN NASSTROM, AP Sports Writer
HELSINKI (AP)—Ruslan Chagaev failed a “medical requirement” on Friday, forcing his challenge for Nikolai Valuev’s WBA heavyweight title to be called off a day before the fight.

Finnish officials said “Chagaev has been unable to fulfill the Finnish Boxing Federation’s medical requirements” but gave no further details.

“It was a big shock for us today,” said Wilfried Sauerland, Valuev’s manager.

Federation president Pertti Augustin and press spokesman Pekka Kaidesoja refused to offer explanations, saying “it’s against Finnish law to do so.”

Chagaev would have earned 55 percent of the $2.8 million purse.

It’s the third time their rematch has been canceled since Chagaev gave the 7-foot Russian his only pro defeat in April 2007. The previous two rematches were called off because Chagaev ruptured an Achilles’ tendon in training.

After Chagaev, as WBA titleholder, withdrew from the two scheduled rematches he was named “champion in recess,” and the WBA vacated the title.

Because of that status, Chagaev had to fight Valuev by the end of June.

Before boarding a flight from New York to Helsinki, promoter Don King said the WBA should announce Valuev as its undisputed champion.

“Nikolai has been patient in waiting for Chagaev to become medically fit to fight,” King said. “We applaud the WBA for making every effort to allow Chagaev to return, but it is clear now that we must move on.”

It was unclear what the sanctioning body would decide.

“It’s a decision that the board of the directors of the WBA has to make,” WBA official George Martinez said. “We will meet as soon as possible and address the problem. We have to collect all the facts and in a proper time we’ll make a decision.”

Valuev won the vacant title last August by beating American John Ruiz in Berlin. Four months later, he defended the title against 46-year-old Evander Holyfield, who had arrived in Helsinki earlier Friday for the scheduled bout dubbed “The Revenge of the Giant.”

Chagaev returned from his injuries in February and won a technical decision over Carl Davis Drumond at Rostock, Germany—the Uzbekistan-born boxer’s first fight in more than a year.

The bout Saturday at 15,000-seat Hartwall Arena would have been only the second world title fight in the Finnish capital. Davey Moore of the United States knocked out Olli Maki of Finland in 1962 to retain his world featherweight title.

Associated Press Writer Matti Huuhtanen contributed to this report.

Barrera denied rematch vs. Khan despite head clash

LONDON (AP)—Marco Antonio Barrera has been denied a rematch with Amir Khan by the WBO despite a clash of heads before the English fighter won.

Barrera’s promoter, Don King, had hoped the “tainted” lightweight bout in March at Manchester would be declared a no-contest. But the British Boxing Board of Control cleared the referee on Friday of making a mistake by not stopping the bout in the second minute of the first round when their heads collided.

The Mexican received a huge cut on the left side of his head, and the ring doctor in Manchester later stopped the contest in the fifth round. Had the fight been stopped in the fourth round, it would have been declared a no-contest to automatically force a rematch.

Ortiz relishing potential title fight

By SOLANGE REYNER, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Victor Ortiz says he’s already been through the wringer, so a fight with title implications against a knockout-happy fighter won’t be too big of a challenge.

The 22-year-old Ortiz will fight Argentine Marcos Maidana on June 27 for the World Boxing Association light-welterweight interim title. The winner will get a shot at either Amir Khan or Andreas Kotelnik for the WBA title. Kotelnik and Khan also are fighting June 27.

Maidana (25-1) has knocked out 24 opponents in 26 fights and has taken out 10 fighters in the first round. Twenty-one of his opponents have not made it past the third round.

Those numbers don’t phase Ortiz, a Kansas native who says he was abandoned by both parents before he was 12.

“My life is hell most of the time, but its OK,” said Ortiz (24-1-1, 19 KOs). “It’s still hell everyday I wake up, that’s why I don’t mind getting in the ring with one of these guys.”

Ortiz’ journey to this stage is one that many probably wouldn’t envy. He said he came home at age 7 to find his mom gone. Five years later, his dad also was out the door.

From there, Ortiz carved his own way. He made a living by either working in the fields picking corn, alfalfa and beans or “slanging things,” and lived in a trailer with no electricity where his parents left him.

“Stuff happens,” Ortiz said. “My sister raised me for a while, I lived on my own from 12 and on. From there, I started slanging some stuff here and there, not the best of things to do, but I was 12.”

He made his own way in boxing, too. He won the 2003 PAL amateur national championships without a trainer and made it to the 2004 Olympic trials before falling short.

That year, Ortiz moved to California to train with ex-world champion Robert Garcia. In 2008, he signed on with Golden Boy Promotions to garner more recognition. Now, he’s being touted as one of the strongest prospects to come out of Oscar de la Hoya’s camp.

To get a shot at a potential title 25 fights into his career is something he is relishing.

“Honestly, it didn’t happen fast enough but I’m very patient,” said Ortiz, who uses his past to fuel him. “I guess at the end of the day, I appreciate life. Sometimes I get caught up in the whole mist of my parents, but it’s reality. I’m not the only one going through it so I can’t sit back and curl up like a little pansy. I know there’s kids out there that get left everyday so it’s not a big deal you have to learn how to channel it and deal with it and take it to the top.”

Golden Boy is hoping he’ll do just that.

“Their stars are either retired or don’t have long in the sport, so as they retire, naturally, there will be a void. Victor is being built, groomed and positioned to fill that void,” said Rolando Arellano, Ortiz’s manager.

Ortiz could face his toughest test in Maidana, who fought Kotelnik—the top dog in the division—to a split decision Feb. 7.

Ortiz isn’t the only fighter headlining the event at Staples Center. Chris John and Rocky Juarez will fight in a rematch for John’s WBA featherweight championship belt.

John (42-0-2, 22 KOs) fought Juarez (28-4-1, 20 KOs) to a draw in an exciting bout in late February and Juarez is seeking his first world title.

Cotto-Clottey fight selling well for MSG

By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP)—So much for all that discussion that boxing is dead. Or that the recession will finally finish it off, for that matter.

Bob Arum of promoter Top Rank said Thursday that more than 13,000 tickets have been sold for Miguel Cotto’s welterweight title fight against Joshua Clottey, and a sellout is expected on June 13 at Madison Square Garden.

“The response has been absolutely tremendous,” Arum said, adding that $500 ringside seats are already gone. Among those who plan to be in the crowd are Brandon Jacobs and several of his New York Giants teammates.

“The Mets and Yankees are playing that afternoon,” Arum said, “and hopefully the game will be over in time and a lot of them are coming to the fight.”

This will be the sixth time that Cotto, the WBO champion, will fight at the place that bills itself as the sport’s Mecca. It will also be the fourth time he’s fought on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade, when thousands of his countrymen typically turn out to support their hero.

Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) knocked out Zab Judah to their delight two years ago, and beat Paul Malignaggi in his final fight at junior welterweight in 2006. The year before that, Cotto made his Garden debut by knocking out Mohamad Abdulaev in the ninth round.

Cotto is coming off an easy victory over Michael Jennings in February, a rebound fight after a stoppage loss to Antonio Margarito that many now view with skepticism. In the months that followed, Margarito was found to have a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps before a loss to Shane Mosley.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a loss, every kind of event in your life teaches you something, you know?” Cotto said. “I learned a lot from my first loss of my career.”

Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs) represents a significant step up in class from Jennings, whose 34-1 record looked good on paper. Like Margarito, Clottey is considered large for a welterweight and has a style that could cause Cotto problems.

“I never expect an easy fight,” said Cotto, who’s been training in Tampa, Fla., since early April. “I always train very hard for every type of fighter.”

Cotto has been working with Joe Santiago, who took over as trainer after a much-publicized fallout between Cotto and his uncle Evangelista a few months ago.

The two family members had been arguing at the Bairoa Gymnasium in Caguas over where to hold camp and eventually came to blows, and Evangelista later drove to his nephew’s home and threw a cement block through his car window, police said.

Neither decided to pursue criminal charges, and Cotto declined to discuss the current state of their relationship, calling it a family matter.

“I don’t want to talk about that situation,” he said. “I’m here just to prepare myself to fight Joshua Clottey.”