Antonio Pitalua Vs Cosme Rivera Live Stream At Mexico Online

This Friday the scene shifts to Mexico for a clash of veteran former world title challengers, with Antonio Pitalua meeting Cosme Rivera in a 12-round welterweight match. I am expecting a tough, competitive contest

Nov-18-2011

Live

Mexico City

Pitalua, born in Colombia, is fighting in his adopted hometown of Mexico City and although he is 41 years old I make him the favourite. (The oddsmakers are ignoring this fight, which surprises me.)
Some fighters are such solid mechanics of the ring that they can last longer than others. Pitalua has been a professional boxer for 19 years, starting off as a lightweight, but at a certain level — say, just below the top layers of the various world ratings — he remains a formidable proposition. He has a relaxed style, can slip and dodge punches well, and hits extremely hard with either hand. At his age, though, Pitalua has to pace himself a little, which is why the much younger Ed Paredes was able to outhustle him for a debatable, split decision win last December: Pitalua did the greater damage and scored a knockdown, but Paredes was busier.

On Friday, Pitalua meets a boxer who, like himself, has been around for a long time. Rivera, a tough and competent Mexican fighter, is 35 and he has been boxing professionally for more than 18 years. Rivera has been a staple on the Telemundo boxing shows for some years and always gives good value at this level. He outclassed the Puerto Rican fighter Felix Flores and lost a disputed decision to Joel Julio in significant bouts on Boxeo Telemundo. Although Rivera has lost three of his last four bouts he almost beat Euri Gonzalez, a useful boxer from the Dominican Republic, in December 2009. Rivera had Gonzalez wobbling in the last round, and I think that this was a fight that took more out of the winner than the loser — Gonzalez hasn’t boxed since.

Heavy-handed former world title challenger, Antonio Pitalua (52-5, 46 KOs) will take on another former world title challenger, Cosme Rivera (32-14-2, 23 KOs), in a 12-round junior welterweight bout this 

Friday at the Vive Cuervo Salon in Mexico City, Mexico.

Pitalua, a Colombian national residing in Mexico City, is best known for his TKO 2 loss to Edwin Valero in a contest for the vacant WBC lightweight in 2009. However, he has also shared the ring with Jose Armando Santa Cruz (KO 6), Saul Duran (TKO 5), and Ed Paredes (SD Loss). Pitalua also holds a 1999 10-round unanimous decision win over Cosme Rivera.
Rivera, who has been in the ring with a much higher level of opposition, has faced the likes of Alfredo Angulo (Loss, TKO 5), Andre Berto (UD Loss), Joel Julio (SD Loss), Zab Judah (Loss, TKO 3), and Hercules Kyvelos (TKO 4).
Pitalua-Rivera is billed as a title bout for the vacant WBC Latino junior welterweight title and will be broadcast live on Telemundo at 11:35 ET/PT on Friday, September 9.