The Front Row: Fight of the year?

HYPERBOLE EARNED: It seems like every meaningful fight creates mass hysteria among boxing fans.

We’re so desperate to see the sweet science achieve mainstream exposure that we’ll occasionally over-hype a fight that doesn’t deserve the accolades.

However, Saturday’s welterweight championship bout between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito is worth every ounce of hype it receives ?— and then some.

Simply put, this is the best fight you can make in boxing, regardless of weight class. Cotto (32-0, 26 KO) is the fight game’s most exciting young champion. He’s not flashy and he could care less about the business side. The Puerto Rican has one goal in mind ?— beat whoever Bob Arum and Top Rank puts in front of him.

Margarito (36-5, 26 KO) spent most of his prime as the fighter every other high-profile fighter avoided. He was considered too dangerous for Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, etc.

He never takes a step backward and he never stops throwing punches. Against Joshua Clottey, Margarito set the unofficial “punches thrown” record by firing off more than 1,400 shots in 12 rounds.

Not only are these the two best 147-pounders in the world and not only does this fight promise to be nonstop action, but it will renew the “Mexico versus Puerto Rico” rivalry that dates back to boxing’s golden age.

Unfortunately, the ticket sales have been less-than-stellar, thanks to Las Vegas’ sizzling summer temperatures and the current economic conditions. My plan is to mill around outside the MGM Grand and see if a few Top Rank associates start handing out free tickets to present the illusion of a sellout crowd to the HBO pay-per-view audience.

If this matchup delivers on its pre-fight promise, it will likely be a shoo-in for fight of the year, and a potential candidate for fight of the decade. And no, that’s not an excessive claim.

---

AAU MADNESS: I’m about halfway through my Vegas vacation, and I’ve probably absorbed a lifetime’s worth of high-school basketball.

I’m writing this entry from Rancho High School, where highly touted Atlanta prospect Derrick Favors is playing like a man amongst boys. If you’re a college hoops fan, be sure to learn that name. He’s sure to be a big star.

A couple days ago, I watched potential UA recruit Abdul Gaddy look like Mustafa Shakur — for better or worse —- against a pair of top Florida guards. Gaddy looked like a genuine point guard in the first half, penetrating into the lane at will and setting up his teammates. But as the game started to slip away, Gaddy froze out the rest of his team and tried to win the game on his own. Take a guess how that turned out.

Of course, it’s impossible to judge a player on one game — especially when he’s taking on top-10 recruits like Kenny Boynton and Brandon Knight. I still think Gaddy would be a big-time addition for the Wildcats, if the new coaching staff can convince him that Arizona is still “Point Guard U.”

Other than the wall-to-wall basketball we’ve been enjoying, the highlight of the trip thus far had to be seeing Michael Beasley — the No. 2 pick in this year’s NBA draft — saunter into an In-and-Out Burger while we were stuffing our faces with greasy fast-food. He didn’t cause much of a stir (a few kids asked for his autograph), but it’s not every day you run into a teenager with a seven-digit bank account.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747