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Cotto vs Margarito 2: Judges Named, Entire Crew New to Margarito

Miguel Cotto has some familiarity with Saturday's officials, but Antonio Margarito has never been in a fight judged or refereed by any of them. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Miguel Cotto has some familiarity with Saturday's officials, but Antonio Margarito has never been in a fight judged or refereed by any of them. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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All three ringside judges for Saturday night's rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito have been named for the fight at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

As previously reported, the referee will be Steve Smoger. The ringside judges will be Julie Lederman, Steve Weisfeld, and John Poturaj.

Lederman and Weisfeld are well-known, well-respected judges who have worked many major fights in the northeastern United States over the years. Lederman, the daughter of longtime judge and current HBO unofficial judge Harold Lederman, most recently worked (for world title fights) the Nonito Donaire vs Omar Narvaez bout on October 22 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, scoring it a 120-108 shutout for Donaire. That was consistent with the other two judges, one of whom was Weisfeld. Both also worked Wolak vs Rodriguez on July 15, and each scored it 95-95.

[ Related: Will Cotto Leave Top Rank After Saturday? ]

Lederman was also a judge for Berto vs Ortiz on April 16, scoring it 114-111 for Ortiz.


More Cotto-Margarito Coverage From SBN
Bad Left Hook | MMA Mania | MMA Nation | Bloody Elbow


The wild card is Poturaj, who will be judging his first world title fight on American soil. He has worked internationally for world title fights, including Austin Trout vs David Lopez (Mexico), Jonathan Victor Barros vs Mickey Roman (Argentina), Anselmo Moreno vs Nehomar Cermeno II (Panama), and Paulus Moses vs Miguel Acosta (Namibia).

OFFICIALS HISTORIES WITH COTTO AND MARGARITO

According to the records at BoxRec, none of these officials have ever worked an Antonio Margarito fight, as he has fought just three times in New Jersey and just once in New York, and nowhere else in the northeast.

Past Cotto Fights Judged by Julie Lederman

  • vs Muhammad Abdullaev, 2005-06-11, W-TKO-9 (79-73)
  • vs Ricardo Torres, 2005-09-24, W-KO-7 (56-53)

Past Cotto Fights Judged by Steve Weisfeld

  • vs Waklimi Young, 2001-04-28, W-UD-4 (40-36)
  • vs Muhammad Abdullaev, 2005-06-11, W-TKO-9 (78-74)
  • vs Gianluca Branco, 2006-03-04, W-TKO-8 (69-64)
  • vs Michael Jennings, 2009-02-21, W-TKO-5 (40-34)
  • vs Yuri Foreman, 2010-06-05, W-TKO-9 (79-73)

Past Cotto Fights Judged by John Poturaj

  • None.

Past Cotto Fights Refereed by Steve Smoger

  • vs Paulie Malignaggi, 2006-06-10, W-UD-12
  • vs Carlos Quintana, 2006-12-02, W-RTD-5

Past Margarito Fights Judged by Julie Lederman

  • None.

Past Margarito Fights Judged by Steve Weisfeld

  • None.

Past Margarito Fights Judged by John Poturaj

  • None.

Past Margarito Fights Refereed by Steve Smoger

  • None.

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