WBA Welterweight champ Miguel Cotto receives his belt
Photos By Diario Panamá América

PANAMA, January 4, 2007 – In a special event held today at the Sheraton Hotel of Panama, World Boxing Association (WBA) Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto from Puerto Rico received his belt from the hands of WBA Executive Vice-President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza.

In a crowded ceremony and accompanied by Top Rank President Todd Du Buboef, the Puertorrican star showed his gratitude and pride as he has the belt that he brilliantly obtained last December 2nd after knocking out Carlos Quintana.

“I’m very happy to be here today to receive a belt from such a prestigious sanctioning body like the WBA. I’m also very proud as they especially invited me to their new home in Panama, which is such a beautiful country that really really loves boxing,” Cotto said.

Meanwhile, Mendoza said that “is always a pleasure for us to have great champions like Cotto with us. I remember that he was once our mandatory challenger as a Super Lightweight but he decided to take another path and we were happy for him anyway. But now he prestiges the WBA and we like to not only congratulate him but also to say welcome home, Miguel.”

Cotto and Duboeuf confirmed that Miguel will make the first defense of the title next March 3rd in Puerto Rico against mandatory challenger Oktay Urkal from Germany.

Also in the ceremony Panamanian Roberto “Araña” Vásquez was presented with his WBA Interim Flyweight belt that he won also last December 2nd in France after defeating Takefumi Sakata in a hard battle that generated some controversy.

Vásquez and his manager Carlos Gonzalez announced that there are negotiations underway in order to set a rematch of that fight in Japan in March.