New York Sports Fan Blog

On Saturday, Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman will bring boxing back to Yankee Stadium for the first time since Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton went toe-to-toe for 12 rounds in 1976. The return to the big stage has fight fans all across the Big Apple talking. And talking. And talking.

If there’s one thing New Yorkers aren’t shy about, it’s sharing their opinions. And not just about the match itself, but how the historic bout touches on religion, literary boxing influences, ethnic parades, hip-hop and the ongoing interborough grudge match.

“Anytime you have anything other than baseball at Yankee Stadium, it’s a prestigious event. To have [Miguel] Cotto fighting there is incredible, it’s cultural for us. Cotto’s a gladiator, he’ll die in the ring. He has my respect as a man any day. It’ll be exciting because the Brooklyn fans will be out to support their fighter. I was there at MSG when Cotto fought [Zab] Zudah and the environment in the building was tense. I’m gonna get ringside in Yankee Stadium, up close and personal to watch my man Cotto explode and knock [Yuri] Foreman out. I’m not much of a decision guy; I want the fireworks.” — Fat Joe, rapper/CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, Bronx

• “We’re going to have a real clash of the titans right here in the Bronx, in our very own brand-new coliseum. The enthusiasm for this fight and the return of boxing to Yankee Stadium is very obvious across the Bronx. We’ve always been known for world-class baseball, and now we’ll be known for world-class boxing as well. While I think both fighters are solid, Miguel Cotto has a huge fan base in the Bronx, myself included.” — Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Click here to read the full article – By Patrick Sauer of ESPN.com