Cotto is from Puerto Rico, Judah is from Brooklyn. Cotto is unbeaten and, at 26 is on the rise with knockout wins in nine of his last 11 fights. Judah has lost his last two, both title bouts, and three of his last seven outings. At 29, Judah should be in his prime, but his recent mediocrity indicates otherwise.

Cotto has been considered a model citizen in the sport and has become a prime attraction for noted promoter Bob Arum. Judah comes off a suspension for his role in a melee during his last official fight, against Floyd Mayweather on April 8, 2006.

But when they enter the ring in front of an expected sellout crowd - the Garden has opened its mezzanine for boxing for the first time in six years - Cotto and Judah say none of that matters.

"It's all business," said Cotto, who certainly appeared dressed for a board meeting. "This is a fight the public wants to see and we'll make it a good show. The time to talk is finished. We have to prove we can do a good show and the people know that I come to do that.

"Zab asks who is Miguel Cotto? I don't care if he asks it, he'll come to know who Miguel Cotto is on Saturday. I've come to hit him with my title."

Cotto drew laughter for that comment, and he was smooth throughout a midweek news conference. He doesn't have Judah's flare, however.

Or, according to Judah, as much renown.

"Miguel is a local fighter to the Latino community," Judah said. "But overseas they don't know him. They know Zab. They all know Zab.

"The biggest pay-per-view with Mayweather before the De La Hoya fight (last month) broke the records? It was against me. I fought Cory Spinks in his hometown, St. Louis. Cory Spinks couldn't sell out in St. Louis before, but we sold out.

"Miguel Cotto has never been to this type of hype before or opened the top level mezzanine at Madison Square Garden."

This will be the third straight weekend of the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York that Cotto has fought in the Garden. He beat Muhammad Abdullaev in nine rounds as a junior welterweight in 2005, then outpointed Paul Malignaggi in 12 a year ago. Now he's a full welterweight, which his camp says suits him much better.

Cotto weighed 146 1/2 pounds, while Judah was at 145.

While promoters are playing up the weekend as a Puerto Rican festival in which Cotto is a star, Judah expects to have plenty of support in the Garden on Saturday night. And not just from his borough mates.

"I have plenty of good Latino friends and a lot of Puerto Rican fans, too," he said. "I was on (a local radio program) and the people were kind of trying to take it to a Latino-African American thing. I don't want to get into that. I don't want to let anyone start something it shouldn't be. It's just boxing."

It could be a big night for the sport, too.