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{{MedalSilver| [[Boxing at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games|1998 Maracaibo]] | Lightweight}}
{{MedalSilver| [[Boxing at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games|1998 Maracaibo]] | Lightweight}}
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{{MedalBottom}}
As a child, Cotto was taken to the Bairoa Gym in Caguas.<ref name="Amateur">{{cite web| url=http://www.braggingrightscorner.com/Cottobio.html| title=Miguel Cotto's Biography| publisher=Braging Rights Corner| year=2002| accessdate=9 August 2007}}</ref> There, he was able to develop into a top amateur fighter who won several international competitions and represented Puerto Rico at the [[2000 Sydney Olympics]].<ref name="Amateur"/> After being eliminated from those games in the first classificatory round, Cotto decided to turn professional.<ref name="Amateur"/>
Cotto was born in [[Rhode Island]] to Puerto Rican parents, and relocated to [[Caguas, Puerto Rico]] with his family before he was two.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://noticel.com/noticia/149058/cotto-devengara-4-millones-ante-delvin-rodriguez-video.html|title=Cotto devengará $4 millones ante Delvin Rodríguez (vídeo)|publisher=NotiCel|language=Spanish|date=2013-10-02|accessdate=2013-11-07}}</ref> There are several figures linked to boxing in his family, including his late father Miguel Cotto Sr., his brother [[José Miguel Cotto]], his second cousin [[Abner Cotto]], and his uncle and former boxing trainer Evangelista Cotto. Cotto began boxing as a child to help lose weight, not anticipating it to end up being his career path. He was taken to the Bairoa Gym in Caguas.<ref name="Amateur">{{cite web| url=http://www.braggingrightscorner.com/Cottobio.html| title=Miguel Cotto's Biography| publisher=Braging Rights Corner| year=2002| accessdate=9 August 2007}}</ref> There, he was able to develop into a top amateur fighter.<ref name="Amateur"/>
⚫
The young Cotto participated in several international tournaments, these include: The 1998 Junior World Championships that took place in [[Buenos Aires, Argentina]], where he finished in second place while competing in the Lightweight division.<ref name="Amateur"/> His three victories here were by points, the results were: Andrey Kolevin of Ukraine by points 15-3; Dana Laframboise of Canada by points 6-1, and Darius Jasevicius representing Lithuania 9-5. His only loss was to Anton Solopov of Russia by points with a score of 8-9. In 1999, Cotto competed in the [[1999 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] that took place in [[Winnipeg]], Canada. He only fought once in a loss to Dana Laframboise of Canada by points with a final score of 2-5. Following his participation in the Pan American tournament, Cotto was part of the [[1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships|Boxing World Championships]] in [[Houston, Texas]].<ref name="Amateur"/> He lost his only fight by points to Robertas Nomeikas. In his final amateur tournament, Cotto represented Puerto Rico as a Light Welterweight at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where he lost to [[Mohamad Abdulaev|Mahamadkadir Abdullayev]] of Uzbekistan by points. Cotto decided to turn professional after the loss to Abdulaev, ending his amateur career with a record of 125-23.<ref name="Amateur"/>

⚫
Cotto was born in [[Rhode Island]] to Puerto Rican parents, and relocated to [[Caguas, Puerto Rico]] with his family before he was two.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://noticel.com/noticia/149058/cotto-devengara-4-millones-ante-delvin-rodriguez-video.html|title=Cotto devengará $4 millones ante Delvin Rodríguez (vídeo)|publisher=NotiCel|language=Spanish|date=2013-10-02|accessdate=2013-11-07}}</ref> There are several figures linked to boxing in his family, including his late father Miguel Cotto Sr., his brother [[José Miguel Cotto]], his second cousin [[Abner Cotto]], and his uncle and former boxing trainer Evangelista Cotto. Cotto began boxing as a child to help lose weight, not anticipating it to end up being his career path. The young Cotto participated in several international tournaments, these include: The 1998 Junior World Championships that took place in [[Buenos Aires, Argentina]], where he finished in second place while competing in the Lightweight division.<ref name="Amateur"/> His three victories here were by points, the results were: Andrey Kolevin of Ukraine by points 15-3; Dana Laframboise of Canada by points 6-1, and Darius Jasevicius representing Lithuania 9-5. His only loss was to Anton Solopov of Russia by points with a score of 8-9. In 1999, Cotto competed in the [[1999 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] that took place in [[Winnipeg]], Canada. He only fought once in a loss to Dana Laframboise of Canada by points with a final score of 2-5. Following his participation in the Pan American tournament, Cotto was part of the [[1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships|Boxing World Championships]] in [[Houston, Texas]].<ref name="Amateur"/> He lost his only fight by points to Robertas Nomeikas. In his final amateur tournament, Cotto represented Puerto Rico as a Light Welterweight at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where he lost to [[Mohamad Abdulaev|Mahamadkadir Abdullayev]] of Uzbekistan by points. Cotto's amateur record is 125-23.


== Professional career ==
== Professional career ==

Revision as of 18:43, 9 October 2015

Miguel Cotto
Cotto in 2010
Born
Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez

(1980-10-29) October 29, 1980 (age 44)
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
NationalityPuerto Rican
Other namesJunito
Statistics
Weight(s)Middleweight
Light middleweight
Welterweight
Light welterweight
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Reach67 in (170 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights44
Wins40
Wins by KO33
Losses4

Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez (born October 29, 1980), best known as Miguel Cotto, is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. He is the first and only Puerto Rican to win titles in four different weight classes and is the current WBC, Lineal, The Ring and TBRB world middleweight champion.

As an amateur, Cotto represented Puerto Rico in the lightweight and light welterweight divisions at various international events including the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 1998 Junior World Championships, where he won a silver medal. He began his professional career in 2001, and on September 11, 2004, he defeated Kelson Pinto for the WBO junior welterweight championship. He defended the title successfully a total of six times, before vacating it when he ascended to the welterweight division.

In his first welterweight fight, he defeated Carlos Quintana for the vacant WBA welterweight championship. Cotto successfully defended this title against Oktay Urkal, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Alfonso Gómez, before losing it to Antonio Margarito. On February 21, 2009, Cotto defeated Michael Jennings to win the vacant WBO welterweight championship. He defended the title against Joshua Clottey before losing it to Manny Pacquiao on November 14, 2009. On June 5, 2010, Cotto competed in his first fight at light middleweight, defeating Yuri Foreman for the WBA super welterweight championship, before losing it in his biggest fight to date against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on May 5, 2012. On June 7, 2014, Cotto defeated Sergio Martínez to capture the TBRB, WBC and The Ring middleweight titles. In doing so, he became the first Puerto Rican fighter in history to win a world title in four different weight classes.

Cotto is considered to be one of the greatest Puerto Rican boxers along with Félix Trinidad, Wilfred Benitez, Hector Camacho, Wilfredo Gomez, and Carlos Ortiz.

Early years and amateur career

Miguel Cotto
Medal record
Men's Boxing
Representing Puerto Rico
Central American and Caribbean Games
Silver medal – second place 1998 Maracaibo Lightweight

Cotto was born in Rhode Island to Puerto Rican parents, and relocated to Caguas, Puerto Rico with his family before he was two.[1] There are several figures linked to boxing in his family, including his late father Miguel Cotto Sr., his brother José Miguel Cotto, his second cousin Abner Cotto, and his uncle and former boxing trainer Evangelista Cotto. Cotto began boxing as a child to help lose weight, not anticipating it to end up being his career path. He was taken to the Bairoa Gym in Caguas.[2] There, he was able to develop into a top amateur fighter.[2] The young Cotto participated in several international tournaments, these include: The 1998 Junior World Championships that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he finished in second place while competing in the Lightweight division.[2] His three victories here were by points, the results were: Andrey Kolevin of Ukraine by points 15-3; Dana Laframboise of Canada by points 6-1, and Darius Jasevicius representing Lithuania 9-5. His only loss was to Anton Solopov of Russia by points with a score of 8-9. In 1999, Cotto competed in the Pan American Games that took place in Winnipeg, Canada. He only fought once in a loss to Dana Laframboise of Canada by points with a final score of 2-5. Following his participation in the Pan American tournament, Cotto was part of the Boxing World Championships in Houston, Texas.[2] He lost his only fight by points to Robertas Nomeikas. In his final amateur tournament, Cotto represented Puerto Rico as a Light Welterweight at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where he lost to Mahamadkadir Abdullayev of Uzbekistan by points. Cotto decided to turn professional after the loss to Abdulaev, ending his amateur career with a record of 125-23.[2]

Professional career

Early in his career Cotto defeated former world title contender John Brown by decision in the tenth round. He led the score through the entire fight and scored a knockdown in the second round. The judges gave Cotto scores of 100-89 twice and 100-88.[3]

In 2001, Cotto suffered a dangerous injury that threatened his boxing career. As he was driving to the gymnasium at 5 a.m., he apparently fell asleep and crashed, breaking his arm and requiring hospitalization.[4]

On September 13, 2003, Cotto defeated Demetrio Ceballos by knockout in the seventh round at Las Vegas. In a fight where Cotto injured Ceballos with numerous combinations in the sixth round, switching between the orthodox and southpaw stances. In the seventh round Cotto displayed an aggressive style that led to the referee stopping the fight with 0:32 remaining in the round. With this, he was ranked number one in his division by the World Boxing Association.[5]

Cotto's first fight of 2004, was a fourth round knockout victory over the former world title contender Victoriano Sosa. This was after an eventful week prior to the fight, which included Cotto having to wait four hours for his luggage to arrive (after a 2 a.m. local time arrival) at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, and almost being removed from the Mandalay Bay Hotel, where the fight was held, by a security guard who thought he was an unaccompanied minor.[6]

On April 8, 2004, he defeated the former world title challenger, Lovemore N'dou, by unanimous decision in Las Vegas.[7] The first three rounds of the fight had a slow pace with neither of the boxers establishing control of the fight.[7] Cotto dominated the fourth and fifth rounds managing to land combinations on N'dou's head.[7] N'dou won the seventh and eighth rounds after landing more accurate hits than Cotto. The last three rounds were even with both fighters establishing short periods of control in the fight.[7] The judges gave Cotto scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.[7]

Junior Welterweight

On September 11, 2004, Cotto faced Kelson Pinto from Brazil, for the vacant World Boxing Organization junior welterweight title. This represented the third fight between them, with Pinto being victorious in their two previous encounters, both of which took place while they were still amateurs. The fight was televised by HBO from San Juan, Puerto Rico. During this card Cotto utilized a defensive stance with his hands in a high position instead of his usual aggressive orthodox stance.[8] Over the course of the fight Cotto scored three knockdowns and won the World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight Championship by knockout in the sixth round.[8]

On December 11, 2004, he successfully defended his title, beating former world champion Randall Bailey by knockout in the sixth round, as part of the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams undercard in Las Vegas.[9] Cotto's performance was described as a result of hand speed and accuracy.[9] During the fight Bailey received punches in his face that opened cuts over and under both of his eyes.[9] As a result of the cuts Bailey was examined by the ringside physician. Following this Bailey expressed that he didn't want to continue and the referee stopped the fight at 1:39 of the sixth round.[9] Eleven days later, on December 22, 2004 the Puerto Rican boxing commission named Cotto as Puerto Rico's fighter of the year for 2004.[10] Cotto's second title defense took place on February 26, 2005 in the Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón, Puerto Rico against Demarcus Corley.[11] During the fight Cotto practiced a boxing style that was more aggressive than usual, trading hits with Corley over the course of the first round.[11] During the fight both boxers were deducted one point following illegal low blows.[11] Cotto scored three knockdowns before the fight was stopped by the referee at 2:45 of the fifth round following a combination by Miguel.[11] Corley claimed that the referee stopped the fight prematurely stating that "the ref just stopped the fight premature. If he wanted to stop the fight, he could have stopped it when I had [Cotto] hurt."[11] Just a few days after retaining the crown versus Corley, Cotto received a personal blow, when his stablemate and friend, former 2004 Olympian Joseph Serrano, was shot in the head upon leaving the Bairoa gym. Serrano survived the shot, but was in critical but stable condition at a local hospital.

On June 11, 2005, Cotto faced the last man to beat him as an amateur, former Olympic gold medalist Mohamed Abdulaev from Uzbekistan. As amateurs, Abdulaev eliminated Cotto from the first round of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. This time they met as professionals in New York City's Madison Square Garden. Before the beginning of the fight Cotto received a positive ovation from the public.[12] During the first round Miguel went on the offensive scoring hits on Abdullaev's head and body while he was in a defensive stance.[12] In the fourth round a left hook by Miguel hurt Abdullaev, who proceeded to focus his hits on Cotto's body.[12] Abdullaev's offense was effective in the sixth and seventh rounds and as a result of this Cotto assumed a defensive stance.[12] Following the eighth round Abdullaev's eye was swollen to the point of being almost entirely closed.[12] In the ninth round following accurate punches by Cotto the fight's referee paused the fight and asked the ringside doctor to examine Abdullaev's eye.[12] After being examined by the doctor Abdullaev indicated to the referee that he could not continue, this way Cotto retained the Welterweight division championship.[12]

Miguel's third championship defense took place on September 24, 2005 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, against Ricardo Torres of Colombia.[13] In the first round Cotto had an offensive advantage and scored a knockdown on Torres.[13] In the second round after trading hits Torres scored a knockdown on Miguel.[13] The last seconds of the round were evenly matched with both boxers finishing the round injured.[13] Cotto was apparently in better condition when the third round began and was dominating the fight at that point. With two minutes remaining in the round one of Cotto's punches landed in Torres' beltline. Following this Torres was granted thirty seconds to recover by the referee.[13] Cotto dominated the fourth round and Torres won the fifth.[13] Cotto won and scored a knockdown in the sixth round. At 1:24 of the seventh round a left hook by Cotto knocked Torres out.[13]

On March 4, 2006, Cotto defended his WBO Junior Welterweight title by knocking out Gianluca Branco, who had to give up during the eighth round of their bout due to a shoulder injury.[14] Cotto dominated the fight as a result of jab combinations in a card that took place in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.[14] Cotto's next scheduled match was against the then-undefeated Paul Malignaggi in a fight that took place on June 10, 2006 in Madison Square Garden.[15] Cotto opened a cut over Malignaggi's right eye in the first round, [15] which, according to Malignaggi, affected his performance over the course of the fight, by stating "this was the first time in which I was cut, and the blood kept going into my eye. And it bothered me the entire fight. I was not able to see very well. Cotto's a great fighter, but I'm disappointed, as I wanted to be the champion".[15] Cotto won the fight by unanimous decision with scores of 116-111 and 115-112.[15] Malignaggi suffered a fractured right orbital bone and his jaw was injured, he was taken to Roosevelt Hospital after the fight's outcome was announced.[15]

Welterweight

Cotto in his match against Oktay Urkal
External audio
audio icon You may watch Miguel Cotto vs various fighters here

Cotto relinquished his title in late 2006 and announced his intention to move to the welterweight division to challenge Carlos Quintana for the WBA's championship. The fight took place on December 2, 2006. Cotto defeated Quintana by technical knockout in the fifth round. Following a punch to the body, Quintana surrendered prior to the start of the sixth round and Cotto won the vacant World Boxing Association Welterweight Championship.[16] Cotto's Welterweight reign began successfully on March 3, 2007 when he retained his belt with a technical knock out victory in the eleventh round over Oktay Urkal. Urkal's corner threw in the towel because he was apparently down in the fight, and had just had a second point deducted for a head butt, leading to his corner's belief that the referee was unfair.[17] On June 9, 2007, Cotto defended the WBA Welterweight Title against Zab Judah in New York City, performing before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden. The bout included a knockdown and a point deduction registered for Cotto, who established dominance on the offensive following a close start. At the moment of the stoppage,the judges had Cotto leading 97-91. Cotto won by technical knockout in the eleventh round when the referee stopped the fight.[18]

Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley fought on November 10, 2007 at Madison Square Garden in a card made possible by a legal settlement between Top Rank Boxing, Cotto's promoter, and Mosley's promoter, Golden Boy Promotions.[19] The fight was broadcast on HBO Pay-Per-View and was won by Cotto via unanimous decision. During the course of the fight Cotto pursued Mosley who was reacting in a slow fashion.[20] Late in the fight Mosley displayed more aggression at one point becoming the aggressor.[20] Cotto's performance was described as "a rare moment in sports when a sudden star rises from what is categorically termed as goodness, to the cusp of greatness."[20] On April 12, 2008, Cotto successfully defended the championship against Alfonso Gómez. Throughout the fight Cotto scored three knockdowns before the fight was stopped following the fifth round, when the doctor indicated to the referee that Gómez couldn't continue.[21] Cotto was selected the World Boxing Association's "Boxer of the Year", during the organization's annual award celebration, which took place in Buenos Aires.[22]

On July 26, 2008, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Cotto suffered his first loss as a professional to Antonio Margarito in an unsuccessful title defense. Cotto had taken the early initiative, frequently landing a series of punches on Margarito during the early rounds while using his footwork to avoid danger. However, Margarito presented constant offensive pressure of Cotto and eventually began to wear down Cotto's resistance by trapping him against the ropes. Cotto was hurt in the seventh round after a pair of Margarito uppercuts caused his nose to bleed. Margarito continued to chase his opponent down and inflicted further damage towards the end of the tenth round. Margarito then threw a series of punches at the start of the eleventh round, with Cotto against the ropes and bleeding profusely. A combination from Margarito finally forced Cotto to his knee. He got up, but Margarito continued landing combinations. Evangelista Cotto threw in the towel after Cotto again fell to the canvas in the corner of the ring. Two judges had Margarito ahead by a score of 96–94 at the time of the stoppage, while the third scored the fight even.[23] HBO analyst Harold Lederman had also scored the fight even. Cotto's loss to Margarito has since come under suspicion due to Margarito's subsequent attempted use of illegal hand-wraps in a fight against Shane Mosley.

Corner changes

Cotto returned to action on February 21, 2009, in a card held at the Madison Square Garden, sporting the first of his trademark tattoos which he has expanded on ever since. This time competing against Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title. After both pugilists used the first round to study their opponent's style, the tempo accelerated during the second.[24] In the third, Cotto pursued the offensive more fluidly, connecting with jabs and hooks.[24] One round later, Cotto scored two knockdowns on Jennings, who was able to continue until the recess. In the fifth, Jennings was trapped against the ropes, which Cotto utilized to connect a right hook to score a third knockdown.[24] Jennings incorporated, but the referee decided to stop the fight.[25] With this action, Cotto was awarded a technical knockout victory, in the process winning his second championship in the welterweight division. On April 8, 2009, Cotto fired his uncle from the team's staff, following a violent discussion where his property was damaged. However, neither side expressed interest in pursuing any sort of legal action. Consequently, Cotto named Joe Santiago, who had served as the team's nutritionist as his new trainer.

On June 13, 2009, Cotto defended this championship against Joshua Clottey, in a fight that was originally intended to be an unification that also included the International Boxing Federation's title. In the first round he scored a knockdown after connecting a jab. In the third round an accidental head clash opened a severe laceration over Cotto's left eye. The injury bled profusely during the fourth round, but he was able to control the pace. In the fifth round, Clottey was pushed to the floor during an exchange and was injured in his left knee, receiving time to recover before the contest resumed. In the sixth, Cotto trapped Clottey in a corner and gained offensive advantage. During the next two rounds, Clottey controlled the offensive, noticing that Cotto was unable to see right punches. During the last rounds, Cotto decided to employ his technique from outside, while the fight's tempo remained close. The judges decided the fight's outcome by split decision, awarding scores of 115-112 and 116-111 for Cotto and 114-113 for Clottey.[26]

Immediately after this fight, negotiations began to pursue a contest against Manny Pacquiao. Even before Pacquiao defeated Ricky Hatton, Bob Arum, who represents both Cotto and Pacquiao, stated that he was interested in this matchup.[27] Subsequently, Pacquiao expressed interest in fighting Cotto.[28] The fight was sanctioned as a world title fight in the welterweight division, where the weight limit is 147 pounds, however Cotto's camp agreed to fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds to accommodate Pacquiao's smaller physique. Cotto's camp also conceded the larger share of the purse to Pacquiao, who received a 65% share of pay-per-view buys, compared to Cotto's 35% share.[29]

On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Cotto by TKO 55 seconds into the 12th round, dethroning Cotto as a WBO welterweight champion.[30] The fight generated 1.25 million buys and 70 million dollars in domestic pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009.[31] Pacquiao earned around 22 million dollars for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around 12 million dollars.[31] Pacquiao-Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930.[31]

Light Middleweight

Cotto vs. Foreman

After the Pacquiao fight, Cotto moved to the light middleweight division. On June 5, 2010, he fought against undefeated Israeli WBA Light Middleweight Champion Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium in New York. Bob Arum had said that if Cotto were to win, he would become a frontrunner to defend the WBA belt against Manny Pacquiao in November. Cotto stated that he would consider a return to the welterweight division, in case of an interesting fight.[32]

Cotto ended up knocking Foreman down with a signature left hook to the body in the ninth round, after Foreman tore his knee, Cotto, claiming the WBA Light Middleweight title, his fourth overall in three different weight divisions.[33]

On March 12, 2011, Cotto defeated Ricardo Mayorga in a 12th round TKO, retaining his WBA Light Middleweight title on the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cotto vs. Margarito II

Main article: Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito II

On December 3, 2011, Cotto defeated Antonio Margarito via TKO in the 10th round. The fight was stopped at the start of the 10th round because of the condition of Margarito's right eye, which was swollen shut. This was the same eye that was badly damaged in his fight with Manny Pacquiao and the one that almost kept the New York State Athletic Commission from granting him his boxing license because of the special procedure that was performed on it in 2010.

Cotto vs. Mayweather

Main article: Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto

On May 5, 2012, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. faced Miguel Cotto for the WBA (Super) Light Middleweight/Super Welterweight belt. Mayweather came in at 151, while Cotto came in at 154 pounds. The fight started off with Cotto establishing himself as the fight's aggressor, but with Mayweather winning the first two rounds using effective counter-punching and body movement to block most of Cotto's punches. However, in the third round Cotto seemed to successfully swarm Mayweather and land decent flurries to steal himself the round. Then from rounds 4-9 the action was closely contested, with both fighters using their partially contrasting styles in attempts to one-up the other. Ultimately though, Mayweather managed to adjust to Cotto's new rhythm of attacking in flurries and used his now-newly tweaked counter-punching style to win a lot of the final rounds, in what people thought had secured Mayweather the decision victory. Cotto had Mayweather against the ropes many times, resulting in some damage and a lot of bleeding from Mayweather's nose. Cotto's eyes had some partial swelling. Mayweather won via unanimous decision. When they hugged at the end, Mayweather told Cotto, "You are a hell of a champion — the toughest guy I fought."

Cotto vs. Trout

Cotto's next fight was on December 1, 2012, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. His opponent was the undefeated WBA Super Welterweight Champion Austin Trout. Cotto lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Cotto vs. Rodríguez

Cotto faced Delvin Rodríguez on October 5, 2013, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Cotto looked like the Cotto of old, by displaying an aggressive style early on in the fight and landing powerful body shots. One punch in his arsenal that was brought back to life, was the vicious left hook which he was known for in his days of dominance in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions. The second round saw Cotto landing body shots at will and with less than 10 seconds left in the round he staggered Rodriguez with a sharp left hook. In the beginning of the third round, with Rodriguez still feeling the effects of the left hook at the end of round two, Cotto forced Rodriguez in to the ropes landed a left hook to the temple, followed by flurry of punches which knocked Rodriguez onto the canvas. The referee then stopped the fight and gave Cotto a third-round TKO victory.

Middleweight

Cotto vs. Martinez

Cotto faced WBC and The Ring Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez for the titles on June 7, 2014 in his first fight in the middleweight division at Madison Square Garden. It should be noted that Martinez was inactive for a year before this bout and had two separate surgeries performed on his right knee.[34] Throughout the fight, journalists and fans alike, noticed Martinez was unable to bend, flex and support his own weight while moving in the ring.[35][36] Martinez himself proclaimed that his knee had nothing to do with the outcome of the fight and his struggles were a result of a body shot.[37] Cotto knocked Martinez down 3 times in the first round and once in the ninth round before Martinez retired on his stool before the tenth round, giving Cotto the win by ninth-round corner retirement. With the win, Cotto became the first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four different weight classes.

Cotto vs. Canelo

Cotto is scheduled to face Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on November 21, 2015 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on HBO pay-per-view. The bout has been much anticipated for many years, and re-hatches the Mexico-Puerto Rico boxing rivalry at the elite level.

Professional boxing record

40 Wins (33 knockouts, 7 decisions, 1 dq), 4 Losses 0 Draws[38]
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
— — Mexico Saúl Álvarez N/A - (12) 2015-11-21 United States Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada Defending WBC, Lineal and The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win 40–4 Australia Daniel Geale TKO 4 (12), 1:28 2015-06-06 United States Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York Retained WBC, Lineal and The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win 39–4 Argentina Sergio Martínez RTD 10 (12), 0:06 2014-06-07 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Won WBC, Lineal and The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win 38–4 Dominican Republic Delvin Rodríguez TKO 3 (12), 0:18 2013-10-05 United States Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Loss 37–4 United States Austin Trout UD 12 2012-12-01 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York For WBA Light Middleweight title.
Loss 37–3 United States Floyd Mayweather, Jr. UD 12 2012-05-05 United States MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada Lost WBA (Super) Light Middleweight title.
Win 37–2 Mexico Antonio Margarito TKO 10 (12), 0:03 2011-12-03 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Retained WBA (Super) Light Middleweight title.
Win 36–2 Nicaragua Ricardo Mayorga TKO 12 (12), 0:53 2011-03-12 United States MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBA (Super) Light Middleweight title.
Win 35–2 Israel Yuri Foreman TKO 9 (12), 0:42 2010-06-05 United States Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York Won WBA Light Middleweight title.
Loss 34–2 Philippines Manny Pacquiao TKO 12 (12), 0:55 2009-11-14 United States MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada Lost WBO Welterweight title.
Win 34–1 Ghana Joshua Clottey SD 12 2009-06-13 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Retained WBO Welterweight title.
Win 33–1 United Kingdom Michael Jennings TKO 5 (12), 2:38 2009-02-21 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Won vacant WBO Welterweight title.
Loss 32–1 Mexico Antonio Margarito TKO 11 (12), 2:05 2008-07-26 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Lost WBA Welterweight title.
Win 32–0 Mexico Alfonso Gómez RTD 5 (12), 3:00 2008-04-12 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey Retained WBA Welterweight title.
Win 31–0 United States Shane Mosley UD 12 2007-11-10 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Retained WBA Welterweight title.
Win 30–0 United States Zab Judah TKO 11 (12), 0:49 2007-06-09 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Retained WBA Welterweight title.
Win 29–0 Germany Oktay Urkal TKO 11 (12), 1:01 2007-03-03 Puerto Rico Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan Retained WBA Welterweight title.
Win 28–0 Puerto Rico Carlos Quintana RTD 5 (12), 3:00 2006-12-02 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey Won vacant WBA Welterweight title.
Win 27–0 United States Paulie Malignaggi UD 12 2006-06-10 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Retained WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 26–0 Italy Gianluca Branco TKO 8 (12), 0:49 2006-03-04 Puerto Rico Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón Retained WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 25–0 Colombia Ricardo Torres KO 7 (12), 1:52 2005-09-24 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey Retained WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 24–0 Uzbekistan Mohammad Abdullaev TKO 9 (12), 0:57 2005-06-11 United States Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York Retained WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 23–0 United States DeMarcus Corley TKO 5 (12), 2:45 2005-02-26 Puerto Rico Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón Retained WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 22–0 United States Randall Bailey TKO 6 (12), 1:39 2004-12-11 United States Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 21–0 Brazil Kelson Pinto TKO 6 (12), 0:32 2004-09-11 Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, Hato Rey, San Juan Won vacant WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win 20–0 Australia Lovemore N'dou UD 12 2004-05-08 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBC International Light Welterweight title.
Win 19–0 Dominican Republic Victoriano Sosa TKO 4 (12), 2:51 2004-02-28 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBC International Light Welterweight title.
Win 18–0 Colombia Carlos Maussa TKO 8 (12), 3:00 2003-12-06 Puerto Rico Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón Retained WBC International Light Welterweight title.
Win 17–0 Panama Demetrio Ceballos TKO 7 (12), 2:28 2003-09-13 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBC International Light Welterweight title.
Win 16–0 Mexico Rocky Martinez KO 2 (12), 2:42 2003-06-28 Puerto Rico Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón Retained WBC International Light Welterweight title.
Win 15–0 United States Joel Perez KO 4 (10), 1:29 2003-04-19 United States Selland Arena, Fresno, California
Win 14–0 Mexico Cesar Bazan TKO 11 (12), 0:16 2003-02-01 United States Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada Won vacant WBC International Light Welterweight title.
Win 13–0 Mexico Ubaldo Hernandez KO 7 (10), 1:31 2002-11-22 Puerto Rico Coliseo Héctor Solá Bezares, Caguas
Win 12–0 United States John Brown UD 10 2002-09-14 United States Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 11–0 Mexico Carlos Alberto Ramirez KO 3 (10), 2:34 2002-07-30 United States Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma
Win 10–0 Uganda Justin Juuko TKO 5 (10), 2:44 2002-06-22 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 9–0 Mexico Juan Angel Macias TKO 7 (10), 1:54 2002-05-03 United States Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 8–0 United States Sammy Sparkman TKO 2 (10), 2:49 2002-03-01 Puerto Rico Coliseo Guillermo Angulo, Carolina
Win 7–0 United States Joshua Smith TKO 2 (8), 1:24 2002-01-11 Puerto Rico Coliseo Héctor Solá Bezares, Caguas
Win 6–0 Mexico Arturo Rodriguez KO 2 (6), 2:52 2001-07-28 United States Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Win 5–0 United States Rudolfo Lunsford TKO 4 (6), ? 2001-07-01 Puerto Rico Pier 10 Arena, San Juan
Win 4–0 Mexico Martin Ramirez UD 4 2001-05-20 Puerto Rico San Juan
Win 3–0 United States Waklimi Young UD 4 2001-04-28 United States Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, New York
Win 2–0 United States Jacob Godinez TKO 2 (4), 1:17 2001-03-30 United States Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas
Win 1–0 United States Jason Doucet TKO 1 (4), 2:12 2001-02-23 United States Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas Professional debut.

Personal life

Cotto was born in Rhode Island to Puerto Rican parents, and relocated to Caguas, Puerto Rico with his family before he was two.[39] There are several figures linked to boxing in his family, including his late father Miguel Cotto Sr., his brother José Miguel Cotto, his second cousin Abner Cotto, and his uncle and former boxing trainer Evangelista Cotto. He is married to Melissa Guzmán[40] with whom he has two children, Alondra and Miguel Cotto III.[41] Cotto has a daughter outside of this marriage with another woman, who was born in November 2006.[42] On May 29, 2007, Cotto solicited a Protection Order against the mother of his child.[43] The order was granted and it prevented her from gaining access to Cotto's house in the "Valle del Turabo" sector of Caguas, Puerto Rico and the Bairoa Gym, where he usually trains.[44] The case was dropped on June 14, 2007, when Cotto attended a citation and asked judge Bernardo Solá to lift the Protection Order.[45]

Outside of his involvement as an active boxer, Cotto also owns and presides a boxing promotion named "Promociónes Miguel Cotto", which organizes fight cards in Puerto Rico.[46] Similarly he founded "El Ángel", a non-profit organization that promotes physical activity and measures against infant obesity.[47] Marc Ecko, fashion designer and owner of Eckō, selected Cotto when promoting the brand within the sport, citing the boxer's "fearless" demeanor as one of the main reasons behind this agreement.[48] As a product of this partnership, Eckō produced boxing gear for him as well as mainstream clothing accessories for the general public.

Titles in boxing

Major World Titles:

Minor World Titles:

The Ring/Lineal Championship Titles:

Regional/International Titles:


Pay-per-view bouts

Date Fight Billing Buys Network
June 9, 2007 Cotto vs. Judah X-Plosive! 225,000 HBO
November 10, 2007 Cotto vs. Mosley Fast & Furious 400,000 HBO
July 26, 2008 Cotto vs. Margarito The Battle 450,000 HBO
November 14, 2009 Pacquiao vs. Cotto Firepower 1,250,000[49] HBO
March 12, 2011 Cotto vs. Mayorga Relentless 250,000 Showtime
December 3, 2011 Cotto vs. Margarito II The Battle 2 600,000 HBO
May 5, 2012 Mayweather vs. Cotto Ring Kings 1,500,000[50] HBO
June 7, 2014 Cotto vs. Martinez Cotto-Martinez 350,000[51] HBO

See also

References

  1. ^ "Cotto devengará $4 millones ante Delvin Rodríguez (vídeo)" (in Spanish). NotiCel. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Miguel Cotto's Biography". Braging Rights Corner. 2002. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  3. ^ Dan Rafael (2002-09-14). "Cotto's star continues to rise". USA Today. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  4. ^ Sean Stowell (6 May 2004). "Cotto Sounds the Alarms". Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ John Gregg (13 September 2003). "Cotto Grinds Up Ceballos In Seven". Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Doug Fischer (29 February 2004). "Sosa calls Cotto 'a very hard puncher'". Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d e Gregory Robinson. "Not Quite as Exciting as the Main Event." Archived from the original on May 18, 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b Luis Escobar. "Cotto Cuts Down Pinto Captures Crown". Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b c d John Gregg (11 December 2004). "Cotto cuts down Bailey". Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Cotto, boxeador del año en Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). 24 December 2004. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  11. ^ a b c d e John Gregg (26 February 2005). "Cotto Tested By Corley Scores TKO". Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Thomas Gerbasi. "Cotto avenges last loss; Casamayor, 'Diamond' draw". Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g John Gregg (24 September 2005). "Jersey War Cotto KO's Torres". Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b "Cotto Breaks Down Branco!". 4 May 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  15. ^ a b c d e Richmann (2006-06-13). "Ringside Boxing Report: Miguel Cotto - Paulie Malignaggi". SaddoBoxing.com. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  16. ^ Dan Rafael (2 December 2006). "Cotto crushes Quintana in five; Margarito goes distance". Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  17. ^ Luis Escobar (3 March 2007). "Cotto Halts Urkal On 11th Round TKO". Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Cotto KOs Judah to retain crown". BBC News. 10 June 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  19. ^ ESPN (15 August 2007). "Cotto-Mosley to take place on November 10th". ESPN. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  20. ^ a b c Vivek Wallace. "Cotto Outpoints Mosley". East Side Boxing. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  21. ^ Noel Algarín Martínez (13 April 2008). "Deportes". Otra victoria para Miguel Cotto (in Spanish). Primera Hora. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Carlos González (4 July 2008). "Deportes". La AMB resalta la labor de Cotto (in Spanish). Primera Hora. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Margarito stops Cotto". Sky Sports. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
  24. ^ a b c Ángel M. Rivera. "Deportes". Round por round (in Spanish). El Nuevo Día. p. 93. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ Kevin Iole (21 February 2009). "Cotto drops Jennings, claims WBO title". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  26. ^ "Cotto overcomes cut, wins split decision". espn.com. June 14, 2009.
  27. ^ ABS-CBNNews.com, Arum: After Hatton, Pacquiao may fight Cotto
  28. ^ Yahoo! Philippines through PhilStar.com, Pacquiao okays Cotto showdown - Arum
  29. ^ GMANews.tv, Pacquiao-Cotto duel whets fight fans’ appetite for action
  30. ^ Future WBO sanctioned bouts
  31. ^ a b c ESPN.com, Pacquiao-Cotto tops Mayweather in PPV
  32. ^ Vester, Mark (May 29, 2010). "Miguel Cotto Would Consider a Return To Welterweight". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  33. ^ Vester, Mark (June 6, 2010). "Miguel Cotto Punishes Yuri Foreman, Captures WBA Title". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  34. ^ http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/338259-sergio-martinez-i-feared-i-would-never-walk-again
  35. ^ http://grantland.com/the-triangle/miguel-cotto-sergio-martinez-middleweight-championship-floyd-mayweather-jr-canelo-alvarez-madison-square-garden/
  36. ^ http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/6/9/5794056/opinion-sergio-martinezs-inability-to-move-meant-more-than-cottos
  37. ^ http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/06/miguel_cotto_dominant_sergio_martinez_msg.php
  38. ^ "Miguel Cotto Professional boxing record". BoxRec.com.
  39. ^ "Cotto devengará $4 millones ante Delvin Rodríguez (vídeo)" (in Spanish). NotiCel. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  40. ^ "Miguel Cotto The Family Man". Fabwags. January 2014. Retrieved April 2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  41. ^ Carlos González. Incómodo Episidio para el campeón (in Spanish). Puerto Rico: Primera Hora. p. 95. En estos momentos, Cotto se encuentra separado de su esposa Melissa Guzmán, con quien procreó dos hijos, Alondra y Miguel.
  42. ^ Carlos González. Incómodo Episidio para el campeón (in Spanish). Puerto Rico: Primera Hora. p. 95. Sin embargo, el propio Cotto le solicitó al juez Solá que no le interesaba perjudicar a Cáceres, con quien tiene una bebe de cinco meses de nacida
  43. ^ Carlos González. Incómodo Episidio para el campeón (in Spanish). Puerto Rico: Primera Hora. p. 95. La orden de proteción que le fue concedida al púgil Miguel Cotto el pasado 29 de mayo contra la joven Ana Cáceres Rojas quedó sin efecto ayer
  44. ^ Carlos González. Incómodo Episidio para el campeón (in Spanish). Puerto Rico: Primera Hora. p. 95. Cotto accudió ante las autoridades policiales en Caguas a finales del pasado mes de mayo para solicitar que a Cáceres le prohibieran accudir tanto al gimnasio localizado en Bairoa como a la residencia del púgil en El Valle del Turabo
  45. ^ Carlos González. Incómodo Episidio para el campeón (in Spanish). Puerto Rico: Primera Hora. p. 95. Fue a peticion de él (Cotto). Lo unico que Miguel pide es que se respete su vida privada y sus assuntos personales
  46. ^ "Nueva conquista" (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  47. ^ Lester Jiménez (20 September 2007). "Miguel Cotto es el "ángel" de los gorditos" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  48. ^ Brian Katkin (10 April 2008). "Ecko jumps into ring with Cotto partnership". USA Today. Retrieved 2 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  49. ^ "Pacquiao-Cotto tops Mayweather in PPV". Espn.go.com.
  50. ^ "Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto rakes in $94M in PPV sales". Espn.go.com.
  51. ^ "Cotto-Martinez PPV 'underperformed'". Espn.go.com.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miguel Cotto.


Awards and achievements
Vacant
Title last held by
Zab Judah 		WBO Light Welterweight Champion
September 11, 2004 – October 27, 2006
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Ricardo Torres
Vacant
Title last held by
Ricky Hatton 		WBA Welterweight Champion
December 2, 2006 – July 26, 2008 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Title last held by
Paul Williams 		WBO Welterweight Champion
February 21, 2009 – November 14, 2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WBA Super Welterweight Champion
June 5, 2010 – September 10, 2010
Promoted 		Vacant
Title next held by
Rigoberto Álvarez
as Regular Champion
Vacant
Title last held by
Winky Wright 		WBA Super Welterweight Champion
Super Title
September 10, 2010 – May 5, 2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WBC Middleweight Champion
June 7, 2014 – present 		Incumbent
The Ring Middleweight Champion
June 7, 2014 – present

Template:Persondata

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