Canelo was then awarded the WBC middleweight championship belt from Cotto by unanimous decision. Alvarez’s power was there again in the ninth round, when he landed several heavy shots that stopped Cotto in his tracks.
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That has added further interest and intrigue to tonight’s fight, and has ensured this bout has caught wide attention among devoted boxing fans as well as fringe fans.
Oscar De La Hoya boxed himself into a corner and let Saul “Canelo” Alvarez punch him out of it. Canelo is more aggressive in this round, but Cotto’s defense is improved since the last time we saw him in the ring. By the 11th and 12th rounds with Cotto going for it all, he couldn’t dole out more than he got back. Canelo didn’t have a signature moment-a few solid flurries here and there was basically it-but he was in control of the fight throughout. In short, this provides a summary of the fight tonight: Miguel Cotto performed with heart and skill in out-working Alvarez, but the more precise shots of the Mexican fighter may have been what hinged the victory in favor of Alvarez.
In another fight-of-the-year contender, Vargas rocked Miura in the opening round, before tasting the mat in round four. Canelo isn’t a one-trick pony, however, is he? If this bout commands more than 4.5 million buys, look for Mayweather to come out of retirement and face the victor. But it is still a big IF. Cotto made a decision to try and mix it up, throwing away the game plan, and Canelo was more than happy to trade with Cotto. Test, passed. Canelo was brilliant, patiently walking Cotto down, pounding him with power shots and showcasing the kind of conditioning any star fighter needs to fight at the highest level. In the 11th, Cotto was moving, maybe too much.
Alvarez can fall behind early if he starts following his man around like he did against Lara. While his jab was nonexistent, his right, both on the inside and from a distance, was beginning to reach Cotto, who continued to move, jab and wait. Cotto was agile and quick on his feet, landing sharp jabs and combinations then stepping out of range. This will not only disrupt Cotto’s movement but will stop him from getting off with his left hook.
“I didn’t score it. He won the fight clearly”.
Also featured will be former unified super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KO), who makes his debut as a Roc Nation Sports’ fighter when he takes on Drian Francisco (28-3-1, 22 KO). Velez’s counters, once sharp, failed to halt his advance, and the Puerto Rican’s willingness to engage Rios on the inside proved a grave mistake. I feel that my preparation paid off for this fight.
I get the feeling that the last thing that De La Hoya wants to do is feed his golden goose Canelo to a fighter like Gennady Golovkin, because this guy is for real, and isn’t another one of the undersized opponents that Canelo has been feeding off of. My prediction is Cotto will bank the majority of the early rounds but he will spend a lot of energy in doing so. While Trout and Lara were risky fights to take, Alvarez was a slight favorite against both, and neither of them were serious threats to knock him out. Cotto’s footwork looked superior, but Canelo had a clear strength advantage.
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A chorus of boos greeted the two fighters midway through the fourth round, as Cuban-born Rigondeaux outlasted the Filipino Francisco in an ennui-filled bout.
