A tale of two fight nights- Miguel Cotto’s overshadowed triumph

Grant Miller
Aug 27, 2017 · 5 min read
Miguel Cotto(Bryan Horowitz)

By Grant Miller

Two boxers who battled five years ago fought again on Saturday, and it was just like old times. Floyd Mayweather Jr. turned aggressive and stood in the pocket, throwing his infamous lethal right-hand lead. Miguel Cotto replied with his heavy-handed combos from the body to the head that gave him his 72-percent knockout rate. Both fighters bit down on their mouth pieces and slugged it out on August 26, but there was one major difference from their bout in 2012.

They didn’t fight each other.

And they both won.

After two years of inactivity both Mayweather and Cotto showed they could still win by any means necessary, and even though Mayweather bested Cotto at the bank, Cotto won the more important fight for an actual championship.

Mayweather fought Conor McGregor in a highly anticipated bout after a controversial promotion tour that embroiled boxing and MMA fans while Miguel Cotto flew under the radar before facing Yashihiro Kamagei for the WBO super welterweight belt.

Conor McGregor talked a big game.

After beating Andre Berto in 2015, Mayweather came out of retirement to fight McGregor, and combat sports fans couldn’t stop talking about it. People either predicted a quick victory for Mayweather or gave McGregor a “puncher’s chance.” Some even thought McGregor would win due to his size, punching power, and awkward style.

But anyone who has followed Mayweather’s career knew he already overcame these obstacles. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez outweighed Mayweather on fight night, and he still lost. Marcos Maidana’s style was awkward, but he also lost. Twice. As for punching power, Cotto used it in excess against Mayweather and still took a loss by unanimous decision five years ago. Further, anyone who followed McGregor’s career knew he had no professional boxing experience and a tendency to gas during the shorter MMA fights, especially against Nate Diaz. The smart money was on Mayweather finishing McGregor by technical knockout(I predicted by the eighth round), and even that factors in Mayweather’s age and brittle hands.

However, heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury predicted that McGregor would knock Mayweather out within “35 seconds”.

Boxing analyst Max Kellerman said McGregor wouldn’t land a “single punch” the whole fight, later clarifying that he meant no clean shot.

They both couldn’t have been more wrong. There was no first-round knockout,but McGregor certainly landed clean hits, including an uppercut that was his best punch of the whole fight, in the first three rounds. By the first bell of the fourth round, I had McGregor ahead 30–27.

But then the momentum shifted in the fourth round. Mayweather walked into McGregor’s space with no fear of his power, and McGregor backed away as if he needed room to catch his breath. Mayweather gave him no such reprieve, and he knew he had his man. After the fifth round, he shoved McGregor like a school yard bully, and McGregor gave no reply. From there, Mayweather, the fighter often accused of running, stalked McGregor around the ring.

By the time the tenth round started, I had Mayweather ahead 87–84. The official judges scored for Mayweather 87–83, 89–82, and 89–81, but it no longer mattered. Mayweather punished McGregor unanswered until referee Robert Byrd saved McGregor from a knock down during his pro debut.

Mayweather won by technical knockout. McGregor said his legs were wobbling from fatigue, not damage, but that was a hard sell after Mayweather pummeled him around the ring. Yes, McGregor was tired, but he might have had more energy if he wasn’t getting walked down and punched in the face, and exhaustion leads to a technical knockout in that scenario. Despite McGregor’s complaint, Byrd made the right call, and Mayweather stopped him.

Floyd Mayweather boasts about his new record.
Here are the official scorecards for Mayweather vs. McGregor. (Dan Hiergesell/SB Nation)

After losing to Alvarez two years ago, Cotto got back in the ring against Yoshihiro Kamegai. His fight received nowhere near the press of Mayweather vs. McGregor, but it was more competitive.

Despite taking thundering blows from Cotto, Kamegai powered through and replied with some punches of his own. Cotto employed similar bully tactics to the one he used against Mayweather in 2012, but instead of lifting Kamegai off the mat, he flipped him through the ropes during the third round. Kamegai was unaffected, and he marched forward as he ate more punches as if they were part of his diet. In the fourth round, he took a thudding right hand that made the crowd gasp, but he kept coming. Like Mayweather did against McGregor, Kamegai walked Cotto down throughout the fight. Unlike McGregor, Cotto had no problem delivering punishment for the entire 12 rounds. Despite stalking him against the ropes, Kamegai never had the advantage.

I scored for Cotto 120–108, just like one of the official judges, and Cotto walked away with a convincing victory by unanimous decision, along with the WBO super welterweight title.

Boxingscene.com’s Francisco A. Salazar reported on the official scores.

Mayweather is now 50–0, beating Rocky Marciano’s record, and possibly up to $300 million richer, but Miguel Cotto’s 41–5 record is also Hall of Fame worthy. Cotto also actually won a belt with some level of importance in professional boxing. Mayweather won a “money belt” that was as meaningless to the sport as it was gaudy and represented the real point of the fight. Money. Mayweather will never defend the money belt and no one will want it. Cotto’s belt, on the other hand, is his to lose.

Whether it was by beating a loudmouthed mixed martial artist with all the physical advantages, or hammering a guy who just won’t go down for 12 rounds for another championship, Mayweather and Cotto gave boxing fans a show this weekend. By 2018, both fighters will have retired from the sport with a winning legacy. Let’s just make sure Cotto’s victory doesn’t go underrated.

It was the only one that gave rise to a new champion.

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