CANELO WINS MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE OVER COTTO AND SIGHTS GOLOVKIN NEXT
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 22 Nov 2015
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez landed 155 punches for 32% compared to the 129 blows connected by Miguel Cotto for 21%, according to CompuBox. Canelo hit 118 power punches for 40% compared to Cotto's 75 for 29% during their title fight Saturday night the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The judges had spoken. Burt Clements saw it 110-118, Dave Moretti scored it 109-119, and John McKaie rated it 111-117 all for Alvarez for a unanimous decision. The Mexican challenger is now the WBC, The Ring and Lineal world middleweight champion.
Youth prevailed as the 25-year-old Canelo (46-1-1, 32 KOs) dominated the Puerto Rican champion 10 years his senior. Cotto is now 40-5, 33 KOs
?Much respect to Miguel Cotto, he?s a great champion,? Canelo says. ?But now it?s my era.?
Cotto used his jab effectively in the earlier rounds as Canelo began to unleash a big uppercut in the fifth. Fierce exchanges marked the eighth with Cotto receiving blows to the head and body as the champion retaliated while refusing to buckle down.
In the final round, Cotto was hit by a solid left hook by Canelo as the two fighters fought toe-to-toe with the challenger connecting more body shots to the champion. The fresher legs were at an advantage in the later rounds.
Cotto's trainer Freddie Roach protested the big margins. ?We didn?t lose the fight by that much,? said the seven-times trainer of the year.
In 2010, Canelo also defeated Jose Cotto, Miguel's elder brother, by 9th round TKO.
Canelo, the Spanish for cinnamon, the masculine word for people with red hair, was challenged to fight the IBF and WBA champion Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan who is undefeated at 34-0-0 with 31 KOs for a unification bout.
The new champion was mandated by WBC to fight the Kazakh who is the interim WBC champion.
?I can?t answer that right now,? Canelo said when asked about the planned Golovkin fight. ?But if you want me to fight him right now, I?ll fight him right now.?
?I?m ready for this, me and Canelo,? said Golovkin who watched the fight at ringside. ?Let?s do it.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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