Junior Middleweight

Miguel Cotto (38-4) looked like anything but a fighter at the end of his proverbial boxing rope on Saturday. The Puerto Rican legend knocked out Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-3) in spectacular fashion at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.

The end came in the third round on a thunderous left hook that sent Rodriguez to the canvas like a ton of bricks. Referee Frank Santore stopped the fight almost as soon as Rodriguez fell, but the 33-year-old Dominican probably wouldn't have beat the 10-count without Santore's intervention.

Rodriguez had been rocked to his core at the end of the second round by a right-left combination. He didn't appear to have regained his wherewithal in the third before Cotto was on top of him again.

The stoppage win was the 31st of Cotto's Hall of Fame career. It raised his KO percentage to .738 and further established him as one of the sport's most devastating punchers of this era.

After suffering two straight losses for the first time in his career, this was the type of win Cotto needed. He was in fantastic shape, and thanks to his reunion with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, his aggressive, power-punching style had returned.

Cotto set up his win with hard body shots, and he appropriately changed levels once he was inside. He didn't settle for throwing one punch at a time. He instead featured crisp and accurate combinations that turned out to be Rodriguez's undoing.

To put things in the proper perspective, Rodriguez was no world-beater. That said, Cotto handled him the way a legitimate title contender and elite fighter should. He outclassed Rodriguez in every way.

There is no reason Cotto shouldn't be in line to challenge champions or elite fighters at 154 and 160 pounds—as long as their names aren't Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Austin Trout.

This win will certainly increase the attractiveness of a Cotto-Canelo Alvarez bout. The two could put on a spirited fight, and it would, of course, be another installment of the infinite Mexican-Puerto Rican boxing rivalry.

We'll see where Cotto goes from here, but it's clear he's still a force to be reckoned with.

Follow me for musings on boxing, MMA, the NBA, the WWE and sports video games.

If boxing is "dead" as they say, no one told the fall months of 2013.

Starting with Floyd Mayweather's sound defeat of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez at the MGM Grand on Sept. 14, the sport has been in the national spotlight for a longer period than in recent memory.

Not always for great things, mind you. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s win over Bryan Vera was the latest embarrassment for a sport that's become rife with judging controversies. 

But still, boxing was helping carry a national sports conversation that includes an NFL season revving up, the MLB playoffs, college football and the beginning of the NHL season. 

It's a conversation that will continue on Saturday evening, when Miguel Cotto (37-4, 30 KOs) makes his return to the ring against Delvin Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KOs) in a non-title HBO event. Cotto is fighting for the first time since his loss to Austin Trout last December, while Rodriguez has already scored two TKO victories this year since his own 2012 loss to Trout.

Cotto and Rodriguez are, in some ways, fighting for their careers.

A loss on Saturday would give Cotto three straight defeats in a 17-month span, during which he's precipitously dropped down pound-for-pound lists. Rodriguez is once again looking to break past the glass ceiling of his middling reputation among both lay fans and hardcore boxing aficionados. 

Cotto comes in as a heavy favorite at minus-600 odds, per Bovada. But if we've learned anything since a judge scored the Mayweather fight a draw, it's that anything can happen in boxing.

With that in mind, here is a complete breakdown of how you can watch Saturday night's fight and a key to victory for both fighters.

Fight Information

Time: Undercard begins at 9:45 p.m. ET

Date: Saturday, Oct. 5

TV Info: HBO

Key for Cotto: Be Aggressive Toward the Body

Everyone knows what's on the line here for Cotto. A little more than a year ago, he was fighting Mayweather for a shot at immortality. Now he's one more loss away from some very likely calls for his retirement.

That's sobering for someone of Cotto's relatively young age. But he's been through some of the most grueling pugilistic endeavors I've ever seen during his career; he's 32 going on 52 sometimes.

It's also no secret that he is at a significant size disadvantage. Rodriguez stands more than three inches taller than Cotto at 5'10.5" and has a 70-inch reach compared to Cotto's 67 inches. The three-inch reach doesn't seem like an overwhelming disadvantage at first. It could be a lot worse.

More than anything, though, Rodriguez's size plays to his style as a technician. He likes keeping opponents at a distance, using a succession of jabs and crosses before coming on later in the fight. It's a Mayweather-lite strategy, if you're into those sort of analogies. 

The key for Cotto, then, will be to subvert those tactics. The Puerto Rican has built his career around being the aggressor, knocking his opponents down and out with power combinations and perfectly timed counterpunches.

He'll need to make it clear from the outset that Rodriguez isn't going to dictate the pace of the fight. Getting inside and striking solid blows to the body early will serve multiple purposes. Cotto will score points with the judges by landing punches, and he'll slow down Rodriguez and possibly set up the KO shot to the head if Rodriguez gets too comfortable protecting his body.

There is no way Cotto wins if the pace is deliberate. He would share the same fate as he did against Mayweather and Trout. Getting inside position on Rodriguez is easier said than done—it's often a recipe for quick jabs if done incorrectly—but finding a weak spot and scoring early rounds will go a long way toward getting Cotto back into the conversation about elite fighters.

Key for Rodriguez: Do Not Get Overwhelmed By the Big Stage

At age 33, Rodriguez won't have many more opportunities like this one should he lose on Saturday. For some fans, his biggest claim to fame prior to fighting Cotto was either being Trout's whipping boy last year or being a regular fixture on Friday Night Fights. 

This isn't someone with a long, storied career filled with pay-per-view bouts. Taking on Cotto is an audition for Rodriguez to enter a different strata of boxing—to get title opportunities and, more importantly, the increased riches that come along with them.

How will he handle the opportunity this time around? It remains to be seen. For Rodriguez or any fighter of his caliber to say there isn't a level of nerves that comes along with last chances, he would be lying. I'm not sure whether his discomfort against Trout was more a testament to the former's uptick in class of opponent or the latter's ascent.

What I do know, however, is that Rodriguez can't have any nerves against Cotto. The worst possible trait to have against an aggressive fighter of Cotto's ilk is the absence of confidence. He'll pick that weakness apart early and start pummeling Rodriguez with a series of power punches.

Tentativeness to the aggressive pugilist is akin to throwing your pet goldfish into the ocean with chum and then getting angry when a great white eats it. 

We already have a good idea of how Rodriguez will try to win the fight. He'll look to land a higher percentage of his punches, control the tempo and use his reach to slowly but surely capture the scorecards. He's a far more methodical fighter than Cotto. But there's a difference between coming out with a conservative strategy and delving deep into a shell that lasts the entire fight.

If Rodriguez can stick Cotto with a couple of jabs early and then come on strong as the night progresses, we could see an upset here. If he never turns on the jets, he may not even make it to the scorecards. 

Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter:

Watching Floyd "Money" Mayweather (45-0) box in 2013 has been like watching Michael Jordan in his prime. His talent and longevity are marvelous. His latest show of greatness came on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather won a majority decision over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (42-1-1), but most believe it should have been unanimous.

Judge C.J. Ross called the fight a draw.I'm not sure if boxing judges have an eye-care plan. If so, Ross needs to find out what her co-pay is.It is obvious her vision failed her on Saturday evening.

These are the three judge's scorecards, per BoxRec:

Dave Moretti 116-112, C.J. Ross 114-114, Craig Metcalfe 117-111

Ross' fellow judges were much closer to reality with their scores. Here's a look at how I scored the fight. The fighter's name who I tabbed as the winner of each round appears in the sub-headline.

Round 1 - Mayweather

A quiet round featured Money showing the obvious speed advantage. Alvarez couldn’t find the range with his shots, but Money was clearly respecting his power.

Mayweather’s jab was the difference in the round, but it was close and could have been called either way.

My Score - Mayweather 10, Alvarez 9

Round 2 - Mayweather

The jab continued to be Money’s best weapon. Canelo attempted to go to the body in this round, but he had little success. He did land a decent left hand, but Money was able to avoid the brunt of the blow.

All night Mayweather made Canelo miss by inches and countered him with wacking hooks and uppercuts.

My Score - Mayweather 20, Alvarez 18

Round 3 - Mayweather

Mayweather opened up with power shots in this round. He landed two hard right hands that got Canelo's attention. The punches didn’t hurt him, but they still scored and gave Money the round.

The seeds of domination were firmly planted in this round.

My Score - Mayweather 30, Alvarez 27

Round 4 - Mayweather

Sizzling right hands landed on Canelo’s face frequently in this round. Alvarez became frustrated early and threw a blatant low blow. He deserved a point deduction for his actions, but referee Kenny Bayless didn't see the infraction.

Money continued to distance himself from Canelo in this round with his speed and punching accuracy.

My Score - Mayweather 40, Alvarez 36

Round 5 - Mayweather

Speed and defensive wizardry had Money in control of the fight. Canelo did a good job maintaining his composure, but at this point it seemed the young Mexican realized that Money was just too good.

My Score - Mayweather 50, Alvarez 45

Round 6 - Mayweather

Hostilities built in this round.

Alvarez’s frustration had him behaving as Victor Ortiz did against Money when he realized things weren’t going his way in their bout. Alvarez jutted his shoulder into Mayweather's face during the clinch, but Money was still executing his game plan to perfection.

My Score - Mayweather 60, Alvarez 54

Round 7 - Mayweather

Alvarez’s body language in this round wasn’t good—at least not for those in his camp. At one point he looked defeated and resigned to stay in the corner.

Money seemed to sense it and he began to walk forward looking for the stoppage. Canelo responded enough to make Money back away, but Mayweather easily won another round.

My Score - Mayweather 70, Alvarez 63

Round 8 - Alvarez

Even in the first round I scored for Alvarez, Money had his moments with a ridiculous set of combinations. Still, Money took this round off to a degree and Alvarez earned the round with body work.

My Score - Mayweather 79, Alvarez 73

Round 9 - Even

At one point, I wondered whether Mayweather had hurt his hand again in this fight. He seemed to stop throwing the power shots he was landing in previous rounds.

He took another round off, but evaded Alvarez's shots enough to draw even on my card with his jab.

My Score - Mayweather 89, Alvarez 83

Round 10 - Alvarez

Canelo had a few good moments in this round. He landed a hard overhand right to the side of Money's head. It was easily the best punch Alvarez landed all night. In an otherwise uneventful round, it stood out and made me give Alvarez the frame.

My Score - Mayweather 98, Alvarez 93

Round 11 - Mayweather

Needing to stem any potential momentum Alvarez could mount heading into the final round, Mayweather began firing hard straight right hands and other power shots from a myriad of angles.

Money reaffirmed his dominance in this round and won it easily.

My Score - Mayweather 108, Alvarez 102

Round 12 - Alvarez 

Content to coast in the final round, Mayweather danced and avoided any unnecessary exchanges with Alvarez. He had the fight won and he fought like it in the last round.

Alvarez was the aggressor and his work rate earned him the round.

My Score - Mayweather 117, Alvarez 112

Conclusion

Mayweather took on the most formidable young champion in the sport, and at 36 years old, he handled him easily. No one knows for sure who Money will face next, but if he continues to perform at this level, it'll be difficult to find anyone that can beat him.

Follow me for musings on sports and video games.

In the fight billed as simply “The One,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a decisive majority decision over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, increasing his winning record to an indomitable 45-0.

Prior to the matchup, there were those proposing that the Alvarez bout would be the toughest of Mayweather’s career in some years. However, in the end, Money dished out a fighting exhibition only someone of his pedigree seems capable of.

So clinical was the performance that C.J. Ross’s card score of 114-114 was deemed almost unconscionable, sullying the near-perfect performance that Money gave in a fight that broke the MGM Grand’s all-time gate record, taking in just over $20,003,150.

Showtime Sports was on hand to show us just who was deemed The One:

Despite the loss, there’s no need for Alvarez to stay glum for too long, having been bested by one of the greatest athletes sport is ever likely to see.

As ESPN.com's Dan Rafael noted, Mayweather himself supported such a notion:

Canelo is a young, strong champion. A great Mexican champion. I take my hat off to him and to Mexico. He can take a loss and bounce back.

Seventeen years and I'm still going strong. I think had I pressed the attack earlier, I could have gotten the stoppage, but I am very happy with my performance.

It’s the type of praise and humility that one perhaps doesn’t associate with Mayweather all too often. In his 17 years at the top, Money has more often been regarded for his ego, so to see him heap praise on Alvarez—even in the post-fight comments—is endearing.

At just 23 years of age, the Guadalajara native has assuredly got what promises to be a long and fruitful career ahead of him.

On Saturday night, the accuracy told the tale, as USA Today’s Bob Velin discloses that Mayweather finished with 46 percent of his punches hitting the target whereas Canelo could only muster a tally of 22 percent.

However, with 30 knockouts in his 42 wins so far, the Mexican’s strengths encouragingly played out in his favour. The youngster was able to land 232 power punches, while Mayweather settled for just 175.

Of course, that’s the 36-year-old’s way, picking his punches when only truly needed.

Having said that, Canelo can be proud of having gone the distance with Mayweather and being the first fighter to prevent the boxing great from winning on all three scorecards when going to the decision—controversial or not.

Now standing with a record of 42-1-1, Alvarez’s next bout will undoubtedly be a step down from his latest loss, making for an easier challenge altogether.

In fact, regardless of what stage of his career he’s in, there’s no telling whether or not Canelo will ever come up against a challenge as stiff as Mayweather.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather defeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night by majority decision, but the final tally doesn’t properly represent Money’s dominance. 

We have C.J. Ross to thank for this confusion. Ross scored the seemingly lopsided bout a draw. She is also one of the judges who awarded Timothy Bradley a decision win over Manny Pacquiao in one of 2012’s most-controversial decisions.

While I can’t come down too hard on her for that decision, as I also saw Bradley as the winner, her scorecard for Mayweather-Alvarez left me scratching my bald head. Ross called the fight a draw despite the fact that Mayweather dominated most of the action. Here’s a look at the official judges’ scores, per BoxRec: Dave Moretti 116-112, C.J. Ross 114-114, Craig Metcalfe 117-111.

A few of the early rounds were close and could have gone either way. I did score two of the last three rounds for Alvarez. Money seemed to slow down and coast, with the fight in the bag. Even with those concessions, it is hard to see a scenario where this fight could be called even.

I scored the fight 117-112 for Mayweather. Mayweather seemed to easily win eight rounds; Alvarez took three and I called the ninth round even. It was easy to see the ideology behind Moretti and Metcalfe's scorecard. Their tallies only differed by a round.

Ross' opinion is the one that will be psychoanalyzed for the next 48 hours by boxing fans all over the world.

By the fifth round, it was clear Mayweather had the fight well in hand. There was never a moment in any round that made you feel Mayweather was in danger of losing the fight.

At some point, Ross will be questioned about her scorecard. Most of the boxing world will be all ears for that explanation.

Ultimately, the right man won the fight. At the end of the day, that is what matters most. Still, you can etch Ross' name alongside infamous boxing figures like longtime referee Richard Steele.

Steele was involved in a few controversial stoppages, most notably his involvement in the Meldrick Taylor-Julio Cesar Chavez bout, with Taylor up big on the scorecards in the final round. Chavez dropped him. Taylor was dazed, but he made it to his feet. There was only two seconds left in the fight when Steele stopped the bout (details per BoxRec).

Just as boxing fans roll their eyes at the mention of Steele's name, they will react negatively when Ross is affiliated with any boxing match moving forward.

Follow me for sports and video game musings.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather (45-0) yet again answered all the questions and silenced all the doubters with a virtuoso performance. He displayed uncanny speed and defensive wizardry in handing Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-1-1) his first loss on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

In the process, he snatched Canelo’s WBC light middleweight title and reaffirmed his spot as the best fighter on the planet. Mayweather’s WBA super world light middleweight title was on the line but will stay with the pound-for-pound champ after the win. 

In a baffling scoring detail, judge C.J. Ross called the fight a draw. Because of this, the fight was ruled a majority-decision win for Money as opposed to the unanimous decision that seemed most sensible. Despite Ross’s inexplicable scorecard, Mayweather dominated this bout. 

Per BoxRec, the official scorecards read as followed:

Dave Moretti 116-112, C.J. Ross 114-114, Craig Metcalfe 117-111.

Love him or hate him, you have no choice but to respect Mayweather’s skill level.

For nearly all of the 12 rounds, Mayweather outclassed a world-class opponent who is 13 years his junior. There were few anxious moments in the fight for Mayweather and his fans. Money did seem to slow down towards the end of the bout, but Alvarez wasn’t able to mount any significant offense during that time.

Despite being thoroughly taken to school by a master of the sport, Alvarez has nothing to be ashamed of.

The performance and heart he showed in this fight would result in a win against almost any other fighter in his weight range in the world. He will have his reign as boxing’s next pound-for-pound champion, but that time will have to come after Mayweather has hung up the gloves. 

By the fifth round, it was apparent Mayweather was again head and shoulders above another opponent. Early on Mayweather was tentative and respected the power of the young star, but ultimately he found his comfort zone and made it look easy for most of the night.

It is hard to know who’s next on Mayweather’s list. Perhaps Danny Garcia could be the next challenger to Mayweather’s mythical pound-for-pound crown. Garcia defeated Lucas Matthysse in the co-featured bout on Saturday.

No matter who steps up to challenge Mayweather next, they must be ready to face an all-time great who seems to be aging like a fine wine.

Follow me for musings on sports and video games.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. has fought 17 fighters who were at the time, would be or have been world champions. However, his toughest task will be Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 14, 2013.

The collective record of his opponents who have failed to beat him is a staggering 967-69-22, per Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.

But Canelo’s threat to Mayweather’s undefeated reign over the boxing world isn’t the greatest he’s seen because his opponents weren’t qualified—although there is an argument for the timeliness of some of his bouts. It is, however, a testament to the all-around talent the 23-year-old Mexican sensation brings to the ring.

Mayweather has fought the hard punchers. He’s beaten the quick jabbers who supposedly had the speed to penetrate his stifling defense. But who he hasn’t fought is a fighter who can bring it all together in one harmonic package.

He hasn’t fought a fighter who will carry a significant weight and power advantage into the ring, a fighter still approaching or just realizing his full potential.

That man is Canelo Alvarez.

On Saturday night, Alvrarez will boast a significant weight advantage after re-hydrating and recovering from his drop to the agreed to—that’s debatable—152-pound fight catchweight. He’s predicted to fight at anywhere from the high 160s to mid-170s.

That will give him some extra power behind his punches, and he’s adept at landing them—at least up until this point in his career. According to CompuBox, the junior middleweight champ is the top power-puncher in the game, landing 52 percent of his power punches—defined by the site as all non-jab punches.

But that doesn’t define him as a fighter. Power is good. It’s something he can utilize in the right situations to stun and push his agenda, but it’s not Alvarez’s only end game against Mayweather.

In his recent victory against Austin Trout, Canelo took a page out of Money’s playbook by displaying excellent lateral quickness and defense. The idea that he’s “flat-footed” as a bigger fighter is largely exaggerated; just watch that fight. He also counter punched better than anyone would have ever given him credit for in the past.

That breakthrough performance in April wasn’t as flashy or dominant as Canelo has shown against lesser competition. He didn’t record the knockout, but it was a better overall victory.

There are other factors outside of Alvarez's control that make him dangerous. Mayweather has looked beatable at the junior middleweight level. It’s a weight class in which he’s struggled to truly dominate.

The name Oscar De La Hoya comes to mind.

De La Hoya was already on the downswing of his career before even stepping in the ring and earning a split decision against the pound-for-pound king. Alvarez is on the opposite end of the career pendulum.

You certainly can make the case that some of Mayweather's past opponents were more accomplished. But it’s impossible to deny the series of challenges Canelo presents that makes him the toughest challenger Mayweather has met in a boxing ring.

Come Saturday night, win or lose, you’ll see a fighter who will truly threaten Mayweather more than anyone else has previously.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather clearly holds advantages over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in nearly every aspect of the ring, but the undefeated Mexican superstar has a couple of aces up his sleeve that could help him score the upset of the century in Las Vegas on September 14.

Both fighters haven't been able to defeat 40-plus other fighters without having elite talent in the ring, regardless of whom they were pitted against.

Mayweather’s long run as the pound-for-pound king of the sport has legendary written all over it, but he has to turn in another flawless showing if he hopes to ward off a young and hungry contender.

Here are the biggest advantages for each fighter heading into Saturday’s mega title bout.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Preparation

Mayweather is going to eventually start showing signs of aging as he inches closer and closer to 40 years old. However, now is not that time.

As he proved in his recent decision victory over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, Mayweather is still the same enduring physical specimen he's always been throughout 12 full rounds of boxing. The longer a bout goes, the easier it looks for the undefeated champion.

“[Mayweather] could go 24 six-minute rounds and never break a sweat. He is that well-conditioned,” Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole said.

He achieves that kind of superior stamina by being completely dedicated to his craft, both during preparation for fights and in his everyday lifestyle.

 

Defense

ESPN’s Dan Rafael labeled Mayweather as the best defensive fighter of this era. That isn’t a shocker to say the least. Well, it might surprise you if you woke up yesterday after being asleep for the past two decades, I guess.

As a result of a technically sound and stifling defense, Mayweather backs up that claim by limiting opponents to connecting on just 17 percent of their punches and 21 percent of their power punches—the best defensive marks in the sport.

Any power advantage Alvarez might have will mean very little if he’s unable to connect, especially on a combination. Mayweather has proven to be elusive when it comes to escaping after the rare occasion of allowing a punch to break through his defenses.

 

Saul Alvarez

Physical Power

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ir9X7NfLGM

Canelo's significant size and power advantage is nothing new for Mayweather, but Alvarez is going to have a significant weight advantage and a quality strong punch working in his favor. After the weigh-in, Alvarez is likely to bulk back up to anywhere in the mid-to-high 160s to lower 170s before the bell rings.

Alvarez is also very precise when it comes to landing those blows on their intended targets. He currently leads all active boxers, connecting on 52 percent of non-jab shots.

A one-punch knockout is unlikely against Money, but having the physical power and accuracy to land those punches gives him a better chance than most to catch Mayweather off guard.

Youth

Mayweather holds an advantage over Alvarez in the experience department. Clearly, the 23-year-old’s resume isn’t filled with many quality professional boxers, making his performance this weekend somewhat of an unknown.

But with that uncertainty Alvarez also brings a youthful energy and hunger that’s hard to quantify with measurements. I’m sure it’s been said hundreds of times before, but Alvarez has a bright future ahead of him and will do whatever it takes to upset the king.

Make no mistake: Alvarez has never faced an opponent of Mayweather's status. But Canelo also understands what an immense opportunity this is for him to take his young career to unimaginable levels.

While there have been no significant signs Money is losing a step or two, any decline in physical ability or stamina could be capitalized on the by the younger and skilled Canelo.

 

*All statistics provided were obtained from CompuBoxOnline.com unless otherwise noted.