After over half a decade of waiting, boxing fans finally got the bout they had been clamoring for in 2015, as Floyd Mayweather at last faced Manny Pacquiao in the ring...
Freddie Roach 'Polluted' Miguel Cotto's Mind After Saul Alvarez Loss, Says Coach
Nov 26, 2015
LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 21: Miguel Cotto talks with trainer Freddie Roach as he takes on Canelo Alvarez during their middleweight fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 21, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
Eddy Reynoso, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's coach, had some strong words for Miguel Cotto's trainer, Freddie Roach.
Alvarez beat Cotto via unanimous decision on Saturday, and though Reynoso admitted the judges' scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111 were slightly harsh on the Puerto Rican, he believes Cotto's insistence he was the rightful winner is because of Roach.
According to Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com, he told ESPN Deportes:
Freddie Roach has already polluted [Cotto's mind], because both of them are not saying anything other than they won. Critics at the highest level have said it was a close fight, and I've also said that, but the fight was clearly won by Saul.
He didn't need to win by 40 points. He only needed the three judges to give him the victory. For my taste, he won by 3 to 4 points, but what Freddie has done is contaminated [the thoughts of] Cotto. [Roach] rarely admits defeat and invents things. The correct card was 116-112, because you have to be realistic.
Roach also received criticism from now-retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the aftermath of the bout. The undefeated fighter seemingly suggested Roach's belief that Cotto was winning prevented him from adequately or appropriately advising his charge.
The coach was left to do the talking in the post-fight press conference in Cotto's stead, as the fighter apparently refused to talk to the media, and he admitted he believed the judges chose the wrong winner, per ESPN's Dan Rafael:
Cotto won't come to presser. Freddie here. Bad form for Cotto. As long as he's not injured he should be here. #CottoCanelo#boxing
While Cotto is naturally disappointed with the defeat and the highly questionable scoring of the fight will compound his sense of injustice, his opponent was ultimately the better fighter on the night and deserved to win.
With that being the case, it would be better for Cotto to simply move on in order to better focus and prepare for his next fight. He doesn't have many left, so he should be considering his legacy both in and out the ring. And his refusal to accept defeat in this instance isn't likely to help either.
Miguel Cotto Affirms Hall of Fame Credentials Despite Loss to Canelo
Nov 22, 2015
Miguel Cotto, of Puerto Rico, left, fights Canelo Alvarez, of Mexico, during a WBC middleweight title bout Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Miguel Cotto lost a Las Vegas prizefight early Sunday morning.
He was in against a talented foe 10 years younger while operating on the fringes of a weight class in which he’d frequently claimed he’d barely belonged and rarely felt comfortable.
Nevertheless, he was still on his feet after 36 minutes of competition, and even though the three scorecards deemed him a loser in all but six of a composite 36 rounds, it was hardly as if he’d been battered from pillar to post from opening bell to close.
He didn’t win. But he didn’t embarrass himself either.
And if his hasty exit from the post-fight interview scene was illustrative of a permanent departure from the occupation he’s held for 14 years, he’ll still leave with no less honor than he arrived.
In other words, if you thought he was Canastota-worthy going in, that perspective needn’t change.
In fact, when his swan song is compared to others whose credentials are without question, he comes off looking particularly exceptional.
Just a quick glance across a list of International Hall of Fame inductees reveals a laundry list of all-timers whose inglorious ends hardly justified their legendary reputations.
Mike Tyson, whose titillating run included exactly zero wins against in-prime Hall-worthy heavyweights, lost by stoppage in three of his final four fights—and was instantly enshrined five years later.
Arturo Gatti, also a stoppage loser in three of his last four fights, and also a winner over precisely no one whose credentials leap off the page—was also enshrined the second he became eligible.
And even Terry Norris, whose most remembered feat remains a 12-round whitewash of a past-vintage Sugar Ray Leonard, was given a plaque in 2005—seven years after ending with a three-fight skid.
So if your logic for questioning Cotto is that he’ll finish with an L instead of a W, you’re just wrong.
The Puerto Rican’s affirmation was complete long before the Mandalay Bay came into view, probably more so around the time he shook off a brutal welterweight loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2009 and climbed back to grab a belt at 154 pounds—his third—with a TKO of a gimpy-legged Yuri Foreman.
He’d already defeated multi-belted guys with names such as Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, but the mettle he showed with yet another reinvention exceeds that which many with higher reputations ever achieved.
He stopped perpetual troublemaker Ricardo Mayorga in defense No. 1 nine months later and then scored his most satisfying personal win with a tactical hammering of Antonio Margarito in December 2011.
History will record him as just a .500 fighter (three up, three down) from that point forward. But when you study the record and see the stretch-run foes were the Mayweathers, Sergio Martinezes and Saul Alvarezes—not the Kevin McBrides, Carlos Baldomirs and Dana Rosenblatts—of the world, it’s clear that the version of Cotto who's exiting in 2015 is not all that competitively diminished from the one who peaked years before.
He fought everyone. And even though he might have lost the ones that mattered the most, he won more than enough of the others to even the slate.
That’s the sort of career that deserves recognition, no matter how the story ends.
Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez Results: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction
Nov 22, 2015
Miguel Cotto, right, of Puerto Rico, get hits by Canelo Alvarez, of Mexico, during a WBC middleweight title bout Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Score this one for Mexico.
In the latest chapter of the storied Mexico-Puerto Rico boxing rivalry, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (46-1-1) carried his country's flag to victory over Miguel "Junito" Cotto (40-5). Alvarez won a lopsided unanimous decision and the WBC middleweight championship Saturday night in Las Vegas.
ESPN.com's Dan Rafael shared the scorecards:
To the scorecards we go: 117-111, 119-109, 118-110 all for Canelo Alvarez, the new middleweight champion of the world! #CottoCanelo#boxing
Alvarez's quicker hands and harder punches were the difference in the bout. The two men came out tentative, offering respect for the other's power.
However, when they did exchange punches during the first three rounds, it appeared as though Canelo's punches reached their target quicker and with more steam. This became evident as the fight went on.
Cotto wanted to land his powerful left hook to the body, but Canelo was hip to that strategy. He consistently turned his right side into Cotto's body when the two were in close quarters.
That slight maneuver took away Cotto's angle for his money punch. Meanwhile, Canelo was unleashing hard jabs, straight rights, uppercuts and hooks with bad intentions.
He didn't land all of them, but the combination of his activity and the impact of the shots that did find their mark impressed the judges. Not everyone loved the judges' scores, though. Tom Craze of Bad Left Hook and Laceupboxing tweeted their displeasure:
Cotto deserved to win four rounds in the fight. The second and fourth were solid frames for him, and the 10th and 11th also belonged to him, when it seemed as though Canelo began to coast.
Aside from that, it was all Canelo. The best round of the fight was the eighth. That's when Canelo put his foot down and stamped out Cotto's last chance to stem the tide.
The two fighters traded shots, but Canelo got the better of the exchanges. Cotto withstood the punches, but he was worse off when the bell rang.
Canelo had the edge in hand speed from the beginning, but Cotto's hands looked even slower from the midway point on. Perhaps it was the 10-year age difference (Cotto is 35, and Alvarez is 25), or all the wars Cotto has been through.
In any case, there's no question as to which fighter was fresher at the end, or who deserved to win the fight.
Cotto had been the WBC champion before being stripped of the title days before Saturday's fight. He refused to pay the sanctioning fees to hold on to the belt; thus, the title was at stake only for Canelo.
Now that Canelo is the champion, the question is this: Who's next for him? It didn't take long for WBA, IBF and interim WBC champion Gennady Golovkin's name to come up. HBO's Max Kellerman asked Canelo about GGG after the fight.
Per Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo wants GGG to bring it on:
What's next for @Canelo? "I'm not afraid of ANYBODY. If you want me to fight GGG, i'll fight him right now" #RESPECT#LETSDOIT
That bout would represent the biggest challenge of Golovkin's career. He's widely considered to be the most feared fighter in the sport. The fact that Canelo is seemingly willing to risk it all against the hard-punching Kazakh says something about the new champion's heart.
Hopefully, he makes good on his word, and we'll learn of an agreement and date sometime in 2016. For now, Canelo has earned the right to celebrate his world title.
A new lineal middleweight champion has been crowned in Las Vegas Saturday, as Saul Alvarez beat Miguel Cotto by wide margins on all three judges' cards...
Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez: Final Predictions, Live Stream and TV Schedule
Nov 21, 2015
Boxers Miguel Cotto, from Puerto Rico, second from left, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion and Saul
On Saturday night from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, one of the last big fights of the year will take place in the sport of boxing. Miguel "Junito" Cotto (40-4, 33 KO) will take on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KO).
The now-vacant WBC middleweight title will be on the line for Alvarez. Even with the title on the line for only Alvarez, there's still plenty at stake. Namely, this is yet another chapter in the Puerto Rican-Mexican boxing rivalry.
Cotto is the only Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four different weight classes. Alvarez is without question the biggest active Mexican star in the sport. From a 2015 standpoint, this is the biggest fight that could be made under the rivalry's parameters.
Cotto was previously the WBC champion, but he was stripped of the title earlier in the week when he refused to pay $1.1 million in sanctioning fees to the WBC. If Cotto wins, the belt would either remain vacant, or interim champion, and current WBA and IBF kingpin, Gennady Golovkin could be elevated to official title holder.
Don't bet on that scenario taking place. Canelo will win.
This is essentially a junior middleweight bout as it is being contested at a 155-pound catchweight. Neither man has ever fought at the 160-pound weight limit for the division.
That said, Canelo will not be taken out of his comfort zone for this fight the way he was when he had to make 152 pounds to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. This should be the easiest weight cut he's had in his career.
At 5'9", Canelo will enjoy a two-inch height advantage and a three-inch edge in reach. Cotto stands 5'7" with a 67" reach compared to Canelo's 70" measurement from armpit to fist.
Canelo is traditionally a slow starter. Expect Cotto to try to come out fast and perhaps get Canelo hurt, or at least down on the scorecards early. Alvarez's jab will be key in stemming the tide.
He should be able to keep Cotto away from his midsection, which has become a major focus of the Puerto Rican's attack since bringing in Freddie Roach as a trainer. Behind the jab, opportunities to land power shots should open up.
By the late rounds, Canelo should be the fresher fighter, and he should be able to parlay that into a unanimous-decision victory and his first world title in the middleweight division.
Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez: Official Fight Purses Announced
Nov 20, 2015
Boxers Miguel Cotto, from Puerto Rico, second from left, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion and Saul
Saturday's clash between Miguel Cotto and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is perhaps the biggest fight in boxing since Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s retirement, and due largely to that notion, both combatants will be compensated quite handsomely.
According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (via ESPN.com's Dan Rafael), Cotto will make a purse of $15 million, while Alvarez is set to bring home $5 million. In addition to that, Canelo figures to earn even more based on revenue from Mexican television.
Although it can be argued the 25-year-old Alvarez is a bigger international star than the 35-year-old Cotto, the latter is the champion, and he will defend both the Lineal and The Ring Middleweight Championships.
The World Boxing Council Middleweight title will be on the line as well, but Cotto will be forced to vacate it if he wins. Per Rafael, the WBC released a statement regarding the decision, and while it didn't provide a specific reason, reports suggest that the Puerto Rican star refused to pay a $300,000 sanctioning fee:
After several weeks of communications, countless attempts and good faith time extensions trying to preserve the fight as a WBC world championship, Miguel Cotto and his promotion (Roc Nation Sports) did not agree to comply with the WBC rules and regulations, while Saul Alvarez has agreed to do so. Accordingly, the WBC must rule on the matter prior to the fight. The WBC hereby announces that effective immediately it has withdrawn recognition of Miguel Cotto as WBC world middleweight champion.
It can be argued the WBC situation takes some shine away from the massive fight, but it certainly didn't seem to impact Cotto's payday.
The 40-4 Cotto has lost bouts to Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the past, and taking on Canelo promises to be one of the biggest challenges of his career.
Alvarez is an impressive 45-1-1 with his only loss coming at the hands of Mayweather. His star faded a bit after that loss, as evidenced by where his purse stands in comparison to Cotto's, but the Mexican fan favorite will have a golden opportunity to reach the top of the sport once again Saturday.
Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
Nov 19, 2015
Boxers Miguel Cotto, from Puerto Rico, left, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion and Saul
To put it plainly, the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KO) vs. Miguel "Junito" Cotto (40-4, 33 KO) bout on Saturday from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is the biggest non-Floyd Mayweather fight in the last three years.
The Mexican-Puerto Rican boxing rivalry is set to get another chapter added to its long line of high-profile bouts. Alvarez is without a doubt the most popular and successful active Mexican fighter in the sport, and the same can be said about Cotto in relation to his Puerto Rican heritage. He is the only fighter from Puerto Rico to win world titles in four weight classes.
The entire boxing world will be watching, as will many casual fans, and that's when you know a fight and its hype have gone to the next level.
Here's a look at the final press conference for the bout:
Daniel Geale didn't look like much of a test for Cotto on paper, and he provided little resistance in the ring as Junito successfully defended his WBC middleweight crown in June.
Cotto dropped Geale twice in the fourth round, and referee Harvey Dock called an end to the bout late in the frame. Geale didn't look good from a strength and conditioning standpoint.
He struggled to make the 157-pound catchweight, and it showed in the ring. He looked listless and slower than normal. Cotto took advantage of his ill-prepared foe and finished him quickly.
Canelo Smokes Kirkland
May 9, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Canelo Alvarez (right) knocks out James Kirkland (left) in the third round of a super welterweight fight at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
James Kirkland doesn't usually have boring fights, and his battle with Canelo in May was no exception. The uber-aggressive Kirkland jumped on Canelo from the opening moments of the first round.
The aggression seemed to stun Alvarez at first, but the 25-year-old quickly picked up the pace. He badly hurt Kirkland in the first round, dropping him in the process.
But it was in the third round that he would finish the fight. Alvarez knocked Kirkland down again, but the rugged contender would get to his feet.
That proved to be a mistake.
Canelo forced his dazed opponent to the ropes, faked a jab to the stomach and came over the top with a savage right hand that knocked Kirkland cold. Take a look at the punch:
Because this action-packed fight came just a week after Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao bored many fans, the result helped to elevate Canelo as the man primed to be the sport's next megastar. The clash with Cotto could punctuate Canelo's arrival into the sport's elite.
What's at Stake?
The title situation surrounding this fight has become complicated. Cotto was stripped of his WBC title after he refused to pay $1.1 million in sanctioning fees, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. Now the title will only be on the line for Canelo, who has a chance to gain his first piece of the middleweight crown.
Another huge payday could be on the horizon, as the winner would be expected to take on WBA and IBF champion Gennady Golovkin. A win by Cotto could muddy the picture. Because he wouldn't be the WBC champion, there wouldn't be any obligation for him to face the feared Kazakh slugger.
Jul 26, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Gennady Golovkin (white gloves) reacts after knocking out Daniel Geale (black gloves) during their middleweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden. Golovkin won via third round knockout. Mandatory Credit: Joe Campo
It seems more likely that Golovkin would face another top middleweight for the vacant crown, which would probably be a less intriguing bout. If Canelo wins, then a bout between him and Golovkin would be logical sometime in the first quarter of 2016.
That would be a big-money bout, as Golovkin would be getting the biggest test of his career, and Canelo would be facing the best fighter he's fought since he was outboxed by Mayweather in September 2013.
Prediction
May 9, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Canelo Alvarez goes to his corner after a knock down during a super welterweight bout against James Kirkland (not pictured) at Minute Maid Park. Alvarez defeated Kirkland with a knockout in the third round. Mandatory Credit
This is an intriguing battle, assuming the 35-year-old Cotto doesn't look his age in the fight. He'll be the most experienced body puncher Canelo has ever tangled with. That could be significant, because Alvarez's midsection has never been tested.
Cotto is tough as nails, and he's shown the penchant for getting off to fast starts in his last three fights. Fast starts are not normally a part of Canelo's makeup.
He can't afford to allow a veteran like Cotto to get the drop on him early.
In the end, I like the bigger (5'9" to 5'7") and younger Alvarez by decision. He should have a slight edge in speed, and if he utilizes his jab, he could seize control and have Cotto hurt late.
Out of respect to Cotto's toughness, we'll tab Canelo as the winner by decision, but the final four rounds will likely favor the Mexican star. Bet on Canelo going away.
Is Miguel Cotto's Resurgence Real or Manufactured?
Nov 18, 2015
Miguel Cotto, left, of Puerto Rico, punches Daniel Geale, of Australia, during the second round of a boxing match Saturday, June 6, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
If you saw this coming on Dec. 1, 2012, give yourself a hand.
Because that night at Madison Square Garden—as he officially lost nine, nine and 11 rounds to a particularly pedestrian Austin Trout—an already 32-year-old Miguel Cotto was roughly as close to boxing’s main stage as Lindsey Graham is to the White House.
Yet somehow, precisely 1,085 nights later, he’ll enter a ring as the A-side of a promotion with a guy—Canelo Alvarez—labeled by ESPN as the 10th-best fighter on the planet.
With apologies to Al Michaels, “Do you believe in miracles?” feels like an understatement.
Cotto defers all renaissance credit to Freddie Roach, the mercurial trainer with whom he joined forces three-and-a-half years after getting beaten senseless by Roach’s other top charge, Manny Pacquiao.
“Freddie and I create a good chemistry. I feel rejuvenated in every aspect of my work,” Cotto said, in the initial edition of HBO’s 24/7 fight preview series. “He is the best thing to ever happen in my career.”
Roach, meanwhile, completes the mutual admiration society by deferring back to the fighter.
“I think the real reason is that he rededicated himself,” Roach said. “He’s a better fighter now than he’s ever been because he has a coach that he can trust, and I have a fighter that I can trust.”
Still, while the Puerto Rican has been special in dispatching three post-Trout foes with barely 17 rounds of exertion, the sheer unlikelihood of the turnaround prompts some to keep giving it the sniff test.
After all, Delvin Rodriguez had been a .500 fighter for three years heading into his Cotto match, while gimpy middleweight kingpin Sergio Martinez was inactive for 14 months and Aussie pretender Daniel Geale hadn’t lasted three rounds in a challenge of fellow 160-pound claimant Gennady Golovkin.
“I believe he has gotten back to what made him great, and you can credit Freddie for that,” said Kevin Rooney Jr., director of public relations for DiBella Entertainment and son of Mike Tyson’s ex-trainer. “He's believing in himself again and has gotten back to fighting in that aggressive style that he fought in when he was tearing through the ranks coming up. That being said, though, the fighters he has faced have also enabled him to look sensational. Delvin and Geale weren't in his league, and a prime Sergio Martinez—who fought Chavez—would have totally had his way.”
Neither Rodriguez nor Geale have won since facing Cotto, and Martinez retired 12 months later.
Cotto won 32 fights and two title belts in his first seven years as a pro, but had lost four times in four years—two by brutal stoppage, two by wide decision—before hitching up to Roach’s wagon in 2013.
Like Rooney, Tom Loeffler—managing director of Golovkin’s promoter—sees both sides, too.
“He seems dramatically different with his new training regime with Freddie Roach,” he said. “(But it’s) hard to judge based solely on opposition, as Sergio clearly was not 100 percent with his knee injuries and Geale at 157 was definitely weakened by the weight drain.”
As for the oddsmakers, they’re not putting their money where Cotto’s revival is.
Alvarez is a definitive favorite, meaning it’ll take a $305 wager on him to make a $100 profit at Odds Shark. A $100 outlay on Cotto, though, would yield a $275 profit in the event of an upset.
Count Randy Gordon, however, among those expecting the older man to once again falter.
“He beat average Delvin Rodriguez and followed by facing broken-down Sergio Martinez,” the former Ring Magazine editor-in-chief said. “Then came a fight against weight-drained Daniel Geale. Cotto is a junior middleweight at best. I have to figure he will give a typical gutsy Cotto performance on Saturday, but in reality, he is in way over his head.”
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.
On Saturday night, Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KO) and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KO) will write another chapter in the historic rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico...
