Miguel Cotto

Born: Caguas, Puerto Rico. October 29, 1980.

Full Name: Miguel Angel Cotto Vasquez

Nickname: Junito

Record: 34-1 (27 KOs)

Miguel Cotto turned professional in 2001 after an impressive amateur career which saw him win a silver medal in the 1998 Junior World Championships. He went on to represent Puerto Rico at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but after being out-pointed at the first stage, Cotto decided to turn professional.

Cotto made his debut in the paid ranks against fellow debutant Jason Doucet and impressed with a first round TKO. The fight was the first of six fights in 2001, four of which Cotto finished early while two he took by unanimous decision over four rounds. The following year he won six fights within the distance and one, against former world title contender John brown, by unanimous decision after all three judges gave Cotto every round.

In September 2003 Cotto completed a seventh round knockout of Demetrio Ceballos in Las Vegas. Cotto impressed with his switch-hit ability, moving from orthodox to southpaw, and injured Ceballos in the sixth round before stepping up a gear in the seventh, forcing the referee to stop the fight. With the victory, the World Boxing Association (WBA) ranked Cotto number one.

Two knockouts later and Cotto faced Lovemore N’dou in May 2004 in an IBF light welterweight title eliminator. Cotto won the bout by unanimous decision, but opted to fight Kelson Pinto, 21-0, for the vacant WBO title on September 11. Cotto won his first world title with a sixth round TKO of the previously unbeaten Brazilian who Cotto has lost to twice as an amateur.

He made his first defence of the title against former world champion Randall Bailey on December 11, 2004 as part of the undercard of the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams bout in Las Vegas. Cotto was the busier fighter and with his hand speed and accuracy allowing him to land big and often. During the fight cuts opened on Bailey’s face above and under both eyes. As a result of the cuts Bailey was examined by the ringside physician resulting in the referee stopping the fight in the sixth round. Later that month the Puerto Rican boxing commission named Cotto as Puerto Rico's fighter of the year for 2004.

Cotto's second title defence was an aggressive battle against Demarcus Corley in February 2005 where both fighters were willing to trade blows and both were deducted a point for illegal shots. Cotto scored three knockdowns before the fight was stopped by the referee in the fifth round following a combination by Cotto. Corley, however, claimed that the referee stopped the fight prematurely. Just days after the fight Cotto’s friend and stable mate and 2004 Olympian Joseph Serrano was shot in the head leaving the Bairoa gym. Serrano survived but was in a critical condition in hospital.

In June of 2005, Cotto faced Uzbekistan’s Mohamed Abdulaev who was the last person to beat him as an amateur at the 2000 Olympics and who went on to win the gold. They met at New York’s Madison Square Garden where Cotto started strong, but allowed Abdulaev to come back into the fight in the middle rounds. However, by round nine the challenger’s eye was swelling and after consulting with the ringside doctor, the referee stopped the fight.

Colombian Ricardo Torres was next up for Cotto, who knocked him down in the first round. However, the durable Torres was back on his feet and knocked down Cotto in the following round in what was gruelling encounter. Both fighters were battling hard, but Cotto had Torres on the canvas once more on the sixth before a left hook by the Puerto Rican in seventh round knocked Torres out.

Cotto went on to defend his WBO light welterweight against Gianluca Branco, who had to give up due to a shoulder injury, before facing then-undefeated Pauli Malignaggi in June 2006. Malignaggi was cut above the eye in the first round, which he claimed hindered his performance and allowed Cotto to box on to a unanimous points victory. Malignaggi was taken to hospital after the bout suffering a fractured right orbital bone and a jaw injury.

In late 2006, Cotto, who by this stage in his career was 27-0 (22 KOs), relinquished the WBO light welterweight title in order to move up to welterweight to challenge undefeated Carlos Quintana for the vacant WBA belt. The fight took place in December, 2006. Cotto defeated Quintana by technical knockout in the fifth round after he failed to come out for the sixth round.

Cotto was now the WBA welterweight champion, and his first defence resulted in an 11th round TKO of Oktay Urkal in March 2007. Urkal's corner threw in the towel because he was apparently down in the fight, and had just had a second point deducted for a head butt.

On June 9, 2007, Cotto defended his title again, this time against Zab Judah in New York City, performing before a sell-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. The bout included a knockdown and a point deduction registered for Cotto, who established dominance on the offensive following a close start. At the moment of the stoppage,the judges had Cotto leading 97-91. Cotto won by technical knockout in the eleventh round when the referee stopped the fight.

Miguel Cotto fought “Sugar” Shane Mosley on November 10, 2007 at the Garden in New York. Cotto pursued Mosley in the early rounds but the tables turned somewhat when Mosley found his flow and became the aggressor later in the fight. Despite this it was Cotto who impressed on the night and took a unanimous decision victory.

On April 12, 2008, Cotto successfully defended the championship against star of reality TV series The Contender Alfonso Gómez. Cotto scored three knockdowns before the fight was stopped following the fifth round, when the doctor indicated to the referee that Gómez couldn't continue. Cotto was selected the World Boxing Association's "Boxer of the Year", during the organization's annual award celebration.

Cotto’s luck was about to change when he stepped in the ring with Mexican Antonio Margarito in an unsuccessful defence of his welterweight crown.

Cotto had started strong in the fight, frequently landing a series of punches on Margarito during the early rounds while using his footwork to avoid danger. However, Margarito pressed his offensive attacks and eventually began to break through Cotto’s defence and wear down his resistance. Cotto was hurt in the seventh round after two Margarito uppercuts and the Mexican continued to inflict damage towards the end of the tenth round. Margarito had Cotto against the ropes in the eleventh and with blood everywhere, Cotto eventually fell to his knee. He got up, but Margarito continued landing combinations before Evangelista Cotto threw in the towel after Cotto again fell to the canvas in the corner of the ring. Two judges had Margarito ahead by a score of 96–94 at the time of the stoppage, while the third scored the fight even.

Cotto's loss to Margarito has since come under suspicion due to Margarito's subsequent attempted use of illegal hand-wraps in a fight against Shane Mosley.
 
Cotto returned to action in New York on February 21, 2009 when he faces Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight crown. The Puerto Rican proved to much for the outclassed British fighter as Jennings looked out his depth against a more experienced boxer. Cotto scored two knockdowns on Jennings in the third and knocked him down again in the fifth when the referee finally stopped the fight.

Cotto had claimed the WBO title and his second run at champion in the welterweight division.  On April 8, 2009, Cotto fired his uncle from the team's staff, following a violent discussion where his property was damaged. However, neither side expressed interest in pursuing any sort of legal action. Consequently, Cotto named Joe Santiago, who had served as the team's nutritionist as his new trainer.

On June 13, 2009, Cotto defended his WBO championship against Joshua Clottey. In the first round he scored a knockdown after connecting a jab. In the third round an accidental head clash opened a severe laceration over Cotto's left eye. The injury bled profusely during the fourth round, but he was able to control the pace. In the fifth round, Clottey was pushed to the floor during an exchange and was injured in his left knee, receiving time to recover before the contest resumed. In the sixth, Cotto trapped Clottey in a corner and gained offensive advantage. During the next two rounds, Clottey controlled the offensive, noticing that Cotto was unable to see right punches. In the last rounds, Cotto decided to employ his technique from outside, while the fight's tempo remained close. The judges decided the fight's outcome by split decision, awarding scores of 115-112 and 116-111 for Cotto and 114-113 for Clottey.

Cotto will put his title on the line again on November 14 when he faces Manny Pacquiao, who is moving up to challenge the Puerto Rican for what could be the Filipino’s seventh title in seven divisions. However, Cotto has remained focussed and confident going into the bout despite being written off by some commentators.

His evident power, durability and boxing ability will stand him in good stead against the quick Filipino, who has also demonstrated ferocious speed and strength in knocking out Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.

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