Originally Published: November 12, 2007
Scorecard: Cotto more than just a flash in the pan
With his pulverizing punch, exciting style -- and now a big-name scalp in Shane Mosley on his résumé -- Miguel Cotto is a surefire star, writes Dan Rafael.
Al Bello/Getty ImagesMiguel Cotto, right, had an answer for every tactic Shane Mosley tried to execute.
A roundup of last week's notable boxing results from around the world:
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Miguel Cotto W12 Shane Mosley Retains a welterweight title Scores: 116-113, 115-113 (twice) |
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Records: Cotto, 31-0, 25 KOs; Mosley, 44-5, 37 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: As terrific as Cotto has been since turning pro after the 2000 Olympics, the Puerto Rican star still lacked that true superstar name on his résumé. Now he's got it after an outstanding performance in an exciting fight against Mosley, a surefire Hall of Famer. Even in defeat, Mosley, the 36-year-old former three-division champion, showed he still has something left to offer. He will still beat a lot of top fighters if he elects to continue his career. He gave Cotto a very tough fight -- they actually connected on the same number of punches (248) according to CompuBox -- and he was extremely classy in defeat. But that's what Mosley is: a good person and a classy fighter. We all knew that Cotto, making his third defense, could bang and brawl. But he showed a more complete arsenal against Mosley. He boxed, jabbed, picked off a lot of shots with his gloves with an improving defense and even was effective going backwards in some late rounds. Of course, he also landed a lot of classic left hooks and digging body shots. All in all, it was a tremendous performance from one of the sport's stars. Cotto, 27, is in his prime right now. He's zooming up the pound-for-pound list and is must-see TV when he fights. There are so many potential big fights looming for Cotto. The biggie is Oscar De La Hoya, although he has so far been reluctant to talk seriously about the fight. That could all change if Floyd Mayweather beats Ricky Hatton, the Golden Boy's preferred opponent, on Dec. 8. But besides De La Hoya, Cotto could also wind up facing Mayweather (if the "Pretty Boy" dares to accept the challenge), Hatton, Antonio Margarito (a likely opponent next summer) or the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron winner. Top Rank wants Cotto to keep a similar schedule next year, meaning a fight in March, June and one in the fourth quarter. The welterweight division is loaded, so good fights abound. We're all lucky Cotto will be part of them. If you missed this dandy fight against Mosley, HBO replays it Saturday at 9:45 p.m. ET. |
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Antonio Margarito TKO1 Golden Johnson |
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Records: Margarito, 35-5, 25 KOs; Johnson, 25-9-3, 18 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: When Margarito lost his slice of the world title to Williams on July 14, it was mainly because he started so slowly and dug himself a deep hole early in the fight. Margarito learned from that experience and came out with guns blazing against Johnson. Margarito, 29, dropped the 33-year-old former lightweight title challenger three times en route to a smashing knockout at 2:38 of the first. It was an overwhelming performance and the kind of dominant blowout that makes Margarito an opponent so few want to fight. Most figured Margarito would win by knockout. Few believed it would be over in the first round. The victory places Margarito in an enviable position. He has a great shot at landing an HBO PPV fight against Miguel Cotto in the first half of next year, assuming Oscar De La Hoya continues to say he doesn't want to fight Cotto. If Margarito doesn't get Cotto, he could land the winner of Williams-Cintron or perhaps Mosley if Mosley elects to continue fighting. Whatever happens, Margarito has a money fight looming. |
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Joel Casamayor W12 Jose Armando Santa Cruz Retains world lightweight title Scores: 114-113 (twice) Casamayor, 114-113 Santa Cruz |
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Records: Casamayor, 35-3-1, 21 KOs; Santa Cruz, 25-3, 14 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: The ghosts of the first Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield fight must have awakened inside Madison Square Garden because, like that draw that robbed Lewis of the undisputed heavyweight championship, this disgusting split decision for Casamayor blatantly robbed Santa Cruz of the true lightweight championship. It's one of the worst decisions we've ever witnessed. And we're not talking about a close fight, either. The prevailing scores at ringside had it 11-1 or 10-2 in rounds for Santa Cruz. That means it was a total wipeout, but not according to judges Ron McNair and Frank Lombardi, who incredibly had it for Casamayor. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, and forced to explain their cards to New York commission chairman Ron Scott Stevens. Even the scorecard of Tony Paolillo, which favored Santa Cruz, was horrible. He should also be benched for having it so close. Casamayor did nothing and got knocked down in the first round. After 13 months off, the reunion with trainer Joe Goossen meant nothing either. The 36-year-old had no legs and did little but clutch and punch while moving backward. Did he land a solid shot in the entire fight? He may still be champ, but he's rendered himself irrelevant. Don't expect to see him on HBO and forget about a fight with Juan Diaz. At this point, who would want to see that or pay a dime for it? Casamayor has had an excellent career -- an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and world titles at lightweight and junior lightweight. Now, he's just fighting on memory. Santa Cruz, 27, the uncrowned champion, deserved better. Maybe he can get a fight with Diaz. He deserves it. |
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Victor Ortiz TKO1 Carlos Maussa |
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Records: Ortiz, 20-1-1, 15 KOs; Maussa, 19-5, 17 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: What is there not to like about Ortiz, the 20-year-old sensation? He's one of the top candidates to be prospect of the year and this first-round demolition against his most notable opponent should illustrate why. Ortiz jumped on Maussa, a former titleholder, and ended the fight in short order. A beautiful right-left combination deposited Maussa on the floor midway through the opening round. He struggled to his feet, but couldn't beat the count. Although Maussa owns a knockout win against Vivian Harris and gave credible accounts of himself in knockout losses to Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, this should probably be the end of the line for the 36-year-old, who showed nothing. For Ortiz, this is just the beginning of what could be a ride to stardom. |
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David Haye TKO7 Jean-Marc Mormeck Wins world cruiserweight title Scores: 120-108, 118-110, 117-111 |
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Records: Haye, 20-1, 19 KOs; Mormeck, 33-4, 22 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Haye, the British bomber, claimed the recognized cruiserweight championship the way he has won virtually all of his other fights: by booming knockout. Haye got off the deck after taking a knee in the fourth round after taking some heavy shots from Mormeck, who was fighting in front of his hometown crowd. Haye rallied to stun Mormeck in the seventh and then unleashed a savage right hand to the side of the head that dropped the 35-year-old face first. Mormeck, making his first defense since an exciting decision win against former undisputed champion O'Neil Bell in March, barely beat the count. But Mormeck was shaky and the fight was properly stopped. Haye, 27, isn't likely to remain champ for long. His battles to make the 200-pound limit are well-documented and in his fight before facing Mormeck he fought at heavyweight. He is likely to relinquish his crown and move up to heavyweight for good. Haye is a great puncher and charismatic fighter. Maybe he can inject a little life in the heavyweight division. |
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Souleymane M'Baye TKO4 Ahmet Diaz Title eliminator |
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Records: M'Baye, 36-2-1, 21 KOs; Diaz, 23-7, 17 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: In his first bout since losing his title to Gavin Rees on July 21, Frenchman M'Baye returned to author a stoppage victory against Panama's Diaz in a battle to move a step closer to challenging England's Junior Witter for his version of the 140-pound title. M'Baye lost a point in the fourth for head-butting just before stopping Diaz with a barrage of blows that went unanswered. |
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Carl Froch TKO5 Robin Reid Retains British super middleweight title |
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Records: Froch, 22-0, 18 KOs; Reid, 39-6-1, 27 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: England's Froch, 30, sent former world titleholder Reid into retirement when he quit on his stool after the fifth round of a one-sided fight. Reid, who is 3-3 in his last six fights, announced his retirement after the bout. Froch dropped Reid in the second, third and fifth rounds in the dominant performance. Froch has been calling out Joe Calzaghe for ages, but probably won't ever get the fight. Calzaghe is looking only for mega-fights at this stage of his career. Froch, who is talented and would be a worthy challenger, is unknown outside of England and would certainly not qualify as that level of a fight for the super middleweight king. It is quite possible that if Calzaghe moves up to light heavyweight, as many expect, Froch would get a chance to fight for one of his vacant belts, possibly against Mikkel Kessler, who lost decisively to Calzaghe on Nov. 3. |
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Francisco Lorenzo W10 Guadalupe Rosales Scores: 97-93, 96-94 (twice) |
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Records: Lorenzo, 30-4, 14 KOs; Rosales, 25-2, 17 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: In the Telefutura main event, Lorenzo pulled off the mild upset with a competitive decision win against Rosales in an entertaining scrap. Rosales, 26, of Mexico, had been on a 19-fight winning streak and hadn't lost since a controversial eight-round decision to James Baker in 2002. Lorenzo, 36, of the Dominican Republic, won his third in a row. With a little luck and some good matchmaking, he could find himself in a meaningful bout next year. |
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Argenis Mendez W8 Jorge Ruiz Scores: 80-67 (three times) |
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Records: Mendez, 9-0, 6 KOs; Ruiz, 5-3-1, 0 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Mendez, 21, a member of the 2004 Dominican Republic Olympic team, continued to show why he's one of the best young prospects in the sport. He hammered the durable Ruiz with ease, dropping him four times. Ruiz also lost a point for holding. It added up to a site you rarely see in boxing: an almost unheard-of 80-67 scorecard. |
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Kevin Johnson W6 Andrew Greeley Scores: 60-54 (three times) |
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Records: Johnson, 17-0-1, 6 KOs; Greeley, 13-19-2, 7 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Johnson, a 28-year-old prospect, stayed busy with a shutout decision against Greeley, a journeyman who lost his fifth in a row and posed zero threat. Johnson talks a big game, so in 2008 let's see him step up or keep quiet. |
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Mike Oliver W12 Al Seeger |
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Records: Oliver, 21-0, 7 KOs; Seeger, 27-3, 21 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Oliver, from Hartford, Conn., scored a solid win against Seeger, who hadn't fought since October 2006, when he was stopped in eight rounds by titleholder Daniel Ponce De Leon. Oliver overcame a swollen eye from an accidental head butt and a 10th-round low blow that cost Seeger a point to claim the clear decision. Oliver, 27, wants a shot at a world title and called out smooth Canadian beltholder Steve Molitor. |
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Sakio Bika TKO8 Jaidon Codrington Wins "The Contender" third-season title |
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Records: Bika, 25-3-2, 15 KOs; Codrington, 18-2, 14 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Ladies and gentlemen, we have our probable fight of the year. If it's not this one, it's probably the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez rematch. But what a fight this one was. The previous two finales of "The Contender" did not produce memorable fights. Season 3 was different. This blazing slugfest will be remembered for years and probably will be replayed on ESPN Classic as much as Buster Douglas' upset of Mike Tyson, if that's possible. It was a fabulous fight as hard-nosed Bika, 28, the 2000 Olympian from Cameroon now based in Australia, outlasted New York's Codrington, 23, to win the season-long tournament and the $750,000 grand prize. From the first round until Bika finally put Codrington away with a violent flurry, this fight dripped with drama. Bika dropped Codrington in the opening seconds of the fight and then Codrington rebounded to knock Bika down moments later in the most exciting moment of the probable round of the year. The rest of the fight featured sick two-way action. Every time either man landed, the other guy seemed to be hurt, and the fight always seemed like it could end at any second. The condescending critics of the fight point to the fact that it wasn't a highly meaningful fight and it didn't feature high-level fighters. Whatever. A fight of the year is about action, and when it's on national television in prime time, it means something, especially when many had followed these fighters all season. Moreover, it was true prizefighting. Unlike most fights, in which each combatant knows his purse before the bell, this was different. Bika and Codrington were guaranteed at least $150,000 apiece. Then they went to war over the additional $600,000 that would go to the winner. This was primitive, caveman stuff that electrified the crowd and thrilled viewers. If you have a bad attitude about the fight because it is "just a reality show," it's your loss. This was a great fight between brave men who left everything they had in the ring for our entertainment. |
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Sam Soliman W6 Wayne Johnsen Scores: 60-54 (twice), 59-55 |
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Records: Soliman, 35-10, 13 KOs; Johnsen, 17-3, 9 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: With his crazy, unorthodox style, Australia's Soliman won "The Contender" consolation match pitting the semifinal losers. Soliman had been outpointed by Bika in their rematch; Codrington had smoked Johnsen in a first-round knockout. This one went the distance, but Soliman dominated Johnsen, who was too slow and too confused to deal with Soliman's vast experience, speed and punching from all angles. |
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David Banks W6 Donny McCrary Scores: 58-56 (twice), 57-57 |
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Records: Banks, 15-3-1, 2 KOs; McCrary, 23-7-2, 13 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: In the best of the undercard fights, Banks claimed a deserved majority decision in an exciting fight against McCrary in a good scrap that had the crowd cheering. Banks, who ended a two-fight losing streak, won it because he's a better athlete, quicker and more skillful than McCrary, who is heavy-handed and gets by on a big heart. Banks opened a small cut in the corner of McCrary's left eye. McCrary, who lost to eventual tournament winner Sakio Bika in his opening bout of the competition, dropped his second straight fight. |
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Brian Vera W6 Max Alexander Scores: 60-54 (twice), 58-56 |
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Records: Vera, 15-1, 9 KOs; Alexander, 14-2-1, 2 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Vera was aggressive and stalked forward, landing heavier punches. Alexander tried to hold, grab and stink Vera out. Alexander's unwatchable style of fighting shouldn't be rewarded in professional boxing, and thankfully it wasn't by the judges in this fight. In the fifth round, an accidental head butt opened a cut on the outside corner of Alexander's left eye, which bled down the side of his face for the rest of the fight. |
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Aslanbek Kodzoev W6 Miguel Hernandez Scores: 79-72 (three times) |
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Records: Kodzoev, 19-2-1, 13 KOs; Hernandez, 20-7, 10 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Kodzoev, replacing injured Paul Smith, was the lone fighter from outside "The Contender" stable on the card and he scored a clear, if not dirty, victory against Hernandez, the series' biggest underdog. Kodzoev, a Russian based in Philadelphia, lost a point in the first round, which was only the first of many fouls from both men. |
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
