Cotto stops Mayorga in 12th round to retain title
Source: Agencies |
March 14, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PUERTO Rico's Miguel Cotto stopped Nicaraguan challenger Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th and final round in Las Vegas to retain his WBA super welterweight title on Saturday.
The end of the contest came when Cotto, who was well ahead on the judges' scorecards, caught Mayorga with a short left hook that sent the challenger staggering backward and down on one knee.
Mayorga beat the count but a follow-up barrage backed him into a corner, where he draped his arms on the ropes and signaled to referee Robert Byrd that he had had enough and the official stopped the contest.
"It was a really good fight with an amazing finish," Cotto said. "He is a very strong fighter. He hit me with some really good shots."
Mayorga claimed that during the exchange of punches that resulted in his knockdown, he took a painful blow to his left thumb. "I felt my thumb touch the back of my hand."
Mayorga, (29-8-1, 23 KOs), a former welterweight champion, knew that his best chance of victory was to goad the more skillful Cotto into a brawl. On several occasions, he screamed at his opponent to stand and trade punches.
But Cotto stuck with his game plan of boxing behind a stiff left jab and left hooks, unleashing flurries and then moving out of range.
Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) is trying to resurrect his career after a defeat to Manny Pacquiao in November 2009. It was his first defense of the title he won from Yuri Foreman last June.
In Ledyard, Connecticut, Sergio Martinez of Argentina stopped Sergiy Dzinziruk in the eighth round of a WBC middleweight bout on Saturday night after knocking the Ukrainian down three times.
After three uneventful rounds to begin the fight, Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) briefly went down on one knee at the start of Round 4 from a tap on his head. Dzinziruk said he slipped, but the referee ruled that he was hit by a punch and called it a knockdown.
He was knocked down again by a left hand just seconds before the bell rang to begin the fifth round. The bout was halted at 1:43 of the eighth after Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs) sent Dzinziruk down for the third time.
The end of the contest came when Cotto, who was well ahead on the judges' scorecards, caught Mayorga with a short left hook that sent the challenger staggering backward and down on one knee.
Mayorga beat the count but a follow-up barrage backed him into a corner, where he draped his arms on the ropes and signaled to referee Robert Byrd that he had had enough and the official stopped the contest.
"It was a really good fight with an amazing finish," Cotto said. "He is a very strong fighter. He hit me with some really good shots."
Mayorga claimed that during the exchange of punches that resulted in his knockdown, he took a painful blow to his left thumb. "I felt my thumb touch the back of my hand."
Mayorga, (29-8-1, 23 KOs), a former welterweight champion, knew that his best chance of victory was to goad the more skillful Cotto into a brawl. On several occasions, he screamed at his opponent to stand and trade punches.
But Cotto stuck with his game plan of boxing behind a stiff left jab and left hooks, unleashing flurries and then moving out of range.
Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) is trying to resurrect his career after a defeat to Manny Pacquiao in November 2009. It was his first defense of the title he won from Yuri Foreman last June.
In Ledyard, Connecticut, Sergio Martinez of Argentina stopped Sergiy Dzinziruk in the eighth round of a WBC middleweight bout on Saturday night after knocking the Ukrainian down three times.
After three uneventful rounds to begin the fight, Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) briefly went down on one knee at the start of Round 4 from a tap on his head. Dzinziruk said he slipped, but the referee ruled that he was hit by a punch and called it a knockdown.
He was knocked down again by a left hand just seconds before the bell rang to begin the fifth round. The bout was halted at 1:43 of the eighth after Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs) sent Dzinziruk down for the third time.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
