Cementing his status as one of the most charismatic, exciting new figures in boxing, Canelo Alvarez of Mexico used his youth, size and power to dominate and defeat Miguel Cotto for the WBC middleweight championship on Saturday.
That was in an action-packed showdown in front of a sold-out, roaring crowd in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a unanimous decision, the three judges scored the fight 117-111,119-109 and 118-110 for Alvarez.
In the first few rounds, both boxers were sizing each other up, with the younger Alvarez trying to cut off Cotto’s movement in the ring.
Although Cotto was having some limited success landing a clean shot here and there, by the third round, it became clear that he could not hurt Alvarez.
The new champion was the aggressor throughout the fight landing overhand right after overhand right against the back-pedaling Cotto.
According to CompuBox, Alvarez landed 57 percent of punches to Cotto’s head and 43 percent to the body.
Alvarez also out-landed Miguel Cotto 155-129 and had a higher connect percentage (32 percent to Cotto’s 21 percent).
At some point in the fight, Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach urged his fighter to become more aggressive because it must have become obvious to him that the tactic of backing up against a talented foe like Alvarez was not going to get them victory.
Cotto must have listened to his trainer because he came out in round eight and engaged Alvarez in some toe-to-toe exchanges that had fans cheering wildly.
But the most telling and impactful punches were landed by Alvarez. You have got to hand it to Cotto, though; the Puerto Rican dude did not quit.
He lost because he ran into an immovable force in Alvarez, a young lion ten years his junior.
No one knows what the future holds for Cotto, a future hall of famer who fought with the heart of a champion.
If Cotto decides to hang it up, fight fans are going to remember him fondly as a true warrior in the ring and one of the great champions.
After winning the title, Alvarez may be on a collision course with Gennady Golovkin, the other middleweight champ that some now consider the best fighter pound for pound in the world sometime in 2016.
By Bayo Akinnagbe
