Miguel Cotto annihilated WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, forcing his trainer to throw in the towel after nine grueling rounds?
Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, annihilated WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (51-3-2, 28 KOs), from Buenos Aires, Argentina, forcing his trainer to throw in the towel after nine grueling rounds, over the strenuous objections of the former champ.
Cotto, fighting out of the red corner in purple, black and white trunks, entered the ring as the underdog. He had been a great champion, but it was his first fight at middleweight and many felt he was too small to compete so far above his natural weight.
Martinez, fighting out of the blue corner in black trunks with red trim, was making the seventh defense of his WBC title. This was his first fight in 14 months, during which time he had surgery to repair a bum knee and shoulder. But Sergio said he never felt better coming in.
No sooner had the fight started than it was apparent that Cotto, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, was bringing something new to the dance. He looked sharp. He looked contained. He commenced hostilities with a lead right that got Martinez?s attention. Cotto then connected with a left hook, the first of many, which dropped Sergio to the canvas at 1:38.
Maravilla beat the count, but when he got to his feet he was limping. The worst-case scenario?that his body would give out?appeared to be coming true. Another Cotto left hook greeted Martinez when he was upright, and down he went again.
The three knockdown rule was not effect, a good thing considering what was to follow. Another left hook was right on the money and Martinez went down a third time. Once again he got to his feet and made it to the end of the round. When the bell rang he wobbled to his corner. Blood was streaming from a cut behind his ear.
Things weren?t much better for Sergio is round two. He didn?t go down, except for a slip when his knee gave out, but Cotto was landing combinations and his lethal hook almost at will. Martinez was fighting back. Unfortunately he was hampered by his lack of mobility and the effect of Cotto?s bone-crunching punches.
Cotto?s domination continued in the third. He was simply brilliant. His effectively cut off the ring, varied his punch selection, and repeatedly beat Martinez to the punch. Sergio did what he could. He landed a couple of right hooks. A sharp jab brought blood to Cotto?s mouth. But Miguel was in control of the fight. He was also in control of both men?s future. It was an uphill battle for Martinez. He was trailing on the scorecards. It looked like this was a night when he wouldn?t be able to box his way to victory.
Between rounds Sergio?s trainer, Pablo Sarmiento, implored, ?We?ve got to work the jab. Double it up. Double it up. Double it up up top and to the ear and he?s going to go.?
Cotto was masterful in round four. He glided around the ring, firing off punches, savoring victory along with his thousands of partisans crowding the Garden. Another left hook rocked Martinez, but he had gathered his wits after the early knockdowns and stayed on his feet. As the round drew to a close, Sergio landed several punches and almost appeared in command. It was a close round. Maravilla suddenly looked like he was in the fight.
Cotto landed a body shot to start the fifth. Martinez connected with a flashy double jab followed by a nice right hook. Miguel connected with another body shot, his 36th according to CompuBox, in the first four rounds. Sergio landed a punch to the body. Cotto came back with a three-punch combination. Martinez landed two more body shots at the bell.
After a strong start by Martinez in round six, he was finally moving well and landed a right hook to the head and left to the body, Cotto caught Sergio with another left hook. He followed that up with a hard right to the body and left to the head. It was another round for Miguel Cotto.
Between rounds six and seven, Martinez?s trainer told him, ?You be first, Sergio. You be first.?
Maravilla had landed 12 power punches in the sixth to Cotto?s 18.
The graceful Martinez we?d grown to love reappeared in round seven. He connected with a right hook. Cotto countered with another body shot that slowed Maravilla down. Miguel continued to bear down on Martinez. He caught Sergio with a right that stunned and wobbled him. Then Cotto landed his patented left hook followed by a right. Martinez landed a combination at the bell, but it wasn?t nearly enough to win the round. The fight was slipping away and slipping away fast.
Cotto was relentless in round eight. His left hook had found a home, while the homeowner seemed just about shot to hell. Martinez went down again when his knee gave way, and again it was ruled a slip. He has the heart of a champion, but the body of a 39-year-old fighter on his last legs. Sergio needed a knockout to win. Instead, Cotto landed a hard right at the bell to end the round.
Round nine began with a Cotto uppercut that rattled the champ. He followed that up with another hook that caught Sergio looking. The end was inevitable. The end was at hand. Except for a few rare moments when the fight was competitive, Cotto mauled the Argentinean. He was superior in every way. Now bleeding from a cut over his right eye, Martinez got caught and dropped a fourth time. He scrambled to his feet to give it all he had, but whatever he had was gone, the well had gone dry, and his body, that which enabled Sergio Martinez to be Sergio Martinez, had betrayed him in the end.
In the corner between rounds, Pablo Sarmiento said, ?Sergio, your knee?s not working right. Champion, it?s my responsibility. Your knees are not responding. That?s it, Champion.?
Martinez pleaded, ?One more round. One more round. Please, one more round.?
?Sergio, I?m going to stop this one. You?re the best, Sergio. But I?m going to stop it.?
Six seconds had elapsed in the 10th and final round.
CompBox numbers told the whole story. Cotto landed 212 punches, 142 to the head and 70 to the body, to Martinez?s 100, and 158 of his power shots to Sergio?s 60.
At the time of the stoppage the three judges had it a shutout, 90-77, all in favor of the new WBC middleweight champion, Miguel Cotto.
