Miguel Cotto Bio
* World championship fights: 16-2, 13 KOs...
* WBA super welterweight champion, 1 successful defense...
* Ranked WBO #3 at 147 pounds, WBA #4 at 154 pounds...
* Former WBO welterweight world champion...
* Former WBA welterweight world champion, four successful title defenses...
* Former WBO jr. welterweight world champion, six successful title defenses...
* Former WBC International super lightweight champion, five successful title defenses...
* 2000 Olympic representative for Puerto Rico, 139 pounds...
* 2000 Puerto Rican National amateur champion, 139 pounds...
* 1997, 1998, 1999 Puerto Rican National amateur champion, 132 pounds...
At the age of 30, Miguel is a ten-year pro. A former WBO and WBA welterweight world champion and former WBO junior welterweight world champion, he is a veteran of 18 world championship fights - his last coming against Ricardo Mayorga, whom Cotto beat by TKO in the first defense of the WBA super welterweigh title he took from Yuri Foreman in 2010.
He has been Puerto Rico's brightest star and biggest draw in the ring for several years, has fought and beaten some of the sport's biggest names, and has already had a Hall of Fame career.
He is coming off a TKO win against former two-time champ Ricardo Mayorga on March 12, 2011 in Las Vegas.
After the fight, Yahoo! Boxing analyst Kevin Iole wrote [excerpts]: Mayorga wasn't lying when he said prior to the fight that he had trained as hard to meet Cotto as he had in any of his previous 38 bouts. And though Cotto led 107-102 on the scorecards of all three judges at the time of the stoppage, it wasn't easy and the victory was as attributable to the improvements he's made in the last year working with trainer Emanuel Steward as much as anything else.
Cotto, who is one of the game's best brawlers, has long been underrated as a pure boxer, as he proved in bouts with the likes of Shane Mosley and Zab Judah. But Steward tightened his defense even more and Cotto's ability to jab, slip under Mayorga's shots and deliver punishing counters were all key to his victory.... [end Iole item]
On June 5, 2010 in New York he scored a TKO win against then WBA super welterweight champ Yuri Foreman.
All fight long, Miguel had done an amazing job of neutralizing Foreman's speed and movement, doubtlessly the product of working with legendary trainer Emanuel Steward. In the seventh, however, Miguel's impressive ability to keep up with Foreman's speed became moot: Foreman's knee - which was in a brace - gave out twice. The champ had aggravated an old injury, and he limped badly for the rest of the match.
Foreman fought on valiantly through obvious pain, dragging his leg as Miguel landed shot after shot. At one point, confusion reigned when a towel was thrown into the ring. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. did a quick investigation and determined that the fight could still go on. The fighters continued battling until the ninth, when Miguel caught a hobbled Foreman with a brutal left hook to the body. Foreman went down, and a new champ was crowned.
Miguel wasted no time in spelling out his future plans: "All Miguel wants is big names," he said.
Miguel suffered a twelfth-round TKO loss against Manny Pacquiao in November, 2009.
After the fight, Miguel said, "I tried to bring all I can for all these fans. It didn't go my way in this fight. The jabs I threw didn't do enough damage and I didn't protect myself enough. Miguel Cotto will always fight the best fighters in the world, and Manny Pacquiao is one of the best fighters I ever fought."
Miguel is also a former WBA welterweight world champion - he won that title in December, 2006, and made four successful title defenses.
He won the WBO jr. welterweight world title at the age of 23 in September, 2004, and made six successful title defenses before vacating the title to move up in weight.
He has repeatedly fought top opposition, including current or former world champions Manny Pacquiao (TKOby12), champions Joshua Clottey (W12), Antonio Margarito (TKOby11), Shane Mosley (W12), Zab Judah (TKO11), Carlos Quintana (TKO5), Paulie Malignaggi (W12), Ricardo Torres (KO7), DeMarcus Corley (TKO5), Randall Bailey (TKO6), Carlos Maussa (TKO8), and Cesar Bazan (TKO11). He has also beaten previously undefeated contender Kelson Pinto (TKO6), as well as veteran contenders Muhammad Abdulaev (TKO9), Victoriano Sosa (TKO4) and Lovemore Ndou (W12).
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
