Thoughts on Cotto-Alvarez

On November 21st the focus of the Boxing world centered on the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV for the much-anticipated battle between multi-division world champion Miguel Cotto and former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Much of the focus in the week leading up to the fight centered on the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) decision to withdraw its recognition of Miguel Cotto as its Middleweight world champion for Cotto’s failure to comply with the WBC’s rules and regulations and ruling that the championship would be on the line for Alvarez only.

Despite much of the attention being focused on the subject of the WBC Middleweight world championship prior to the fight, the sport of Boxing was treated to a fight that lived up to expectations when Cotto and Alvarez squared off in the ring. For twelve rounds two of Boxing’s biggest stars engaged in a closely fought tactical battle.

Many of the rounds in this fight were extremely close and difficult to score. In many ways, the bout was the definition of what most associate with a close fight. Both fighters having their share of moments in almost every round and neither really taking a backward step. When it comes to close fights where both fighters are able to have their moments however, the challenge for the three official judges scoring the fight as well as fans watching the fight is to see and determine which fighter is able to be more effective with their offense.

Cotto was the more active of the two fighters and was effective in his use of lateral movement as a way to both set up his offense and defend himself from Alvarez’ punches. Alvarez however, was the more accurate of the two fighters and seemed to land the more effective punches. Although Cotto was more active throughout much of this fight and landed his share of offense, he was not really able to hurt Alvarez, back him up, or discourage Alvarez from coming forward.

As the fight progressed, Alvarez’ naturally bigger size, ability to absorb Cotto’s offense, ability to continue to apply pressure on Cotto and land the more effective punches of the two gradually became the difference in the fight. In the eyes of this observer, Alvarez was able to win several close rounds simply by landing punches that did more damage even though Cotto was more active.

A tactical Boxing match from the opening bell until the final bell where each fighter is able to have periods of effectiveness is bound to create a difference of opinion not only in terms of who won the fight, but particularly in how the fight is scored. Unofficially, I scored this fight eight rounds to four or 116-112 in points for Saul Alvarez.

Although the score may appear lopsided and not accurate in terms of what is considered a close fight, it is important to remember that fights are scored on a round by round basis. Even though many of the rounds in this fight were very close, Alvarez seemed to be more effective than Cotto in executing his offense. This ultimately was the basis for my scorecard and how I arrived with an 8-4 margin in favor of Alvarez.

The three official Judges Burt Clements, John McKaie, and Dave Moretti turned in slightly wider scores at the end of the twelve round championship bout. John McKaie scored the fight 117-111 or 9-3 in rounds, Burt Clements turned in a score of 118-110, or 10-2 in rounds, and Dave Moretti scored the bout 119-109, or 11-1 in rounds all in favor of Alvarez. Even though there have been some in the days following the fight that have called the scoring controversial and/or believe that Cotto did enough to win the fight based on outworking Alvarez over the course of twelve rounds, this observer believes the decision was accurate although I believe the bout was closer than how judges Clements and Moretti scored it.

With the victory, Alvarez won the WBC Middleweight world championship in what should be viewed as the biggest win of his career thus far. As for what is next for Alvarez, it is logical to assume that a battle against unified WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin may be in the near future. Golovkin also holds interim championship status in the WBC’s Middleweight ratings per his victory in a defense of his unified world championship over previously top rated WBC contender Marco Antonio Rubio in October of last year.

Whether or not the WBC will mandate a unification bout between Alvarez and Golovkin to take place sometime in 2016 remains to be seen. It will also be interesting to see whether the WBA or IBO will mandate Golovkin to face a mandatory contender in either sanctioning organization’s respective ratings before a bout with Alvarez can take place.

It will also be interesting to see how the upcoming Middleweight bout between top contender Daniel Jacobs and former undefeated WBO Middleweight world champion Peter Quillin on December 5th may factor into potential plans for a Golovkin-Alvarez unification clash. Jacobs currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Middleweight ratings and one might argue that the winner of that fight could be mandated by the WBA to face Golovkin at some point in the future.

If a bout between Golovkin and Alvarez does not take place in the near future, it may be possible that a potential rematch between Alvarez and Cotto could take place regardless of whether Alvarez’ world championship is on the line. The fight between Cotto and Alvarez was very competitive and this observer believes a rematch between the two would be embraced by Boxing fans and experts alike.

Although it remains unclear as of this writing as to how successful the fight did in terms of pay-per-view buys, it was successful in providing an entertaining close battle between two of the sport’s biggest stars. A claim that cannot be made for some of the sport’s recent major pay-per-view attractions. Why not entertain the possibility of a chapter two between Alvarez and Cotto?

“And That’s the Boxing Truth.”

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Cotto-Alvarez Weigh-In Results

The official weigh-in for the highly anticipated bout between multi-division world champion Miguel Cotto and former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez took place on Friday at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.  The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Pay-Per-View Bouts:

Main Event: Vacant WBC Middleweight world championship – 12Rds.

Miguel Cotto* 153lbs.    vs.          Saul Alvarez 155lbs.

*Cotto was stripped of the WBC world championship earlier this week for non-compliance with WBC Rules and Regulations. Championship on the line for Alvarez only.

WBC Jr. Lightweight world championship – 12Rds.

Takashi Miura (Champion) 130lbs. vs.     Francisco Vargas (Challenger) 129lbs.

Featherweight – 10Rds.

Jayson Velez 125lbs.       vs.          Ronny Rios 125lbs.

Jr. Featherweight – 10 Rds.

Guillermo Rigondeaux 121lbs.  vs.            Drian Francisco 121lbs.

Undercard Bouts: To be streamed via RingTVlive.com/The Ring TV App and Livestream.com

Heavyweight – 4Rds.

Zhilei Zhang 264lbs. vs. Juan Goode 244lbs.

Featherweight – 6Rds.

Alberto Machado 130lbs. vs. Tyrone Luckey 128lbs.

Flyweight – 6Rds.

Jose Martinez 114lbs. vs. Oscar Mojica 114lbs.

Jr. Lightweight – 4Rds.

Hector Tanajara 131lbs. Jose Naranjao 128lbs.

A scheduled twelve round fight for the IBF World Bantamweight championship between champion Randy Caballero and number one contender Lee Haskins has been cancelled. Caballero was five and a half pounds over the 118lb. Bantamweight limit and therefore lost his championship on the scale. Haskins, who holds interim championship status in the International Boxing Federation’s Bantamweight ratings will now become world champion.

The Ring TV app is available on Roku streaming devices. A Livestream.com app is also available on Roku. For more information about Roku streaming devices please visit: www.roku.com.  For more information about the Ring TV app and Ring TV Live please visit: www.ringtvlive.com or http://livestream.com/accounts/14802340.

Cotto vs. Alvarez takes place on Tonight  (Saturday, November 21st) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. In the United States and Canada the fight will be televised by HBO Pay-Per-View for $69.95. The Pay-Per-View telecast will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT. In the United Kingdom and Ireland the fight can be seen on BoxNation at Midnight (Sunday, November 22nd UK Time). Check your local listings internationally.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter:www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Borg Defeats Manihuruk

Rising Jr. Welterweight prospect Valentine Borg scored a hard-fought eight round unanimous decision over veteran Roy Tua Manihuruk on Friday night at Club Punchbowl in Sydney, Australia.  In a very competitive fight Borg and Manihuruk threw punches with knockout intent from the opening bell. Borg generally was able to get his punches of first for the majority of the bout, but Manihuruk remained in the fight all the way through. After eight rounds of give and take battle Borg had done enough to earn the unanimous decision.

 Official scores were 80-72, 80-73, and 79-73 in favor of Borg.  Unofficially, I scored this fight a little closer than the official judges five rounds to three or 78-76 in favor of Borg.  This was a very competitive fight all the way through and both fighters seemed intent on ending the contest with one punch. Borg was a little more accurate with his offense and seemed to be the fighter getting the better of most of the exchanges.

Valentine Borg advances to 11-2, with 7 Knockouts. Roy Tua Manihuruk falls to 18-14-2, with 14 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in a bout for the New South Wales State Lightweight championship, champion Geroid Clancy survived a fourth round knockdown to retain his title with a convincing eight round unanimous decision over Brendan Saunders. Clancy out boxed Saunders throughout much of this fight with combination punching and lateral movement to avoid much of Saunders’ offense.

 Official scores were 79-73, 78-74, 79-75 all in favor of Clancy. Unofficially I scored this fight 78-74 in favor of Clancy. A boxer’s primary objective is to make their opponent miss and make them pay. With the exception of the knockdown in round four, Clancy landed the cleaner punches of the two and made Saunders miss frequently. This along with effective counter punching gave Clancy the edge.

Geroid Clancy advances to 5-2, with 1 Knockout. Brendan Saunders falls to 3-3-2, with 1 Knockout.

In a bout for the vacant New South Wales Welterweight championship Daniel Kennedy scored an eight round majority decision over Alex Ah Tong.  This was in this observer’s eyes one of the most competitive fights of the evening. A fight that was fought in spurts where it appeared both fighters were able to have periods of effectiveness throughout many of the rounds.

As the fight progressed, Kennedy was able to have success landing his right hand and that may well have earned him the decision on two scorecards. Official scores were 76-76, and 80-73, 79-74 in favor of Daniel Kennedy, Unofficially, I scored this fight even 76-76. From my perspective there simply was not much to separate the two fighters. Although Kennedy had clear success with his right hand during the course of this fight, Ah Tong was able to keep the fight close and seemed to answer back immediately when Kennedy would land his offense.

Daniel Kennedy advances to 3-0, with 0 Knockouts. Alex Ah Tong falls to 9-34-5, with 5 Knockouts.

In a bout for the vacant New South Wales Cruiserweight championship Paul Ogedengbe scored a first round knockout over Walter Pupu’a. Ogedengbe dropped Pupu’a with a body punch midway through the round and dropped Pupu’a for a second time moments later with a follow-up barrage. Although Pupu’a was able to get up from the second knockdown the bout was stopped by the referee.  Official time of the stoppage was 2:18 of round one.

Paul Ogedengbe advances to 4-0, with 4 Knockouts.  Walter Pupu’a falls to 12-35, with 8 Knockouts.

In a Heavyweight bout rising prospect Willie Nasio scored a third round stoppage of Clarence Tillman. Nasio controlled much of the fight with his jab. Nasio was able to hook off the jab and mix in some combinations, but wasn’t offered much resistance from Tillman who spent the majority of the fight on defense. The fight was stopped when Tillman’s corner threw in the towel in round three.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:39 of round three.

Willie Nasio advances to 8-1, with 7 Knockouts. Clarence Tillman falls to 11-25-2,  with 6 Knockouts.

In this Middleweight division Mark Lucas scored a four round unanimous decision over Joe Rea. Rea dropped Lucas with a left hook in the first round, but it was Lucas’ greater activity and accuracy with his offense that carried him to a convincing decision victory.  Official scores were 39-37, and 38-37 (on two scorecards) all in favor of Lucas. Unofficially I scored this bout 39-37 in favor of Lucas.

Sometimes it is as simple as who lands the cleaner, more effective punches. In this fight that fighter was Mark Lucas. Joe Rea simply was not able to execute much of his offense after scoring the knockdown in the first round.

Mark Lucas advances to 5-0, with 2 Knockouts. Joe Rea falls to 10-25-5, with 10 Knockouts.

Also in the Middleweight division, Zhang Yong scored a four round unanimous decision over Mark Gittins. In what was a difficult fight to score Yong’s cleaner punches were enough to earn him the decision over Gittins, who was making his professional debut after previously competing in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Official scores were 40-37 on all three scorecards in favor of Zhang Yong. Unofficially I scored this fight 39-37 in favor of Gittins. 

Although Yong was able to land the cleaner punches of the two, I felt Gittins won the last two rounds based on his aggression. It was never the less a competitive fight that I can see an argument for either fighter as having won it.

Zhang Yong advances to 5-4-1, with 1 Knockouts. Mark Gittins falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

In the Lightweight division Haithem Laamouz scored a six round split decision over Issaka Issah. Much like the Kennedy-Ah Tong fight, the bout between Laamouz and Issah was very difficult to score. Laamouz put a lot of energy into virtually every punch he threw and was generally the more aggressive fighter, while Issah foscued on picking his spots and trying to be more accurate with his offense in a fight where there were several “Swing rounds” where an argument could be made for either fighter having won a round. Official scores were 59-56, Laamouz, 58-57 Issah, and 59-55 in favor of Laamouz giving him the victory.

Unofficially I scored this fight even 57-57. I felt Laamouz was able to win the first three rounds based on his ability to keep Issah on the defensive. Although he did not land with every punch he threw Laamouz’ aggression was enough to win those rounds, in my opinion. In the second half of the fight, Issah’s accurate punching and combinations were the key factor in my eyes.

Haithem Laamouz advances to 5-0, with 1Knockout. Issaka Issah falls to 2-4, with 0 Knockouts.

In the Welterweight division, Mitchell Dawson scored the first victory of his career with a clear four round unanimous decision over Barry Toomey. Dawson dropped Toomey, who was making his professional debut with a combination in round one and was able to win every round on the scorecards based on clean punching and effective aggression. Official scores were 40-36, and 40-35 (on two scorecards) in favor of Dawson. Unofficially I scored this 40-35 in favor of Mitchell Dawson.

Mitchell Dawson advances to 1-1-1, with 0 Knockouts. Barry Toomey falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

This card presented a look at fighters who range from emerging prospects to fighters in the very beginning of their careers.  Although time will tell if any of these fighters will eventually become contenders on the regional or world levels of the sport, for some of the emerging prospects such as Valentine Borg, Daniel Kennedy, and Haithem Laamouz, the fights they participated in on this card should and likely will be viewed as important steps in each fighter’s respective development. It will be interesting to see how each progresses from here.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

This card was promoted by Paul Nasari’s Neutral Corner Fight Promotions and broadcast worldwide by GFL: Go Fight Live Combat Sports. For more information on Neutral Corner Fight Promotions please visit the following addresses: http://www.nasariboxercise.com/ or www.facebook.com/Neutral-Corner-Fight-Promotions-257628614315943/?fref=ts. For more information about GFL: Go Fight Live Combat Sports please visit: www.GFL.TV

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UPDATE: Cotto Stripped Of WBC World Title, Championship Remains On The Line For Alvarez

The World Boxing Council (WBC) announced on Tuesday that it has withdrawn its recognition of Miguel Cotto as WBC Middleweight world champion.  An official statement by the WBC on the organization’s website said the following:  “The World Boxing Council worked tirelessly through a process that began over two years ago to secure the celebration of the highly anticipated fight between Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.  The WBC is proud of that accomplishment that is giving boxing fans around the world a very important fight to see.  After several weeks of communications, countless attempts and good faith time extensions trying to preserve the fight as a WBC World Championship, Miguel Cotto and his promotion did not agree to comply with the WBC Rules & Regulations, while Saúl Alvarez has agreed to do so.  Accordingly, the WBC must rule on the matter prior to the fight.

The WBC hereby announces that effective immediately has withdrawn recognition of Miguel Cotto as WBC World Middleweight Champion.  If Saul “Canelo” Alvarez wins the fight against Cotto, he will be recognized as the WBC middleweight world champion. The WBC’s decision is premised on the fact that Miguel Cotto and his camp are not willing to abide by the governing WBC Rules & Regulations, and the specific conditions the WBC established to sanction the fight.  Simply put: they are not willing to respect the very same rules and conditions which applied to Cotto becoming WBC champion. The WBC wishes Miguel Cotto the best of luck as we truly regret the course of action which led to them taking such decision.

The WBC is a non-profit governing organization founded 53 years ago.  The WBC has implemented all of the current rules in the sport, paving the way to a much safer boxing.  The WBC creates, implements and enforces, its Rules & Regulations to bring safety, order, unity, justice and equality to a sport that was marred with abuse and unfairness.  Since the first day of existence of our organization, the WBC has taken countless actions for the protection of the boxer and it is a fact that most if not all boxers dream of conquering the green belt. The WBC stands by its honorability and will not participate in the abuse of power and greediness, which has taken our boxing world to regrettable actions from different parties.  The WBC wishes the promotion great success and we are satisfied that this great fight for boxing will be enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.” Credit: World Boxing Council/WBCBoxing.com.

The fight between Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez will go on as scheduled with the WBC world championship being on the line for Alvarez only. Although it is unclear as of this writing what the WBC’s course of action might be if Cotto is victorious on Saturday night, one might assume that unified WBA/IBO world champion Gennady Golovkin, who also holds interim championship status per his victory in a title defense over previous WBC top contender Marco Antonio Rubio in October 2014, could be elevated to full WBC champion if the championship is vacated per a Cotto victory.  We will keep you updated as details become available.

For more information about the World Boxing Council please visit: www.WBCBoxing.com

 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Cotto-Alvarez Preview

In the sport of Boxing it can at times be cliché to hear the phrase “One of the most anticipated fights” in the build up to an event that has all the makings of a “Big Fight.” Sometimes such anticipation can lead to fans feeling let down when the actual fight does not live up to the build up that preceded it.

Such was the case earlier this year when the long-awaited battle between a future Hall of Famer’s Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally took place after nearly a decade of anticipation. Unfortunately for Boxing fans, the actual fight failed to live up to the anticipation of what was billed as “The Fight Of The Century.”

In many ways, the battle ended up being a quintessential Boxing exhibition by Floyd Mayweather who scored a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao in a bout that lacked the drama and moments normally associated with a “Big” or “Super” fight as bouts of that magnitude are at times billed.

A common question that will be asked following such a fight regardless of what happens in the ring is when will there be another fight that is considered a “Big” or “Super” fight. The answer to that question will be this weekend as multi-division world champion Miguel Cotto makes the second defense of his WBC Middleweight world championship against former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Stylistically, this is a fight that has action written all over it. Both fighters are offensive minded and have the ability to get an opponent out of there with one punch. Each however, also possess Boxing ability and when it comes to a battle between two boxer/punchers it will be interesting to see how the fight is fought. Will it be a tactical battle between two world-class boxers who may be equal in terms of punching power or will it be a toe to toe war?

In one corner will stand defending champion Miguel Cotto. Cotto, who won the WBC Middleweight world championship in June of last year with a dominating tenth round stoppage of two-division world champion Sergio Martinez has seen a resurgence in his career since the addition of legendary trainer Freddie Roach prior to his fight against Delvin Rodriguez in October 2013.

In three fights with Roach in his corner including his title defense earlier this year against former two-time Middleweight world champion Daniel Geale, Cotto has scored three straight knockouts. A key component that has been present in each of those fights has been Cotto’s ability to make his left hook the focal point of his offense in landing it to the body and head of his opponent.

Cotto has also been effective in executing lateral movement in order to put himself in positions to land the left hook as well. Rodriguez, Martinez, and Geale had no answer to counteract Cotto’s left hook or his hand speed. As this fight approaches this observer feels that Cotto’s left hook will again be a focal point of his offense against Saul Alvarez.

Standing across the ring from Cotto on Saturday night will be former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Alvarez emerged as a rising star in the sport with a one punch knockout over former WBC Welterweight world champion Carlos Baldomir in September 2010.

The twenty-five year old Alvarez has scored victories in forty-five of his forty-seven professional fights and made six successful defenses of the WBC Jr. Middleweight world championship including victories over the likes of Alfonso Gomez, Kermit Cintron, Shane Mosley, and Austin Trout. Alvarez’ lone defeat came in a unification bout against Floyd Mayweather in September 2013.

Although a valid argument could be made that Alvarez has yet to score a victory against a fighter who is considered a current superstar in the sport, Alvarez has become a legitimate star since his victory over Baldomir including drawing massive crowds for his fight with Austin Trout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX where over 39,000 people attended and for his last fight earlier this year against James Kirkland in Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX that drew over 31,000 spectators.

In covering Alvarez’ fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2013, this observer stated that in a tactical Boxing match sometimes it is a simple as who has the quicker hands. Despite losing that fight, Alvarez was not disgraced and did give a good account of himself against a fighter widely considered to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

In thinking of how this fight might be fought, I believe a key might be who is able to establish the pace of the fight. After all, Cotto and Alvarez are two offensive minded fighters who look to put pressure on their opponents. It will be interesting to see who will be able to take the initiative and dictate how the fight is fought.

It is logical to assume that there might be a feeling out process early on due to both fighters knowing what the other can do and having a healthy respect for their opponent’s punching power. Although Alvarez was simply outpointed in his fight against Mayweather, he was unable to cut the ring off and to trap Mayweather consistently throughout the fight.

Even though Miguel Cotto is a different fighter stylistically than Mayweather, he has shown in his last three fights the ability to use lateral movement to not only put himself in positions where he can land his left hook and land combinations, but perhaps more importantly his tactics have made it very difficult for opponents to build any significant momentum. It is important that Alvarez find a way to execute his offense more frequently than he was able to against Mayweather.

In his last fight in May of this year, Alvarez scored a thrilling third round knockout over a very “Game” James Kirkland. The fight between Alvarez and Kirkland was as this observer described it a “Shootout.”

Kirkland was able to momentarily get Alvarez on the ropes and land punches with both hands in the first round. Although Kirkland was very aggressive in that fight in the early going it was Alvarez who was able to use Kirkland’s aggression against him and found a home for his right hand. Alvarez’ well-balanced attack to the body and head eventually broke Kirkland down, scoring a total of three knockdowns and ending the fight in thrilling fashion in round three dropping Kirkland with a flush right hand to the chin.

It will be interesting to see whether Cotto saw anything in that fight that could work to his advantage against Alvarez. Both fighters are similar in style and it will also be interesting to see if one elects to take the role of counter puncher in this fight.

The bout between Cotto and Alvarez will be the latest chapter in the storied rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico in the sport. There is no doubt that the crowd inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center will be white-hot as fans of both fighters will converge to show their support.

If the fight does turn out to resemble the potential fight of the year candidate that it appears to be on paper, Saturday, November 21, 2015 will likely go down in history as a memorable night in the sport of Boxing. This observer is looking forward to it.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Cotto vs. Alvarez takes place on Saturday, November 21st at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. In the United States and Canada the fight will be televised by HBO Pay-Per-View for $69.95. In the United Kingdom and Ireland the fight can be seen on BoxNation. Check your local listings internationally.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Update:

We would like to let our readers know that a preview of the upcoming Miguel Cotto-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight for the WBC Middleweight world championship is currently in the works and will be released on Tuesday, November 17th. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison