Round Up: Cotto Takes Another Title

Fight: Champion YURI FOREMAN, 28-1, 8 KOs, New York vs. MIGUEL COTTO, 35-2, 28 KOs, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Division: WBA Super Welterweight Championship – 12 Rounds

Result: Cotto wins by TKO.

Detail: The question for fomer champ Cotto coming in: After difficult fights with ANTONIO MARGARITOand MANNY PACQUIAO, did the pride of Puerto Rico have enough strength and determination left to win another belt? The question for rabbinical student and belt-holder Foreman: After facing quality but lesser-known opponents, did he have what it takes to best one of boxing’s best?

Those diametrically opposed uncertainties alone would’ve made this a must-watch match-up. But then there was the venue and the history that came with it: Foreman versus Cotto was the first fight held at the world-renowned Yankee Stadium since Muhammad Ali stepped between the ropes in 1976. No, this wasn’t your average main event – this was an event with a capital “e.”

And it lived up to the hype from the first bell. Cotto more or less owned rounds one through three, staggering Foreman in both the first and the second. In the fourth, Foreman turned it on, catching Cotto with at least two hard, clean rights. Though his nose was bloodied, the champ used his speed and footwork as best he could. Then, in the seventh, things took a turn for the worse for Foreman.

All fight long, Cotto had done an amazing job of neutralizing Foreman’s movement, doubtlessly the product of working with legendary trainer Emanuel Steward. In the seventh, however, Cotto’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 Cotto 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 Cotto caught a hobbled Foreman with a brutal left hook to the body. Foreman went down, and a new champ was crowned.

Cotto wasted no time in spelling out his future plans: “All Miguel wants is big names,” he said. Same as it ever was.

 

Fight: Top Rank’s Champion VANES MARTIROSYAN, 28-0, 17 KOs, Glendale, Ca. vs. MEAN JOE GREENE, 22-1, 14 KOs, New York

Division: NABF, NABO Super Welterweight Championship – 10 Rounds

Result: Martirosyan wins by UD.

Detail: The Freddie Roach-trained Martirosyan admitted to having a tough time taking out his last opponent, Kassim Ouma. Against challenger and native New Yorker Greene, the former Olympian wanted to show his stuff. (Little-known fact: Martirosyan and Greene were on the same Jr. Olympic team.)

As soon as the bell rang, Greene sprang out of the corner ready to rumble, firing multiple shots. Martirosyan, however, was in it for the long haul. The champ maintained his cool and worked Greene with body shots. There was a shaky moment in the fifth when Martirosyan’s oft-cut left eye swelled up, but that moment soon passed.

By the sixth, Greene was the one suffering from a damaged eye. (His right was cut.) After knocking Green down in the tenth, the only question was by how much Martirosyan would win. The judges scored it 96-93, 96-93, and 98-91.

So, whom will the fast-rising Martirosyan fight next? It’s too early to tell now, of course, but this much is apparent: The Armenian contender wants the best of the best, and in a division flush with talent, Martirosyan will have no trouble finding worthy opponents.

Here’s a breakdown of the undercard bouts, all of which were available for viewing free of charge HERE.

Fight: PAWEL WOLAK, 27-1, 17 KOs, Mt. Arlington, NJ vs. JAMES MOORE, 17-3, 10 KOs, New York

Division: Super Welterweights – 10 Rounds

Result: Wolak wins by UD.

Detail: Neither fighter is what you would call light on his feet. They camped out in each other’s face the vast majority of the bout, chopping and hacking away. In the end, however, Wolak connected more often. The judges scored it  97-93, 97-93, and 96-94.

 

Fight: TERRY BATERBAUGH, CO 6-3-1, 3 KOs, Denver vs. TOMMY RAINONE, 12-4, 3 KOs, Long Island, NY

Division: Welterweight – 6 Rounds

Result: Baterbaugh wins by UD.

Detail: Baterbaugh filed a solid performance against crowd-favorite Rainone. The fight was a study in opposite styles, with Baterbaugh consistently moving forward while Rainone danced around the ring to no particular end. When the two collided, it was all Baterbaugh, who landed clean and often. The judges scored it 59-55, 59-55, and 60-54.

 

Fight: JAE SUNG LEE, 10-3-1, 7 KOs, Hanam, KOR vs. JORGE DIAZ, NJ 14-0, 9 KOs, New Brunswick

Division: Featherweight – 6 Rounds

Result: Diaz wins by TKO.

Detail: Say this for Lee: He’s no wimp. He ate a steady barrage of hard shots in the sixth that would’ve dropped a lesser man with a lesser chin. That said, Diaz had so dazed and disoriented Lee that the ref was eventually forced to step in and stop what was rapidly becoming a slaughter at the 1:54 mark. The crowd roared their approval for the Jersey-based Diaz.

 

Fight: EDGAR PORTILLO, 6-5-1, 4 KOs, Midland, TX vs. ABNER COTTO, 8-0, 4 KOs, Caguas, P.R.

Division: Lightweight – 6 Rounds

Result: Cotto wins by UD.

Detail: Both of these men came to fight. Though Portillo made up somewhat for the height deficit via speed, it ultimately wasn’t enough to combat the reach and precision punching of the second cousin of the evening’s co-headliner, Miguel Cotto. The undefeated upstart did his family name proud, easily winning the unanimous decision.

 

Fight: JONATHAN CUBA, 2-1, 2 KOs, New York, NY vs. Top Rank’s CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ, 4-0, 4 KOs, New York, NY

Division: Super Lightweight – 4 Rounds

Result: Martinez wins by TKO.

Detail: As the first fight in the new Yankee Stadium, this one made history before the initial bell. Through the first three rounds things were pretty even, but about mid-way through the fourth and final round recent Top Rank-signee Martinez turned it on. He fired two right hooks and one right jab in rapid succession, knocking the shorter Cuba down. Cuba wasn’t done – and neither was Martinez. Shortly after Cuba got back up, Martinez landed another well-executed combo – a two-piece that began with a straight right and ended with a clean left hook. Cuba went down, and the ref called it at 1:18.