NOT IN THE SCRIPT
Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto bows out with a shock defeat
‘IT IS MY LAST FIGHT. I AM GOOD AND I WANT TO BE HAPPY IN MY HOME’
THE celebrations had been planned, the invitations long ago issued, and 12,371 showed up at Madison Square Garden to bid a victorious farewell to Miguel Cotto. And then Sadam Ali crashed the party. Rare is the boxer who has the chance to exit the sport on his own terms; the expectation was that Cotto would be that rarity, but Brooklyn’s Ali had other ideas, wobbling the veteran from Caguas, Puerto Rico several times and showing himself to be faster of hand and foot as he ensured the final fight of Cotto’s excellent career was a losing one. Ali prevailed by a close but unanimous points decision, with judges Julie Lederman and Steve Weisfeld scoring it 115113 and Mark Marlinski seeing it as 116-112 in the New Yorker’s favor.
Ali had previously shown great promise, but was – in retrospect, harshly – demoted in the estimation of many observers following a stoppage loss to Jessie Vargas in March 2016. He was largely overlooked in the build-up to what Cotto had announced would be his farewell fight; and although he accepted that with grace, he also, he acknowledged, used it as motivation.
Cotto entered the ring with nothing at stake, with one-and-three-quarters feet already out the door. Ali, however, was clearly inspired and determined to seize the opportunity to relaunch his career and indeed send it to a level far higher than he had reached beforehand. He and trainer Andre Rozier had figured out a smart gameplan: to move around the ring, deploying his more youthful feet to his advantage, never allowing Cotto to cut him off, to pick his spots and to use his fast hands and Cotto’s long-suspect chin to launch fierce attacks when the opportunities arose.
The first sign that the carefully-laid plans for the evening were in jeopardy came in the second round when a short Ali right hand off the ropes caused Cotto’s legs to dance and a bigger, booming follow-up right sent him staggering backward. Cotto withstood that shock, and set about his work with his customary doggedness, marching forward behind a stiff jab – but that jab, and Cotto’s patented power punches, lacked their customary authority because Ali’s excellent upper body movement made the veteran reluctant to commit to any of them.
Ali hurt Cotto again in the fourth, but in the sixth and seventh, the Puerto Rican regained the momentum, knocking back Ali with a stiff right hand, and gaining his attention with a right hand and hook – only for his hopes of victory to vanish with a torn left biceps, which necessitated emergency surgery after the fight.
Ali swept the final four rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, and seemingly had Cotto ready to go at the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th, before the man from Caguas drew on all his reserves to gut out a determined finish and end his career on his feet.
“I worked hard for it,” said Ali after referee Charlie Fitch raised his hand in victory. “I took advantage of this fight, and I made sure to make it count. Good things happen to good people. I have been training since I was eight years old, and I am glad I got this win at MSG, in my hometown.”
Cotto seemed, frankly, unconcerned by the turn of events and appeared to be already looking forward to putting his feet up and enjoying his retirement. “I’m feeling good,” he said. “Feeling good with the performance. It is my last fight. I am good, and I want to be happy in my home with my family. Thank you for all the fans. I had the opportunity to provide the best for my family because of the sport.” Rey Vargas
defended his superbantamweight title with a unanimous points win over previously undefeated Los Angeleno Oscar Negrete.
Vargas made the most of his height and reach, but also showed greatly superior punch output, ring generalship and defense, strafing Negrete with fierce hooks and right hands to body and head from distance and largely slipping most of Negrete’s often wild haymakers. But although the scorecards of 120-108 from Alan Rubinstein and 119-109 from Kevin Morgan and Carlos Ortiz were an accurate reflection of events, Vargas – from Mexico City – suffered a fair share of damage in the form of cuts above both eyes, both of which were caused by accidental headbutts. Referee was Ricky Gonzalez. San Juan’s Angel Acosta
won an interim junior flyweight title with a 10th round stoppage of Juan Alejo in a terrific action fight. Acosta had been targeting Alejo, from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, with left hooks all night long, but the best came just as the Mexican was looking to unleash a left hand of his own. Acosta’s hook landed flush first, and after a brief delay, Alejo dropped to his hands and knees. Although he hauled himself to his feet, it was not in time to beat Benjy Esteves Jnr’s count. Time was 1-33
Monteria, Colombia’s Delvis Julio frustrated opponent Ronny Rios and the crowd by taking a full five minutes before returning to action after a low blow late in a featherweight contest, but otherwise caused Rios little trouble, as the man from Santa Ana, California won 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93. In the opening bout, Brooklyn’s Zacchary Ochoa was made to work by game Tijuanan Erick Martinez, but won every round on every card in a welterweight six-rounder. Referee for both was Shada Murdaugh. Standout amateur Aaron Mckenna, from Monaghan, Ireland, was slated to make his professional debut in a four-round welterweight contest, but must wait to take his bow after his opponent was not able to complete his blood work in time.
THE VERDICT Cotto enters a deserved retirement after a brilliant career; but Ali, a worthy winner, is set to hit new heights.