Canelo Alvarez Defeats Miguel Cotto - Round By Round Recap
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The atmosphere at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was electric.
Defending champion Miguel Cotto took on challenger Canelo Alvarez in perhaps the fight of the year.
Here's how the fight went down.
Round 1:
CompuBox stats after the first round of action: @RealMiguelCotto 8/54 15% | @Canelo 8/33 24% #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Unofficial ringside judge @shotfighter26 awards the first round to @RealMiguelCotto. #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 2:
.@RealMiguelCotto throws 109 total punches through two rounds to @Canelo's 74. #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Punches landed/thrown through 2 according to CompuBox: Cotto 18/109, Canelo 16/74
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 22, 2015
Round 3:
I've got it 3-0 Canelo, who just looks like the stronger, fresher fighter. He's winging power shots at Cotto, trying to time him. Cotto...eh
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) November 22, 2015
Round 3 to Cotto because landed more jabs, did little more damage. But Canelo landed, too. Very close fight.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 22, 2015
Unofficial ringside judge @shotfighter26 calls the match 29-28 in favor of @Canelo with a 2-1 scorecard through three rounds. #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 4:
Rd 4 for Canelo, starting to land some nice right hands. #CottoCanelo #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
CompuBox stats through four rounds: @RealMiguelCotto 20/78 26% | @Canelo 24/71 34% #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 5:
"@Canelo is definitely the sharper puncher. Being the bigger guy is giving him all of the advantages." - @RealRoyJonesJr#CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Canelo clearly has more power, but Cotto clearly gains advantage whenever he moves. Plus, he's busier. I've got Cotto up 3-2. He won round 5
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 22, 2015
.@Canelo lands 10/20 50% of his power shots against @RealMiguelCotto in round five. #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 6:
Rd 6 for Canelo. At ringside it so obvious he is the bigger puncher. #CottoCanelo #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
Through 5 rounds, Cotto has landed 20 punches to Canelo's left side, 44 to the right Canelo has landed 23 to Cotto's left, 31 to the right
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 22, 2015
Unofficial ringside judge @shotfighter26 scores #CottoCanelo 4-2 for @Canelo through six. "@Canelo's really got on his game."
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 7:
Power shots: Cotto 40/145; Canelo 50/133 Jabs: Cotto 35/225; Canelo: 26/122 Per @CompuBox.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) November 22, 2015
Cotto won that round. Easily his most aggressive round. Back in the fight.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 22, 2015
Round 8:
"Best round of the fight. Barely close to even but the thunder came from @Canelo." - Jim Lampley #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round Eight: Best round of the fight. Cotto comes out aggressive (smart) but ate some big shots on the back end. Canelo showing great poise.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) November 22, 2015
CompuBox stats through eight rounds: @RealMiguelCotto 48/176 27% | @Canelo 68/166 41% #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 9:
Really good rd 9 for Canelo. Have him up 86-85 #CottoCanelo #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
Unofficial ringside judge @shotfighter26 scores #CottoCanelo 87-84 for @Canelo through nine rounds.
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Through 9 rounds, Canelo has landed more punches in 5 rounds, Cotto has landed more in 3 rounds, with one round even
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 22, 2015
Round 10:
Rd 10 for Cotto. 95-95. #CottoCanelo#boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
Damn good fight. But Cotto is just too small for Canelo. Just too small. Every single shot from Canelo is a power shot. Damn! Canelo is up!
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 22, 2015
CompuBox stats through ten rounds: @RealMiguelCotto 64/220 29% | @Canelo 85/214 40% #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Round 11:
Rd 11 for Canelo. 105-104 on my card. Scores could be all over. Been a good fight. #CottoCanelo #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
We head to the 12th. As I thought: Cotto's last stand. He needs to make a statement. He needs to try for a knockdown.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) November 22, 2015
Round 12:
"They're both gunning for the KO right now." #CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
Rd for Canelo. Helluva 12th. Canelo wins 115-113 on my card. Book the rematch. #CottoCanelo #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
Unofficial ringside judge @shotfighter26's final scorecard: 117-111, 9-3 for @Canelo#CottoCanelo
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) November 22, 2015
To the scorecards we go: 117-111, 119-109, 118-110 all for Canelo Alvarez, the new middleweight champion of the world! #CottoCanelo #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) November 22, 2015
Canelo Álvarez wins by unanimous decision! pic.twitter.com/CULYr6PEHP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 22, 2015
Alvarez took the fight to Cotto from the opening bell, winning rounds with big right hands and uppercuts. Cotto tried to box and had his moments, but Alvarez was clearly ahead as the crowd stood on its feet as both fighters traded punches in the final rounds.
Alvarez won the WBC version of the title that Cotto vacated days earlier for not paying sanctioning fees. His win set up a possible megafight with Gennady Golovkin, the middleweight champion who was watching at ringside.
Alvarez won by scores of 117-11, 119-109 and 118-110. The Associated Press had him ahead 116-112.