Sadam Ali (26-1, 14 KOs) says it would have been a different story if Jessie Vargas was inside the ring with him last Saturday night instead of Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in New York. Ali beat Cotto (41-6, 33 KOs) by an impressive 12 round unanimous decision to win his WBO junior middleweight title.
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto boxing news
Sadam Ali explains why he didn’t try to KO Miguel Cotto
Sadam ‘World Kid’ Ali (26-1, 14 KOs) had WBO junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 KOs) badly hurt last night on 3 occasions in their fight, but he didn’t go after him to try and finish him off much to the disappointment to a lot of the boxing fans at Madison Square Garden in New York.
That rarity in boxing: Going out a winner
The great Muhammad Ali failed to do it, Sugar Ray Leonard failed to do it, George Foreman also came up short. While the greatest boxer of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson, failed to tick this particular box himself. And on Saturday night in New York, Miguel Cotto’s name was added to the long, long list of great, great fighters who were unsuccessful in their attempts at going out as a winner in their final fight.
Kellerman gives credit to Cotto after loss to Ali
Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 KOs) came up short last Saturday night in losing to the younger 29-year-old Sadam Ali (26-1, 14 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision in their fight on HBO World Championship Boxing at Madison Square Garden in New York.
What next for new WBO 154 pound champ Sadam Ali?
We all knew Sadam Ali could box, and last night’s win over an admittedly faded (but still great) Miguel Cotto put “World Kid” on the world stage once again. Ali, 26-1(14) has rebounded well from his March 2016 stoppage loss to Jessie Vargas, the 9th round TKO being the sole defeat on the record of the 29 year old.
Ali rebounded to beat three solid fighters in Saul Corral, Jorge Silva and Johan Perez, and now he has the scalp of future Hall of Famer Cotto on his resume. What next for the new WBO super-welterweight champ? Ali has shown he is as fast as a 154 pounder and he was down at welterweight (where the loss to Vargas took place) and he has looked strong also. It would be great to see Ali in there with the other reigning 154 pound champions – Jermel Charlos, Erislandy Lara and Jarret Hurd.
Classy Cotto waves goodbye on a loss, heads to The Hall of Fame
Arguably the finest fighter to have come out of Puerto Rico, four-weight champion Miguel Cotto said goodbye last night in New York, leaving the sport he lit up in a major way with class and dignity. Cotto doesn’t go out with the win he and his fans wanted – a faster, younger, bigger Sadam Ali instead winning a pretty wide 12 round UD over the 37 year old great, but Cotto goes out on his own terms all the same.
Cotto was unable to cope with the speed and movement of Ali, 26-1(14) and the former king also injured his biceps in the seventh-round. Dropping a decision that read 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 again, Cotto walks away with a 41-6(33) record. But more than that, Cotto walks away “feeling good,” with no excuses.
Results: Sadam Ali defeats Miguel Cotto
On a night that Madison Square Garden and the boxing world bid farewell to a boxing legend in Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 KOs), Sadam “World Kid” Ali (26-1, 14 KOs) stole the show, winning a unanimous decision victory and the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship in front of 12,391 fans and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing. The final scores were 115-113 twice and 116-112.
Ali, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Brooklyn, hurt Cotto twice in the early rounds and used slick defense and solid counter-punching to keep Cotto at bay throughout the 12-round bout.
Results: Rey Vargas defeats Oscar Negrete
World Boxing Council super bantamweight champion Rey Vargas (31-0, 22 KOs) retained his title on Saturday night in beating Oscar Negrete (17-1, 7 KOs) by a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photo Credit: Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions)
Vargas suffered cuts to each eye during the contest, but he fought well despite dealing with the blood. The judges scored it 119-108, 119-108, and 120-108.
Roach: Cotto will knockout Sadam Ali with right hand
You can expect Miguel Cotto to KO Sadam Ali with a right hand tonight, according to trainer Freddie Roach. He says he’s scouted Ali’s recent 9th round knockout loss to Jessie Vargas from 2016, and noticed that he was vulnerable to the right hand.
(Photo credit: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions)
Cotto: I’m finishing my career on my terms
A defiant sounding WBO junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs) has bristled with the repeated criticism from the boxing media for him selecting what many consider a soft touch in welterweight Sadam Ali (25-1, 14 KOs) to end his career on with the two of them fighting on HBO tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York.