Round-by-round live blog: Mayweather vs. Cotto
PHOTO: Floyd Mayweather Accompanied To Ring By Justin Bieber, 50 Cent
The rumors were swirling around the Internets like wildfire for days leading up to the much-anticipated Cinco de Mayo showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto. Would Justin Bieber be in Mayweather's entourage? Wouldn't he? Why would he in the first place? Mayweather is known as being one of the athletes with the most "street cred," but with Bieber in tow, would that be threatened?That last point remains to be seen, but, along with 50 Cent, who was by Money's side when he took on Victor Ortiz last year, Bieber was there in all his moussed-hair splendor. Picture via @jose3030:
Holding not one, but two of Mayweather's belts, Bieber was there and featured prominently, alongside 50 Cent. WWE star Triple H joined the duo later in the walk to the ring.
The only question that remains: if Manny Pacquiao-Mayweather happens, who gets added to the entourage? At this point, the only step is the resurrected corpse of Elvis Presley. Or Tupac's hologram. Or the Dalai Lama.
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 1
The HBO pay-per-view main event fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto kicked off with an opening round that saw Cotto looking to come out and take the center of the ring while Floyd, calm as ever, looked to pop out his quick punches and stay on the outside, controlling the moments of engagement. Floyd's jab was working well early in the round, and he did try to start getting his right hand lead working as well.Cotto did land occasional punches to the body and head but there was a clear speed differential with Floyd being much more quick. Mayweather's quick punches were likely enough to win the round, but at the end of the round, Cotto landed a nice three punch combination with Floyd against the ropes. Not the mismatch some expected, but still a Mayweather round.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
Fight: 10-9 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 2
Round two of the HBO pay-per-view main event fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto had Cotto needing to do a little bit better than he had in the opening frame. An interesting moment transpired with Cotto and Mayweather locking up and Cotto lifting him well off the ground before setting him down and patting him on the head.Mayweather was looking to land looping overhand rights in the round, rather than a continued reliance on the jab/straight right. Cotto was able to keep Floyd against the ropes and actually do good work to the body and head. Floyd returned fire with power shots of his own, making for a better action fight than most Mayweather fights. Cotto had a nice left hand but he needs to focus on the body going forward.
Good round, but still slightly in favor of Mayweather in my eyes.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
Fight: 20-18 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 3
In the third round of the HBO pay-per-view main event fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto, it began to shape up to be a good bout. Cotto was able to get off a jab early and keep trying to defend the head and work to the body. Mayweather was able to return a counter right hand off the Cotto body work though. Cotto did a good job of trapping Floyd against the ropes again this round.Cotto had a good moment of taking a right to the body and then going right upstairs with it and a hard jab as well. Another hard jab by Cotto was met with a right hand by Floyd. The jab continued working as the round went on for Cotto and he did mix in a right hand also.
This was the first round I saw as a Cotto round.
Round: 10-9 Cotto
Fight: 29-28 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 4
In round four of the HBO pay-per-view bout between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto, the two superstars were competing in a good action fight. HBO's Lederman had the fight a shutout for Mayweather to this point. Mayweather started to land the hard right hands early in the round, stinging Cotto a little bit. The overhand rights were coming also for Floyd and Cotto stopped moving forward for a bit.The momentum seemed to be changing this round with Cotto having far less effectiveness while Floyd was getting his power shots in at a higher clip. Cotto did do a little work against the ropes again later in the round but he was at a significant disadvantage in terms of power shots in the round, making for the easiest round to call of the fight to this point.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
Fight: 39-37 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 5
Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto continued their fight into the fifth round with Cotto needing to do something big and change how Floyd was fighting. Cotto attempted to do that by pushing Floyd into the ropd s and working him over there. For the most part, it was Mayweather managing to be the one landing the bigger shots.Cotto continued to try to dirty it up on the inside, but the slickness of Floyd defensively and his right hand were the story of the fight. Cotto landed a thudding left and refused to back down. Cotto opened with combinations and tried to keep making Mayweather fight and Floyd's punches did look a little bit more like arm punches by the time the bell rang.
Cotto is doing well competitively but still clearly losing the fight.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
FIght: 49-46 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 6
The HBO pay-per-view main event fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto saw round six unfold much the same as the previous rounds. Cotto was able to land some good shots, including a solid jab that continued to have blood coming out of the nose of Floyd.Mayweather was able to still do decent work, but Cotto got in a hard shot of his own as Floyd tried to get out of the way of a shot. Floyd has started to try to be the one coming forward now, jabbing and firing the right hand. Floyd is starting to look tired though, possibly because he's not fully comfortable and possibly because of Cotto's dedication to body punching.
This was the second round I scored for Cotto and he's certainly not there to play opponent.
Round: 10-9 Cotto
FIght: 58-56 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 7
Round seven saw Miguel Cotto looking to take over the fight a little bit as Mayweather faded a bit from the body work. Floyd appeared to still be up in the fight, but Cotto was making him fight the whole way though. Cotto was also able to pick off Floyd's punches with his gloves with a bit more reliability.Cotto worked Floyd back to the ropes at one point and dug hard to the body twice. Floyd came back with a nice three punch flurry of his own before Cotto backed him off with a jab. Floyd kept popping with the jab a bit more as Cotto tried to push him back to the ropes.
This was a good round for Floyd to try to stem the tide that seemed to be turning Cotto's way.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
FIght: 68-65 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 8
Miguel Cotto was able to push Floyd Mayweather back into the ropes early in the eight round of their fight with Floyd firing hard shots back. Cotto got off some good shots to the body and head. Cotto worked very well to the body this round, as Floyd tried to push off the ropes, Miguel forced him back.Floyd landed a left hook and an uppercut and does it again but Cotto wouldn't let him off the ropes. Mayweather has done a very good job of starting to rely on the uppercut a bit more, but Cotto fired several body shots and a hard punch to the head to follow.
Hard left to the head landed for Cotto and a flurry against the ropes and Floyd's eyes looked a little bit "off" as he got hit.
Huge round for Cotto.
Round: 10-9 Cotto
FIght: 77-75 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 9
Floyd Mayweather came out with a good right hand early in the ninth round of his fight with Miguel Cotto, knowing he couldn't allow a repeat of the eight round that saw Cotto do great work.Mayweather went back to hard right hands and uppercuts while Cotto wasn't really able to get the room to work for the first half of the round before he landed a big left hand. Mayweather eventually allowed himself to get trapped against the ropes. Cotto with a big left hand against the ropes and Mayweather with a hard shot of his own before having return shots by Cotto fired back.
The two men are going blow for blow this fight and it's making for a hell of an action fight that is testing Floyd in ways he's never been as a professional. Right hand lands by Floyd and he misses a few at the end of the round.
Good round for Floyd.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
FIght: 87-84 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 10
Miguel Cotto came out needing to make some big moves over the final three rounds of his bout with Floyd Mayweather. To do so, he looked to get inside and go to the body as he had during his best rounds of the fight.Mayweather looked to work the lead hand while Cotto tried to get in and did do a little body work. Cotto was able to do the work he needed in the first half of the round and pushed Mayweather into the ropes yet again but Floyd spun out. Hard left hand lands for Cotto as Floyd was going backward.
Cotto with a nice combination to the body and head that was partially blocked, but certainly did look good. Cotto landed a nice flurry at the end of the round that stole it in my eyes.
Round: 10-9 Cotto
FIght: 96-94 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 11
Floyd Mayweather asked his corner if he was winning the fight before the eleventh round against Miguel Cotto. This was unbelievable given how easy fights have been for Floyd's career, so him asking if he was winning speaks to the effort Cotto was giving.Cotto came out and did get inside again and tried to work inside again, landing a left hand against the ropes. Mayweather looked to get back outside and circle his way to be able to jab and land right hands. Cotto trapped him against the ropes again and landed a hard combination, which Mayweather met with a combination of his own.
Cotto got back to working his jab and body shots, slipping the punches of Mayweather. Cotto did fade late in the round, and Mayweather looked to likely have taken the round.
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
FIght: 106-103 Mayweather
Mayweather Vs. Cotto Results Live - Round 12
Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto came out for the final round of their HBO pay-per-view fight having put on a hell of a show, standing toe to toe, throwing hard punches back and forth.Cotto was almost certainly down on the cards coming in, but he had made a case for far more rounds than almost anyone gave him a chance to take heading in to the evening. Cotto did go back to the body, Floyd returned a right hand and hook. Floyd lands a hard punch that wobbles Cotto badly but Miguel was able to recover a bit.
Floyd stepping it up again with some power shots and Miguel is hurt but may have recovered with 30 seconds left.
Cotto tried to chase Floyd down with the jab. The fight ended with the two men embracing and Mayweather going to the ropes to celebrate a decision he feels he won.
Unofficial scores:
Round: 10-9 Mayweather
Fight: 116-112 Mayweather
Chris Mannix>INSIDE BOXING
Floyd Mayweather (left) is scheduled to make at least a record $32 million for his fight against Miguel Cotto on Saturday.
Craig M. Durling/ZUMAPRESS.com
• There was plenty of intrigue in the junior middleweight title fight between top prospect Saul Alvarez and Shane Mosley, with some (OK, just me) even predicting that the 40-year old Mosley would prove to be too much, too soon for Alvarez. Instead, Alvarez put on a boxing clinic, doling out a cringing amount of punishment in a lopsided decision win.
Mosley, simply, has nothing left. It's his fourth subpar performance in a row and likely his last on a big stage. We saw his speed and reflexes disappear in back-to-back blowouts to Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao; against Alvarez, his power went too. Mosley's shots were pillow soft and Alvarez walked right through them. Mosley still has a great chin, but he can't score points with it.
This was a big win for Alvarez, who is now in prime position for a big money fight. He has been mentioned as a candidate to face Mayweather later this year. If not, a title unification matchup with Cotto -- rekindling the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry -- would be a war.
• Two members of Mayweather Promotions stunk up the undercard Saturday night. In the opener, fringe 154-pound prospect DeAndre Latimore was knocked out by journeyman Carlos Quintana. And Mayweather's protégé, Jessie Vargas, who has become a staple on Mayweather's undercards despite no power and a virtually unwatchable style, won a lopsided decision over professional sparring partner Steve Forbes.
• It's been a relatively uneventful fight week. Besides a brief barking match at the weigh-in on Friday, Mayweather and Cotto have been respectful towards each other. Cotto isn't much of a trash talker anyways, but he has made sure to steer clear of any mental traps Mayweather has put down for him.
• Mayweather's purse for this fight: $32 million. According to Keith Kizer of the Nevada Athletic Commission, that's a state record. Cotto's guarantee is $8 million and both will likely earn more once the Pay Per View receipts are counted.
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11:44: Mayweather headed to the ring, accompanied by 50 Cent and yes, Justin Bieber, who is wearing two of his belts.
11:47: Lukewarm reaction from Mayweather, who got a similar so-so reception at the weigh-in. Part of it is that a majority of the fans hear are Cotto fans, part of it is that Mayweather has so cultivated this bad boy, love me or hate me, I don't care image. But Cotto is en route to the ring and this crowd is behind him.
11:50: Should apologize to Blog Favorite Cheapo Tony. Finally convinced him to dust the cobwebs off his wallet and plunk $50 down on Mosley, a 5-to-1 underdog. As Cheapo Tony is easily the stingiest, alligator armed, duck-out-of-all-bar tabs friend of mine, I know this one hurts. My fault, Cheapo.
11:52: Fighter's are introduced, crowd is buzzing: Here we go!
Round 1: Cotto looks a lot bigger in the ring. And he comes out swinging a wild left. Nice uppercut by Mayweather, first clean shot of the night. Another half uppercut by Mayweather. Cotto pressing. Mayweather ties him up. Lot of wrestling in the ring in the first. Mayweather dodges a Cotto combination beautifully. Sticks Cotto with a right. Decent round for Mayweather. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 2: Now Cotto starts to jab a little. Mayweather tags Cotto with a nice 1-2 combination. That's his bread and butter. Cotto covers up. Cotto trying to be physical with Mayweather but he's not throwing a lot of punches. Now Cotto gets going a little bit in the corner. Floyd deflects most of them. His defense is, as usual, brilliant. Nice little flurry by Cotto at the end, but give this one to Mayweather. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 3: Not sure I like Cotto's strategy. He wants to bully Floyd but he's not throwing enough punches to do it. Mayweather snaps off an unasnswered flurry. Now Cotto pins Mayweather in the corner and throws a combination. Straight right by Cotto gets through, Floyd smiles. Cotto now boxing from the outside. Still, it's Mayweather's punches that are cleaner. More active Cotto in this round, but I'm giving another to Floyd. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 4: Mayweather teeing off on Cotto. Cotto covers up. Nothing flashy, just a series of 1-2 punches that hit home. When Cotto throws, Mayweather catches or, at worst, deflects many of them. Good round for Mayweather. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 5: Cotto comes out aggressive, pins Mayweather in the corner. Lands a couple of good shots. Mayweather ties him up. Floyd fights back from the corner. He is excellent at fighting in the corner. Thudding combination by Mayweather! Cotto pushes him back into the corner. Hard left hand by Cotto! Mayweather felt that. Mayweather not doing a lot of body work in this fight. Good round for Cotto. Give it to him. 10-9 Cotto.
Round 6: Cotto starting to dictate the pace and style of the fight. He's pushing Mayweather to the corner right from the bell. Floyd works back to the center of the ring, eats a good Cotto jab. Another Cotto hook lands. Cotto bouncing on his toes more, looking more confident. Good straight right by Mayweather. He's moving in on Cotto now. Goes to the corner. Cotto keeps moving, avoids any shots the rest of the round. Cotto gathering momentum in my opinion. Give this round to Cotto. 10-9 Cotto.
Round 7: Mayweather comes out more aggressive. Hits Cotto with that 1-2 that has been working for him. Neither fighter looks tired. Cotto moves forward, wings a couple of shots that Mayweather gobbles up. Close, but I give this one to Floyd. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 8: Big right hand from Floyd opens the round. Have to wonder if he senses the urgency. A flurry from Cotto gets the crowd in it. But Mayweather eats a lot of those punches with his gloves. Nice uppercut from Mayweather. Another. And another. Cotto lunges with the jab. Strong flurry by Cotto! Mayweather shakes his head at him, but Cotto scored good points there. He stole that round in the last minutes. 10-9 Cotto.
Round 9: Mayweather has to know he is in a close fight. Floyd desperately trying to keep the fight in the center of the ring. He reaches in with that uppercut. Cotto is staying very disciplined. Mayweather is laughing in the ring, but it's a nervous-looking laugh. Cotto shoves Mayweather back in the corner, Clubber Lang style. There has been a suggested blueprint for how to beat Mayweather and Cotto is implementing it well. Mayweather tags Cotto with a few rights as the round dwindles down. I think Floyd squeaked by in that one. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 10: Mayweather back in the center of the ring. This is where he wants to fight. He drops his shoulder and holds his ground when Cotto tries to body him to the ropes. Crowd erupts when Cotto tags Mayweather with a right. Floyd snaps Cotto's head back with a good jab. Slower round than the others. Cotto not as aggressive for some reason. Good flurry by Cotto before the bell. That might have stolen it for Cotto. But I think Mayweather did enough to win through the round. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 11: Cotto backing Mayweather up with cobinations. They aren't clean, but they count. Mayweather is fighting a bad fight. He cannot be on the ropes this long. He has to move. Cotto clubs Mayweather with a left, refuses to let him out of the corner. Cotto looking good in this round. Floyd showboats after a clean 1-2. I think Cotto got this one. Floyd just didn't do enough. 10-9 Cotto.
Round 12: Cotto shoves Mayweather into the ropes. That fires Mayweather up. He comes out swinging! Hammering Cotto with shots all over. Cotto is not hurt but he can't pull the trigger. Nice uppercut by Floyd dazes Cotto. Good round so far for Floyd. He has Cotto reeling now. Tied up in the middle of the ring. Exccellent round for Mayweather, maybe his best of the night. 10-9 Mayweather.
Scores: Scores are 117-111, 117-111, 118-110. SI.com scored it 116-112. Cards were right on. Amazingly, this was Floyd's toughest fight in years and he cruised on the scorecards. Very impressive win.
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