Cotto’s Perfect Exit Strategy: Offer Mayweather Shot At Middleweight Title

Published

11 years ago

June 9, 2014

This past weekend former junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight title holder Miguel Cotto 39-4 (32) won the WBC middleweight title from Sergio Martinez 51-3-2 (28). When Martinez failed to come out for the 10th round of the scheduled 12-rounder, Cotto became the first Puerto Rican fighter in boxing history to capture a world title in four different weight classes. With that Cotto will surely go down as one of the all-time great Puerto Rican fighters in boxing history. This is something that couldn’t have happened to a more decent man and fighter.

Let it be reiterated here once more. I have as much or more respect for Miguel Cotto as a fighter as I do for any other active fighter in any combat sport. If you’re human and have warm blood running through your veins, I can’t fathom how anyone could root against him. Cotto completely dominated the favored Martinez and did whatever he wanted to during the bout whenever he wanted to. He was in control from the opening bell and had Sergio down three times in the first round. Actually, Cotto’s easiest gym sparring session in preparing for the bout was probably tougher than the fight itself. In what was truly a rare occasion, Cotto was unmarked when the fight concluded. There’s not one fan or boxing observer alive who predicted that Martinez would be Miguel’s easiest title winning bout. But it was.

Here’s where the cold water being poured onto the outcome comes in. Yes, Cotto fought brilliantly. However, I haven’t seen a championship caliber fighter come into the ring with legs so weak and unsteady like Martinez’s since 40 year old Sugar Ray Leonard was punched from pillar to post by the feather fisted Hector Camacho 18 years ago. Cotto was credited with four official knockdowns of Martinez, but in reality, Sergio was close to going down at least 10 times after being grazed and not hit flush on the chin. Martinez’s balance, timing and distance were terrible. He actually missed Cotto a few times with body punches without Miguel even moving or trying to avoid them. Does Cotto get credit for that or was Martinez that bad? I say it’s the latter.

Now ask yourself, did Cotto all of the sudden become Thomas Hearns as a puncher or is it more plausible to believe that Martinez has no legs and his punch resistance is totally gone at age 39? Cotto didn’t even land his Sunday left-hook on Martinez, at least not with any regularity, yet he was falling all over the place and looked as if he was steadying himself on roller skates almost every time Miguel touched him. I’m sorry, there’s no way Martinez is that bad nor is Cotto that great. I really believe that many are over-reacting to the result of the fight on Cotto’s part. I think Miguel’s effort was no more than the really good work of a first class professional and nothing spectacular, being that he had a breathing corpse of a fighter in front of him. No, Martinez was never a great fighter, but he was borderline outstanding. It was Toney-Holyfield all over again. No way Toney could hang with or beat a vintage Holyfield and the same applies to Cotto-Martinez.

Does anyone fathom that Cotto would’ve had Floyd Mayweather or Canelo Alvarez falling all over the ring with the punches he hit Martinez with? I certainly can’t. I believe Cotto was at the right place at the right time against Martinez this past weekend. Yes, he looked great, but he didn’t rediscover himself nor was he re-invented by trainer Freddie Roach. Had Mayweather or Alvarez been in the ring with Martinez this past weekend, they would’ve taken him apart as easy or easier than Cotto did.

So here’s Cotto’s perfect exit strategy. He should offer up his title to Floyd Mayweather. We all know Mayweather wants that 160 pound title so he can claim six titles in six different weight classes. And we know Floyd will never go near Gennady Golovkin unless he agrees to fight him with one arm in a cast. Also, Cotto has the lineal title from the man who beat the man who beat the man. Cotto has secured his legacy and is now fighting for his family’s financial future. There are really only two logical opponents for Cotto to defend his title against next – Mayweather or Alvarez if he gets by Erislandy Lara in July. Fighting Mayweather would not only be for the most money by far, but it is a fight that he is capable of scoring the upset. Cotto has already given Floyd one of his three toughest career bouts and maybe Mayweather is on the decline based on his last outing against Marcos Maidana. And even if he lost, he wouldn’t get stopped by Mayweather and he certainly wouldn’t lose any credibility by losing to him.

On the other hand, fighting Alvarez is a much tougher fight for Cotto stylistically and physically. The odds of him being stopped and humiliated are much greater against a puncher like Alvarez. What Miguel did versus Martinez would never work or carry him past Mayweather or Alvarez. Unlike Martinez, they won’t be falling all over themselves when they are grazed by his punches. By fighting Mayweather first, a future fight with Alvarez would still be there for him whether or not he won or lost to Mayweather.

And since fighting Mayweather makes the most sense from both a style and financial vantage point, what if he upset him, which isn’t a pipe dream. What would that do for his legacy and bank account? The reality is Cotto isn’t long for the middleweight division. He could easily lose in his next fight to any of the top five middleweights he’d have to defend the title against, aside from Martinez. That’s why Miguel should offer up his newly acquired title to Floyd Mayweather. It makes all the dollars and sense in the world.

And lastly, the fact that Cotto is an HBO fighter and Mayweather is a Showtime fighter won’t prevent the fight from becoming a reality. If Floyd says I want to accept Cotto’s challenge and fight for the lineal middleweight championship, do you really think either network is going to deprive the fans out of the fight? What a PR disaster that would be. Not to mention all the money that will change hands for both companies via the compromise they’ll iron out because it’s good business. The biggest obstacle will be Cotto’s promoter Bob Arum who will no doubt try and Don King him and force him to fight Alvarez. This way Arum keeps the title regardless of who wins.

If Cotto is smart, and all indications based on how he’s managed his career say that he is, he should be campaigning and challenging Mayweather to meet him for the middleweight title. As long as Floyd doesn’t try to get over too much regarding the terms and conditions for the fight, and it’s not like Cotto doesn’t have any leverage because he does. All that it’ll take is for Miguel to issue the challenge and for Floyd to accept it. Promotional contracts can be put aside for business. It happens every day.

Mayweather-Cotto for the lineal middleweight championship would be huge. Mayweather can go for his sixth title in a different weight division against a fighter who he already defeated and no doubt is certain that he can do it again and further enhance his legacy. And Cotto can accumulate a fortune while having a great chance to add to his legacy against a fighter who he put up a great fight against and must feel things would turn out differently in his favor if they were to fight again.

I’m not saying the above will happen, but it is in Cotto’s best interest. If Cotto fights Alvarez, he can kiss his title goodbye without maximizing his fullest earnings potential, and it could be painful.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com WATCH RELATED VIDEOS ON BOXINGCHANNEL.TV

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Frank Lotierzo

Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Published

6 hours ago

March 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

Published

1 day ago

March 14, 2025

David A. Avila

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As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.

The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.

Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.

Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.

Is Walsh part of the plans?

It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?

Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.

Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.

Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.

Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.

Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.

Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Dana, Turk and TKO

The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.

White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.

Where does that leave Top Rank?

It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.

Is this good for boxing?

Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:

“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

DAZN all day

Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.

Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.

Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).

Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).

Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).

Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).

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A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2025

Luis A. Cortes III

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“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.

Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.

The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.

Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.

That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.

“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.

Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.

***

DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.

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