USA: BOXING - Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather earns decision over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, wins WBA super welterweight title

Record ID: 333251

  • Title: USA: BOXING - Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather earns decision over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, wins WBA super welterweight title
  • Date: 7th May 2012
  • Summary: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES (MAY 5, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF MGM GRAND HOTEL
  • Embargoed: 22nd May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4M8VGTEP27M4XHUNDGTLB6BX2
  • Story Text: Floyd Mayweather came through 12 bruising rounds to outpoint Miguel Cotto in their WBA super welterweight clash in Las Vegas on Saturday (May 05).
    The unbeaten Mayweather (43-0) was put under immense pressure early on by a relentless Cotto (37-3) but weathered the storm and finished stronger.
    Two judges gave Mayweather a 117-111 decision while another had it 118-110 for the American, who tipped his hat to the tough Puerto Rican Cotto.
    "The game plan is always to win. Win and be also impressive," said Mayweather, speaking to media after the fight. "And Cotto shocked me. He was slow but he was awkward, awkward. He was tough. And anybody who is going in there against Cotto, you'd better be ready. You better be ready. And, I mean, his record reflects why he's where he's at. And he deserved to fight me."
    Mayweather began by landing stiff jabs and fast right hands, but Cotto motored relentlessly forward, bullying Mayweather to the ropes and battering his body with left hooks.
    As the rounds progressed, Cotto's constant pressure seemed to be taking its toll and after the sixth Mayweather returned to his corner with a bloody nose.
    In the eighth, Cotto pounded the American against the ropes but that would prove the high point for the champion as Mayweather changed strategy, employing more lateral movement and firing right hands from long range.
    By the 12th, Cotto needed a stoppage to win but it was Mayweather who closed in style, rattling his opponent with combinations that buckled Cotto's knees and smiling as he evaded counter-attacks.
    After the decision, Mayweather discussed a possible fight with Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, his rival for the title of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
    Fans have been clamoring for the mega fight, which has hit various stumbling blocks including Mayweather's insistence that Pacquiao agree to blood testing and how the revenue from the fight is to be divided.
    "You know, I went to Pacquiao and offered him 40 million dollars. I called him and talked to him direct. I offered him 40 million dollars, I told him I would wire him 20 million dollars within 48 hours. He turned me down. He basically said '50/50' and I'm like 'how can you ask for 50/50 and you're not doing the same numbers that I'm doing?'" says Mayweather.
    Cotto did not attend the news conference after the fight, which was held at the MGM Grand Casino Hotel in Las Vegas.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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