Cotto-Canelo Entertains, Rigondeaux Bores, Miura-Vargas Steals the Show!

By Boxing News - 11/23/2015 - Comments

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By Michael Montero – A raucous crowd of 11,274 fans from all over the world packed the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Saturday night to watch Saul “Canelo” Alvarez challenge Miguel Cotto for the lineal middleweight championship. The entire card featured boxers from seven different countries with four marquee bouts televised on a special HBO Boxing PPV broadcast. There were cheers, there were boos, there were tears, there was blood – but in the end, everyone in the arena felt they had got their money’s worth.

In the opening bout of the PPV Ronny Rios scored a minor upset by winning a unanimous decision over Puerto Rican Jayson Velez by the score of 97-92, 96-93 and 95-94. The Santa Ana, California native was docked a point for a low blow in the fifth round, but was not deterred and appeared to control the fight throughout. “I proved that just because you have one loss doesn’t mean your career is over” said Rios, who landed 182 0f 457 total punches (40%) to just 135 of 405 (33%) for Velez. Rios improved his record to 25-1 (10KO). Velez suffered his first defeat as a pro, dropping to 23-1-1 (16KO).

In the second televised bout Cuban slickster Guillermo Rigondeaux returned from an 11-month layoff to face Filipino Drian Francisco. To put it mildly, the pound for pound talent didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his debut with new promoter Roc Nation. For most of the bout Rigondeaux circled backwards, pawed with a jab and clinched Francisco, which drew heavy boos from the crowd throughout. The way “El Chacal” fought, one may have concluded he was facing an elite level fighter with extraordinary power; yet Francisco was stopped in the first round of a bout against journeyman Jason Canoy just this May. After ten rather forgettable rounds the judges scored it 97-93 and 100-90 twice for the Cuban, who improved to 16-0 (10KO). The punch numbers tell the story, as Rigondeaux landed just 72 of 347 punches (21%), averaging just 7 shots landed per round.

In the co-feature, 130lb titlist Takashi Miura of Japan faced undefeated Mexican Francisco Vargas. The action began soon after opening bell when Vargas stunned Miura with a hard right hand and nearly dropped him. Miura weathered the storm and fought back with a vengeance. It was good two-way action throughout the early rounds. Momentum changed late in the fourth when Miura dropped Vargas with a straight left that immediately opened a large cut just under his right eye. Vargas rose to his feet and fought through the pain as his eye began to swell. Over the middle rounds the Mexican hung tough but Miura seemed to be throwing and landing the straighter, harder shots. Late in the eighth the titlist had his opponent trapped on the ropes in a defensive shell, teeing off as the bell rang. It appeared that the Japanese fighter could be on his way to a possible stoppage victory, he was coasting.

Then the ninth round happened.

About twenty seconds in Vargas connected with a straight right hand that immediately buckled Miura, then followed up with a right uppercut and left hook combination that sent him to the canvas. Badly hurt, the Japanese warrior somehow made it to his feet and threw his arms up, signaling to referee Tony Weeks that he wanted to continue. The crowd absolutely erupted. Vargas spent the next minute landing punches from all angles. Miura tried to hold on but just couldn’t defend himself, forcing referee Tony Weeks to call the fight off at 1:31 of the ninth round. Vargas grabbed the title and improved his record to 23-0-1 (17KO) in a fight of the year candidate. Miura drops to 29-3-2 (22KO) but has nothing to be ashamed of. Both men need to take some time to recover from this grueling contest, but a rematch at StubHub Center in Los Angeles late next year is a no brainer.

In the main event both men started out in a calculated manner, trying to feel out their opponent. Cotto looked light on his feet, using movement to stay out of range and avoid hard shots early. Canelo tried to narrow the gap and land to the body to slow the older fighter down, but was not throwing combinations. It was a more technical fight then some fans had hoped for, but there was very little clinching and plenty of skill on display. It appeared to be even halfway through the contest; Cotto was more active with his combinations but nothing bothered Canelo. By contrast, the younger man pushed the champion back with his power shots. As the later rounds approached it became a battle of Cotto’s jab versus the Alvarez uppercut. The 25 year old Mexican began finding a home for that punch often and it was taking an effect, as Cotto’s face grew marked up and swollen.

Going down the stretch, trainer Freddie Roach told his fighter to get more aggressive. The Puerto Rican veteran tried to make a push in the championships rounds, but Alvarez was in control. After twelve entertaining rounds, the judges scored it for Canelo by the scores of 117-111, 118-110 and 119-109. Even though the right man won, the scores were too wide and many in the crowd booed the decision. This writer scored it 116-112 for Alvarez, who did show improvement in this bout, particularly with his timing. Canelo threw 43 more power punches and landed exactly 43 more as well, landing 40% to just 14% for Cotto. Overall, Canelo landed 155 of 484 (32%) while Cotto landed 129 of 629 (21%). Alvarez improved to 46-1-1 (32KO) and Cotto dropped to 40-5 (33KO). After the fight Canelo was asked about Golovkin and said he’s more than willing to face him, but was very vague about when. For Cotto, who earned a guaranteed purse of $15M and has nothing left to prove, retirement is near.

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