Six-time world champion Miguel Cotto ended his 16-year boxing career with a unanimous points-decision defeat by Sadam Ali in New York.
Cotto, 37, had announced before the defence of his WBO light-middleweight title that the fight would be his last.
Six-time world champion Miguel Cotto ended his 16-year boxing career with a unanimous points-decision defeat by Sadam Ali in New York. Cotto, 37, had announced before the defence of his WBO light-middleweight title that the fight would be his last. But the Puerto Rican, who won world titles in four weight categories, could not handle the quickness of 29-year-old Ali.
“I am good, and I want to be happy in my home with my family,” Cotto said.
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Cotto’s career ends with 41 wins and six defeats. He suffered an injury to his left biceps in the seventh round at Madison
Square Garden (MSG) and struggled to make an impact in the fight.
After 12 rounds the judges scored the fight 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112 to Ali.
“I’m feeling good with the performance,” Cotto said. “Something happened to my left biceps but I don’t want to make excuses,
Sadam won the fight.
If he had any doubt about his move to extended rest, Cotto must have completely discarded after his failure on Saturday night
by unanimous decision in front of a Saddam Ali (26-1, 14 KO) who was not anyone’s favorite and it arrived like the lamb at the
slaughterhouse’s doors.
Certain voices raised their displeasure at the choice of the final opponent. It was not up to the great
Puerto Rican champion, they said, and other names were thrown into the public arena for a farewell of greater caliber.
Supposedly, this fight would not go from the eighth, to the sum of the tenth round.
After all, Ali came from falling by knockout
against Jessie Vargas. The 29-year-old received the green light after other top fighters such as Mikey Garcia and Errol Spence
Jr. declined to be part of this farewell.
“I am proud to call MSG my second home. I had the opportunity to provide the best for my family because of the sport.”
Ali added: “I want to thank team Cotto. They could have taken an easier fight if they wanted too. I had him hurt here or there
in the first couple of rounds. I knew I had to do something, or he would have dug in.”]]>