Brilliant Pacquiao stops Cotto - round by round

Brilliant Manny Pacquiao won the WBO welterweight title as he stopped Miguel Cotto in the twelfth round of the bout in Las Vegas. Kenny Bayless, the referee, stepped in with 55 seconds of the round gone, to save Cotto who received a sustained beating for the second half of the contest.

Round-by-round

1 –Cotto controls the opener behind the jab, landing some body shots up close. It comes to life in last 30 seconds, but Cotto looks the bigger man. 10-9 C

2 –Pacquiao’s speed starts to get to Cotto, as he doubles up hooks and whips over the left. Cotto fires back with a left hook, but Pac’s speed is incredible, opening up with combinations, but a right by Cotto near the end of the round lands flush. 10-9 P, 19-19

3 -MP pot shots, jumps in with right, left to body then a the right hook to side of head that drops Cotto to his knees. Cotto traps MP in corner but MP walks into big left hook counter. Cotto goes forward, rocks Pacquiao’s head back with left uppercut, but he is right in the fight. 10-8 P, 29-27 P

4-Cotto boxing very well again. Aggressive, punching straight. There is a big clash of heads. MP opens up with huge six-punch combination, but Cotto fires back. MP lands a big left, Cotto fires back and traps MP on ropes for a full 30 seconds. Pacquiao works his way out then lands a huge left, which drops Cotto across the ring. 10-8 P, 39-35 P

5 –Cotto back to boxing and on front foot, but is getting caught. Cotto traps MP on ropes again. Cotto lands an uppercut then MP walks into a left hook. MP finishes strong. 10-9 C, 48-45P

6 –Cotto is not moving much and MP takes it to him, spearing him with punches. Cotto goes on the run and is rocked by a left at end of round, but holds on. Lands a right back but is nailed by another left on the bell. 10-9 P, 58-54P

7 –MP goes through gears after landing a big right hook. MC landing but Pacquiao’s punches having more impact. MP left hook lifts MC up off floor. MP starting to look a bit tired, but Cotto is looking banged up. 10-9 P, 68-63 P

8 –MC keeping his right very high, to try and protect himself from the left and he is trying to counter punch now. MC on move looking to pot shot. A right hook seems to hurt MC’s right eye. MC backed in to ropes MP hammers in left. MC on unsteady legs, MP goes in for kill, Cotto still trying to move out of trouble or land big hooks off the ropes. 10-9 P, 78-72 P

9 –When MC lands body some shots, MP will just bang his hands together as if to say “come on, more”. A crunching left uppercut from MP lands, MC is backed into a corner and is caught by two more hard lefts. MC holds. More hard lefts, Cotto looks in a bad way, tries to fight back off the ropes. The end looks very close.  Kenny Bayless, the referee, hovers, MC lands left hook knocks MP’s head back. Cotto keeps moving and survives the round but it looks hopeless. 10-9 P, 88-81 P

10 –Bayless speaks to Cotto’s corner in between rounds. Cotto mostly just moving as MP chases him. 10-9 P, 98-90 P

11-Cotto's face is so swollen, it looks like he can barely see. MC trapped in corner, MP unloads, but cops one back. But it is all about survival for Cotto. Blood is pouring from above Cotto’s left eye. Bayless looks concerned. The crowd is booing, presumably at Cotto’s running, but such a reaction is outrageous, really. 10-9 P, 108-99P

12 –As soon as round starts, blood pours from Cotto. MP stops again as if, why chase? MP bangs over another left, Cotto back on ropes, another left and Bayless jumps in to stop it, 55 seconds into the round. “We want Floyd,” shouts the crowd.

Comments

[Phill Arrowsmith]

Wow! A truly awesome display from one of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport. Right now I would put Pacquiao in about 3rd place of all modern era boxers - behind the two Sugar Rays - but if were to go on from here and beat Mosely and Mayweather then he'd be number one for me.

[Miguel Delos Reyes]

Fight is over, cheer to Manny and Miguel-thumps up for true sportmanship he showed. Floyd next? let's see what his dad and uncle says now! did they run & hide again (like after hatton was KO) after seeing the bloody fight? all i can say, hide now!

[James Fairweather]

Remarkable fighter, but as I've said before, there is no need to rush to judgement about where exactly Pacquiao belongs in the pecking order just yet.

Pacquiao and Mayweather have proved themselves to be clearly the best of their era, which in itself must count for something. Both would seem to have claims to a position in the all-time top 20 as things stand. The winner of a match between the two must be entitled to consideration somewhere among the top 10 of all time. Where exactly that might be will depend on the record after retirement.

For a long time, I've had an all-time top 5 in my mind of Robinson, Armstrong, Jofre, Ali and Greb, with Charles perhaps just behind as number 6. Langford, Pep, Saddler and Fitzsimmons might round out my top 10, ahead of men such as Canzoneri, Duran, the two Leonards (Benny & Ray) and Whitaker. The winner of Pacquiao vs Mayweather would be the first in almost a generation whom I reckon would merit a place at that kind of exalted pound for pound level.

[Richard Block]

Amazing how such a naturally smaller man out-punches bigger men who are very able fighters. Freddie Roach must be a genius, and Pacquiao a phenomenon.

[job guico]

Speed kills