Miguel Cotto's farewell bout against Sadam Ali in New York represents the end of an exciting era
Boxing on TV: Romance rarely occurs in boxing, but it seems set for a Puerto Rican party tonight at Madison Square Garden
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Your support makes all the difference.For over 16 years, Miguel Cotto has shined brightly as one of the most electrifying talents in boxing, but tonight the 37-year-old superstar makes his final appearance inside a boxing ring. Cotto will defend his WBO super welterweight title against Sadam Ali, and for many fans this will represent the end of an exciting era.
The first Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four different weight divisions, Cotto became a worldwide success in the mid 2000s after a series of devastating victories over the likes of Ricardo Torres, Paul Malignaggi and Carlos Quintana, and quickly earned a reputation as one of the most fearsome fighters on the circuit.
Cotto’s world threatened to change forever after he suffered his first career defeat to Antonio Margarito in July 2008. Margarito had been unfancied heading into the bout, but dominated proceedings with crushing shots bamboozling the usually unruffled Cotto. After being stopped by Margarito, it was later revealed that his Mexican rival had attempted to use illegal hand-wraps, which could have been the catalyst for the surprising result.
Undeterred, Cotto rallied back and continued to win world titles, but his career began to be defined by significant defeats at the very top level. While it’s no disgrace to lose to Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather or Saul Alvarez, Cotto’s lack of success at the truly world class was evident.
Even amidst the defeats there was still plenty of victories however. Redemption over Margarito, plus a win over an injury-hit Sergio Martinez both look good on the record, and with multi-millions in the bank, it’s difficult to pick apart a resume which saw him continually fight the very best.
While tonight’s opponent may not be his toughest challenge, Sadam Ali does bring his own style and story. The 29-year-old New Yorker was inspired to fight after seeing Prince Naseem Hamed compete, and he participated in the 2008 Olympic Games. A quiet professional career has seen him earn a 25-1 record, but he lost his previous attempt at a world title after losing to Jessie Vargas in March 2016.
Ali throws a lot of punches in his fights and has decent power, but even considering his youth compared to Cotto, it’s unlikely he will have the needed skills to embarrass Cotto in his last ever fight. The bookmakers certainly agree, with Cotto a huge 1/10 favourite, while Ali is a 7/1 underdog. Romance rarely occurs in boxing, but it seems set for a Puerto Rican party tonight at Madison Square Garden.
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