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Miguel Cotto is quickly becoming one of the biggest superstars in boxing. He is now coming off a split decision win over Joshua Clottey, a fight in which he further backed up his claim to being one of the best welterweights in the world.

Cotto can box or slug but most often he is a stalking presence that patiently breaks down opponents with savage body attacks. This set of skills is becoming the reason why Miguel Cotto is dominating the welterweight division. Who is next for Cotto? There are many potential super fights in the mix, but let’s look more closely why Miguel Cotto has become such a dominant force throughout his career.

Miguel Cotto

34 (27) – 1
Height: 5'7" Reach: 67"
Best Wins: UD Shane Mosley, TKO 11 Zab Judah, SD Joshua Clottey, TKO 5 Carlos Quintana, UD Paul Malignaggi

Miguel Cotto had an excellent amateur career where he represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympics. Even more impressively Cotto won the Puerto Rican National Amateur championships four years in a row. Miguel is experienced against very good opposition. In September of 2004 Cotto faced Kelson Pinto for the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight title. After knocking down Pinto three times, Cotto went on to capture his first world title by knockout in the sixth round. His tight defense and excellent counterpunching led him to defeat former or future world champions: DeMarcus Corley, Randall Bailey, Carlos Maussa, and Cesar Bazan.

Cotto relinquished his title in late 2006 and announced he was ready to advance to the welterweight division to challenge fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana. Miguel Cotto defeated Quintana by a technical knockout in the fifth round and obtained the vacant WBA Welterweight title.

Miguel Cotto’s welterweight reign began in March 2007, when he retained his title with a technical knockout over Oktay Urkal. Urkals corner threw in the towel after two head butts had them believing the referee was unfair. Miguel then defended his crown against Zab Zudah in June of 2007. Performing in front of a sellout crown, Cotto defeated Judah using his aggression and relentless power. Cotton won by a technical knockout in the eleventh round when the referee stopped the bout.

Cotto vs Mosley

Miguel Cotto and "Sugar" Shane Mosley fought in November of 2007. During the fight both fighters exchanged several combinations and Cotto went on to win by unanimous decision. Some of the observers felt however that the fight could have been a draw or gone in Mosley's favor, as he was the busier, more aggressive fighter down the stretch.

Cotto vs Margarito

On July 26, 2008 Miguel Cotto suffered his first, and to this point only professional loss against Antonio Margarito. Cotto took the early initiative, frequently landing a series of punches on Margarito during the early rounds. However, Margarito eventually began to wear down Cotto's resistance by trapping him against the ropes.

Cotto was hurt in the seventh round after a pair of Margarito uppercuts caused his nose to bleed. Margarito then threw a series of brutal punches at the start of the 11th round, while Cotto was against the ropes; bleeding profusely. A hard combination from Margartio finally forced Cotto to take a knee. He got up, but Margarito continued landing stunning combinations. Evangelista Cotto threw in the towel after the second knockdown. Controversy shrouds this victory however, as Margarito was then later found to have used plaster in his hand wraps before the Mosley fight.

Miguel Cotto returned to the ring in February of 2009 battling for the vacant WBO Welterweight title against Michael Jennings. Both fighters studied each other during the first round, but it was Cotto who landed first. Cotto dropped Jennings twice in the third round which eventually led to a fifth round stoppage. Cotto was awarded with a technical knockout, and the WBO Welterweight title.

Cotto vs Clottey

In the first round both fighters exchanged jabs, with Clottey landing the more accurate punches. Within 10 seconds left of the first round a stiff jab sent Clottey to the canvas catching him off guard. In the third round an accidental head butt opened a cut above Cotto’s left eye. The injury bled profusely during the fourth round, with Cotto trying to regain control. During the seventh and eighth rounds Clottey controlled the offensive side, noticing that Cotto could not see his right hand punches. Cotto bounced back and worked from the outside in the late rounds scoring a very close split decision over Clottey and retaining his WBO Welterweight title.

Pacquiao vs Cotto

After beating Clottey, Miguel Cotto's next opponent was unknown and he had many options on his table. He could have potentially faced the winner of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fight, or squared off in a rematch against Shane Mosley.

Instead he secured the right to face pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao in a super fight on November 14, 2009 in Las Vegas. The Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight will be held at 145 pounds, and at this time it's unsure as to whether Cotto's championship belt will be at stake during the contest.

Miguel Cotto is looking to finally stop the unimpeded advancement of Manny Pacquiao into the higher weight divisions, but he will not have an easy task in front of him. Pacquiao's combination of speed and power is enough to give anybody fits, and Cotto's armor has been severely chinked in the Margarito and Clottey bouts.

Who will win the Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao bout? What's in store for Miguel Cotto after he meets Pacquiao, over the rest of his career? Stay tuned to Pro Fighting Fans for all of the latest Miguel Cotto news, and Cotto vs. Pacquiao coverage.

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