LAS VEGAS - In one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) and Canelo Álvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) thrilled fans from start to finish with high-intensity action just as promised, but it was Canelo that persevered and was crowned the new WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion with a unanimous decision win after 12-rounds.
"We are very proud of Canelo today," said Eddy Reynoso, trainer for Canelo Álvarez. "As we all know, he started from the bottom and now he is the champion. I was never worried about him from the first round through to the 12th round. He has great defense strategy, but I was hoping that he would have finished Cotto sooner. I know that he was looking for the knock out and as a result didn't throw as much as he should have to put Miguel on the canvas. We have a lot of respect for Miguel, he is a great fighter, and we have tremendous respect for Freddie Roach as a trainer."
"I knew he was winning," said Jose "Chepo" Reynoso, trainer and manager for Canelo Álvarez. "He went into this fight with a clear head and a full heart and that is what he needed to be successful tonight. I am proud of him, proud of his simplicity to admit that we were once no one and now he is the middleweight champion. I wish he would have put more pressure on Cotto from the beginning, but I knew he was enjoying himself. He showed how beautiful the sport can be when you fight in an intelligent way."
Cotto vs. Canelo was a 12-round fight for the Cotto's Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships that took place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight was presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it!; O'Reilly Auto Parts; Tequila Cazadores and Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms).
Also featured on the Pay-Per-View telecast was Takashi Miura vs. Francisco Vargas in a 12-round co-featured fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship presented in association with Teiken Promotions; Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Drian Francisco in a 10-round super bantamweight bout presented in association with Caribe Promotions; and Jayson Velez vs. Ronny Rios, a 10-round bout for the WBC Silver Featherweight championship, which opened the Pay-Per-View telecast. The event was produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Also part of the preliminary undercard available on digital platforms was a four round heavyweight bout featuring 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Zhang Zhilei who faced Juan Goode.
In addition to the great action inside the ring, the event featured a special live performance by 2015 Latin Grammy nominee Yandel. The performance was produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View after the second fight of the Pay-Per-View telecast.
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