Sadam Ali Defeats Shell of Miguel Cotto, Wins WBO World Super Welterweight Title on HBO

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

 

New York, NY (December 3rd, 2017)-– Sadam ‘World Kid’ Ali, 26-1, 14 knockouts, a Brooklyn welterweight previously unseen at 154 pounds, ruined Miguel Cottos’s boxing farewell on Saturday evening, December 2, 2017, in the main event at Madison Square Garden. Cotto, 41-6 with 33 knockouts, Caguas, Puerto Rico, faded in the last few rounds of the exciting bout, and lost his WBO World Super Welterweight title on HBO by unanimous decision despite being the 11 to 1 odds favorite.

Cotto claimed he tore his left bicep midway through the seventh round. Sadam Ali came in willing, motivated and ready to win, and did so by decision. It was not a great fight for Cotto, who looked like a Rolex with the guts missing. The passion and fire was not there. Cotto appeared an old 37 year version on Saturday night, going through the motions but no longer hungry. Cotto was hurt a number of times by Ali, a fighter who would never have gone the distance with Cotto in his glory days. Respectful and cautious, both Cotto and Ali avoided flooring the gas pedal. The jab was not a factor for either fighter.




Even with Freddie Roach urging him on in his corner, Cotto had too much respect for his dangerous foe. Neither fighter took unnecessary chances, but Ali was more the power shot aggressor. It was not that Miguel Cotto fell short, Miguel Cotto’s heart was not in the ring. Cotto was in the house at Madison Square Garden. From the ninth round on, Cotto seemingly was not winning rounds. Cotto did appear to outwork Ali in the final round, but Ali had the momentum and hand speed to make the better impression on the judges. The main event on Saturday night, December 3, 2017, was Cotto’s swan song. Cotto went home disappointed, though the fans got their money’s worth. Sadam Ali took home the

World Boxing Organization World Super Welterweight title. Cotto’s retirement bout is over. Based on this performance, full of heart but with the will to win, Cotto’s retirement will be permanent. This fight was an indicator Cotto made the correct decision to retire.

Real Combat Media gave Cotto the final round and scored the bout 114-114 a close draw. However, Ali had won rounds eight through 11, and the momentum enabled him to ride out the scorecards at that point despite being outpunched by Cotto in round 12, which would have resulted in a majority draw if Cotto had gotten the final round on the cards. For even if Harold Lederman saw it one way, judge Julie Lederman could see it another way. The human aspect of the scorecards always makes boxing results interesting. However, Cotto overall clearly lost this bout. Aging, his eye of the tiger was not there.

Sadam Ali Win 12 Miguel Angel Cotto, Super Welterweights

Ali Wins the WBO World Super Welterweight Title

Miguel Cotto Retirement Bout. Clean Bout by Both Fighters.

Scoring: 115-113, 115-113, 116-112

Referee: Charlie Fitch

 Madison Square Garden Undercard Results

Rey Vargas Win 12 Oscar Negrete

Vargas Retains WBC World Super Bantamweight Title

 Angel Acosta KO 10 Juan Alejo (1:40)

Acosta Wins Vacant WBO World Light Flyweight Title

Referee Benjy Esteves counts out Alejo, who took the count sitting on his trunks.

 Ronny Rios Win 10 Deivi Julio Bassa, Featherweights

 Zachary Ochoa Win 6 Erick Daniel Martinez, Super Lightweights

WORLD KID’ IS A WORLD CHAMPION: SADAM ALI PULLS OFF STUNNING UNANIMOUS DECISION UPSET OF MIGUEL COTTO IN FAREWELL FIGHT OF HIS LEGENDARY CAREER AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 
 
WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION REY VARGAS MAKES SECOND SUCCESSFUL TITLE DEFENSE IN CO-MAIN EVENT
 
PUERTO RICO’S ANGEL ‘TITO’ ACOSTA WINS VACANT WBO JUNIOR FLYWEIGHT WITH SENSATIONAL 10th-ROUND KNOCKOUT
 
  
 (ABOVE: Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez, Business Partner Bernard Hopkins, and Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya celebrate with Sadam “World Kid” Ali in the ring follow his defeat of Miguel Cotto to win the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship.) 
 
 Click HERE for Photos
Photo Credit: Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
NEW YORK CITY (Dec. 2, 2017) On a night that Madison Square Garden and the boxing world bid farewell to a boxing legend in Miguel Cotto (41-6, 33 KOs), Sadam “World Kid” Ali (26-1, 14 KOs) stole the show, winning a unanimous decision victory and the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship in front of 12,391 fans and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing. The final scores were 115-113 twice and 116-112.
Ali, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Brooklyn, hurt Cotto twice in the early rounds and used slick defense and solid counterpunching to keep Cotto at bay throughout the 12-round bout.
“I worked hard for it,” Ali said. “I took advantage of this fight, and I made sure to make it count. I want to Thank God, and also 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. By the 11th round, I thought the fight was close. Whatever Golden Boy Promotions has next, I’ll take it. Good things happen to good people. I have been training since I was eight years old, and I am glad I got this win at MSG, in my hometown.”
Cotto, a six-time, four-division world champion and the fighting pride of Caguas, Puerto Rico confirmed his retirement after the bout.
“I am feeling good with the performance,” Cotto said. “Something happened to my left bicep in the seventh round. I don’t want to make excuses, Sadam won the fight. It is my last fight. I am good, and I want to be happy in my home with my family. Thank you for all the fans. I am proud to call MSG my second home. I had the opportunity to provide the best for my family because of the sport.”
In the co-main event, despite suffering severe gashes over both eyes caused by accidental headbutts, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Rey Vargas (31-0, 22 KOs) defended his title a second time,rolling to a 12-round unanimous decision victory over a very game Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (17-1, 7 KOs). The scores were 119-109 twice and 120-108.




“I am glad that we got the win, and I continue being unbeaten with my belt,” Vargas said. “It was difficult finding my rhythm at the beginning of the fight, and the cuts did not help. I have the humility to say that I made my share of mistakes, but I feel that Negrete fought very dirty, and was not a very good boxer.”
 
In a battle pitting Puerto Rico against Mexico for the vacant WBO Junior Flyweight World Championship, Angel “Tito” Acosta (17-1, 17 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico landed huge shots throughout the early and middle rounds before knocking out Neuvo Leon, Meixco’s Juan “Pinky” Alejo (25-5-1, 15 KOs) with a vicious left hook in the 10th round of a scheduled 12.
“It’s taken me five years to get here, and I’m cherishing this moment for me and for Puerto Rico,” Acosta said. “I’ve learned a lot since my last fight for a world title against Kosei Tanaka, and this fight proves that I learned and fixed all I needed to win a world championship. My next steps will be up to my promoters, but I know I am in good hands.”
 
Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (29-2, 13 KOs) used a combination of left hooks to the body and right hands upstairs to dominate Monteria, Colombia’s Deivis Julio (19-4, 11 KOs) over 10 rounds in a match up of featherweights. Rios took home a unanimous decision by the scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93.
“It was an ugly win, but we got to accomplish it on the undercard of Miguel Cotto,” Rios said. “He was a southpaw, with an awkward style. He was also a veteran, so he had his little tricks. Overall, this was a huge motivation, and I’m just glad to get back in my groove.”
 
In the opening fight of the evening, welterweight prospect and Brooklyn native Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (18-1, 7 KOs) landed early and often, en route to a unanimous six-round shutout decision over Tijuana, Mexico’s Erick Martinez (14-10-1, 8 KOs).
 
“This puts me in a great spot in my career,” Ochoa said. “I was shaking off a lot of dust since I haven’t been able to fight consistently, but this proves to me that I’m still worthy of the sport. I still have work to do, but when I was able to land my shots I was able to connect them crisp and effectively. I hope that I’ll be able to fight a lot more this year.”
 
Cotto vs. Ali was a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship, and was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Vargas vs. Negrete was a 12-round fight for Vargas’ WBC World Super Bantamweight Title and was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association with Promociones del Pueblo. The event was sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” “Hennessy: Never Stop. Never Settle,” and Casa Mexico Tequila.






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Robert Brizel - Head Boxing Correspondent
Robert Brizel - Head Boxing Correspondent
Robert is the Head Boxing Correspondent for Real Combat Media Boxing since 2013. Robert is also a photographer and ringside reporter for the RCM Tri State region which includes NJ, NY and PA. Robert conducts exclusive interviews, provides historical boxing articles and provides editorial ringside coverage of major boxing events. You can contact or follow Robert on Facebook and by email at [email protected].