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Cotto retains welterweight crown

10/06/2007

Miguel Cotto beat Zab Judah by technical knockout in the 11th round of their fight for the WBA welterweight championship at Madison Square Garden.

In a bloody contest it was the Puerto Rican's relentless power that won him the contest.

Both men were cut badly in the opening rounds but that did not worry Cotto as he continued to move forward and dominate the bout.

Cotto caught Judah with low blows in the first and third rounds, the latter earning him a one point deduction, and the American challenger seemed to be affected by the blows.

Judah, a former undisputed champion at welterweight, struggled to execute any offence of his own and eventually yielded to the pressure Cotto had put him under.

An onslaught of punches caused Judah to fall to one knee and take an eight-count in the ninth round and Cotto floored him again in the 11th.

Judah got to his feet and carried on but the referee decided later in the round he was not fit to continue and awarded the fight to Cotto.

Cotto said: "I expected a tough fight and that's what I got, a tough fight.

"He did land some great punches on me, but I was very well prepared for that. I could tell and I could feel I was taking the fight over round by round."

The Puerto Rican is now undefeated in 30 fights with 25 of those wins coming by knockout. Judah's record is now 34 wins and five defeats.

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