Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto retained his WBA super welterweight title with a 12th round stoppage of Ricardo Mayorga.
Injured thumb forces beaten challenger to quit
Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto retained his WBA super welterweight title with a 12th round stoppage of Nicaraguan challenger Ricardo Mayorga in Las Vegas.
The end of the contest came when Cotto, who was well ahead on the judges' scorecards, caught Mayorga with a short left hook that sent the challenger staggering backward and down on one knee.
Mayorga beat the count but a follow-up barrage backed him into a corner, where he draped his arms on the ropes and signaled to referee Robert Byrd that he had endured enough punishment.
Cotto, continuing to rebound from a beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, improved his record in title fights to 17-2 in the first defence of the championship he won from Yuri Foreman last June.
Amazing
"It was a really good fight with an amazing finish," Cotto said. "He is a very strong fighter. He hit me with some really good shots."
Mayorga claimed that during the exchange of punches that resulted in his knockdown, he took a painful blow to his left thumb. "I felt my thumb touch the back of my hand," he said.
"I tried to finish the final round but the pain was too much. I don't care about my thumb. I didn't want it to end like that. I tried to close my fist, but I couldn't."
But the challenger added: "As a man, I have to admit when I do well and when I do not do so well. Give Cotto credit. He hits hard and is a great champion."
