Bio by Luis Cortez/Ricoqui.com

In his last fight on 12-11-04 in Las Vegas, NV, Cotto stopped former WBO jr. welterweight world champion Randall Bailey, now (28-5): Bailey started the action fast and landed two hard right hands that did not break Cotto’s concentration. Miguel dominated the rest of the fight; Cotto knocked Bailey down as round two was coming to an end with a sharp right of his own. In round three Bailey was cut over the left eye; Miguel wore down Bailey with a steady body attack, and the referee stopped the fight on Bailey’s cut at 1:39 of round number six; after the fight, Miguel said, “I got him real good with the right hand, but the body work was the plan. I knew if I could get to the body I would win the fight.” With the victory Miguel Cotto improves to 22-0 (18 KO’s)

WON VACANT WBO JW WORLD TITLE - on 9-11-04 in Hato Rey, PR, Cotto stopped previously undefeated Kelson Pinto (20-0): the fight was the main event at the brand new Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, and drew 12,200 fans; Pinto is a dangerous power puncher who was able to score two victories over Cotto as amateurs in 2000. Cotto Punished Pinto in round number one with hard left hooks and scored a knockdown in round two, but Pinto kept coming back and there were some fierce exchanges; Miguel staggered him again in rounds three and four since Pinto could not get away from Cotto’s mean left hooks. Cotto knocked Pinto down in round five and once more as round six started, Pinto’s corner threw in the towel to stop the fight at 2:28; with this vicorty Cotto won his first World Championship and became the 50th from the island of Puerto Rico. After the fight Miguel said, “Today, there’s one more. I’ve got to be honest, I was very nervous. But you know, when you look at my record and you look at his, and the progress that I’ve made, I knew I would win. We knew that he was hurt in the previous round. My corner said, ‘Jump on him,’ and that’s what we did. I was in front of my people, I couldn’t let them down. I know that with my determination and the good work, I can beat anybody.” Pintos record drops to 20-1 (18) while Cotto moves to 21-0 (17)

In his fight 5-8-04 at the MGM in Las Vegas, Miguel was forced to go the full twelve rounds for the first time. Miguel won a unanimous decision against former world title challenger Lovemore Ndou (38-6-1). Miguel gave a sensational performance and pressed the action in the early rounds; he outworked Ndou, consistently landed the harder punches, and buckled Ndou’s knees in the 6th round. Ndou gave a tremendous effort, kept fighting hard and rallied in the late rounds, but Miguel boxed and moved effectively and won by scores of 117-111, 116-112, and 115-113. With the victory Miguel earned the number one ranking in the IBF and defended his WBC title for the fifth time. After the fight Cotto (20-0) (16) had this to say, “He was a tough guy. He has a lot of experience. It was a tough fight, but these are the kind of opponents I need. This is what I need if I am going to step up to that next level.”

On 2-28-04 at the MGM in Las Vegas, Cotto returned to the ring to defend his WBC International title for the fourth time and to battle former two-time world title challenger Victoriano Sosa (37-3-2). Sosa went after Miguel from the start, however he got the worst of it at the end of round one, when Cotto landed an upper cut that busted Sosa’s lip. Sosa was not deterred and rocked Cotto with a right in round two. However Cotto staggered Sosa with a left uppercut in the 3rd round. Miguel went on to score three knockdowns in the fourth round. First with a left uppercut to the chin, the second with a left hook to the head, and the third was with his punishing left hook to the body. The referee stopped the fight without a count at 2:51 of round number four. After the fight, Cotto (19-0) (16) said, “Sosa’s a good fighter, as he showed against Mayweather and Spadafora. He’s the best I’ve fought. But my team thought he would be a good fight for me, and I won. I’m just trying to get better every time I go into the gym.”

Miguel made his third defense of the WBC International title on 12-6-03 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Cotto once again the main event for a Top Rank PPV was taking on another undefeated fighter for the first time. Carlos Maussa (16-0) (15) proved to be a good test for Cotto and was coming off an impressive TKO over unbeaten prospect Jeffrey Resto. Maussa was eager to engage with Cotto, but it was Cotto’s steady pace of power punching combined with movement that was the difference. Cotto scored a knockdown in the third round when he rocked Maussa with a straight right. Cotto staggered Maussa in the eight round which forced Maussa’s corner to stop the fight. After the fight Cotto now 18-0 (15) had this to say, “The fights are won in the ring, not by talking or at the press conferences. He was tall and had long arms, and that’s why it was difficult to attack his body. But little by little, I wore him down.”

On 6-28-03 Miguel Cotto was the main event for the first PPV from Puerto Rico. More than 15,000 fans packed the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon to see Cotto battle former three-time world title challenger Rocky Martinez (38-8-1). Cotto did not disappoint the crowd cause he scorched Martinez with power punches that forced a cut over Martinez’s right eye. In round two Cotto landed another punishing left hook to the body, which forced Martinez to take the full ten count. Cotto (16-0) (13) defended his WBC International title for the first time.

On 9-13-03 Cotto was back on PPV in Las Vegas, he battled former world title challenger Demetrio Ceballos (26-4). Although Ceballos pressed forward for the whole fight, it was Cotto’s movement and harder punches that made the difference. Ceballos’ corner stopped the fight in the seventh round. Miguel improved to 17-0 (14) and became the number one contender in the WBA rankings.

4-19-03 was the date of Miguel’s debut on HBO. Cotto took on former Lightweight challenger Joel Perez (34-5-2). Once again Cotto used powerful combinations and slick movement to confuse and frustrate his opponent. The end came at the 1: 29 mark of round number four after Miguel landed a paralyzing short left hook to the body of Perez. After the fight Cotto (15-0) (12) had this to say about his performance, “As the rounds went on I felt better. I decided to pressure him more in the third round.”

Miguel opened 2003 as part of a Top Rank PPV on 2-1-03, in Las Vegas. Cotto took on former WBC lightweight world champion Cesar Bazan (39-5-1), for the vacant WBC International Super Light Weight Title. It was a step up in class for Cotto who gave his most impressive effort in route to a TKO victory in round number eleven. Cotto had Bazan down in round number one and bloodied his nose in the second. It was Miguel’s busier pace, sharp counter punching, and power punches that dictated the entire fight. Although Bazan was willing to engage the referee stopped the fight just sixteen seconds into the eleventh round. For his effort Miguel Cotto (14-0) (11) was crowned the new WBC International Super Light Weight Champion.

On 11-22-02 Miguel Cotto returned home to Caguas, Puerto Rico as the main event for ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. Miguel battled Ubaldo Hernandez (18-9-2). Hernandez gave a game effort, but it was Cotto’s power punches and effective movement that was the deciding factor. After wearing down Hernandez throughout the whole fight and cutting him over the right eye and busting his nose, Hernandez went down for the ten count at the 1: 31 mark of round number seven after Cotto landed a hard body shot. Miguel closed out 2002 with a record of 13-0 (10) and the promise of an exciting year in 2003.

Cotto was back on PPV in Las Vegas on 9-14-02, as part of the under card to the super fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas. Cotto went against former four-time world title challenger John Brown (23-9). This proved to be a good test for Miguel, who went the full ten rounds for the first time in route to a unanimous decision. Cotto showed his skills as a power puncher and boxer when he switched to the southpaw stance in order to confuse Brown. It worked; Cotto scored a knockdown in round two and staggered Brown in the eighth. After the fight Cotto now 12-0 (9) had this to say about his performance, “You can’t knock everybody out. Sometimes you have to go the distance.”

Cotto wasted no time when he returned to the ring on 7-30-02, in Concho, OK. Miguel, who was the main event for ESPN2’s Tuesday Night Fights, destroyed Carlos Ramirez (19-5) with a crippling left hook to the body. The end came at 2: 34 of round number three when Ramirez was forced to take the full ten count after being shocked with the body shot. Cotto improved his record to 11-0 (9).

Cotto made his PPV debut on 6-22-02 as part of the under card for the rematch between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. Cotto stepped up in class when he took on former world title challenger Justin Juuko (36-6-1). Cotto was very sharp and economical with his punches in the process of displaying his skills as a counter puncher. It proved to be a successful game plain since Miguel scored knockdowns in rounds three and four. After rocking Juuko with a devastating left hook, the referee stopped the fight at the 2: 44 mark of round number five. Cotto now 10-0 (8) had this to say after the fight, “I fought a very experienced fighter, but we looked good and we did what we were supposed to do. The plan was to be a counter puncher, to capitalize on his mistakes, and that’s what we did.”

On 5-3-02 Miguel had the longest fight of his young career when he made his Las Vegas debut. Cotto was forced into the seventh round by former WBC Continental Americas champion Juan Macias (26-16-2): Miguel dominated the entire fight and shut out Macias on all of the judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage. During the fight Macias was cut over the right eye by a clash of heads in the 2nd round, un phased Miguel rocked him with hard combinations throughout the fight, which forced the referee to stop the fight at the1: 54 mark of the 7th round. Cotto improved his record to 9-0 (7) and was poised for his first fight on PPV.

Cotto improved his record to 8-0 (6) On 3-1-02, in Los Angeles when he took on journey man Sammy Sparkman (14-8). Cotto once again used powerful combinations to stun and stagger his opponent in the first round. Cotto continued his assault in the second round, which forced the referee to stop the contest at the 2:49 mark of round number two.

In Caguas, Puerto Rico on 1-11-02, Cotto (6-0) (4) took on Joshua Smith (16-5): it was the first time Cotto returned to the ring since the car accident. Miguel showed no ill effects from the accident when he used power punches to stagger Smith several times in the first round. After continuing to dominate the fight in round two, Smith’s corner had no choice but to throw in the towel at the 1:37 mark of Round number two. After the fight Miguel who improved his record to 7-0 (5), had this to say about his return, “The arm felt OK. I just didn’t throw the hand often enough because I have to get that scary feeling off my mind. But when I threw it, I did throw it hard and it felt OK.”

On August 18, 2000 – while driving to a 5:30 A.M. workout, Cotto fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a concrete wall. The accident was very serious and caused several injuries to the young fighter. Cotto said, “It was a very serious accident. I broke my arm and shoulder in four different places. I think being in the shape I am in really helped.” Cotto bears a scar on his right shoulder and a six-inch titanium rod in his right arm as a result of the accident. Miguel, however, found a positive side to the accident; he said, “This kind of helped me. It made me think more about my family and be more focused on my career, because I almost didn’t have one."